Indian cricket team has suffered a massive blow ahead of the 2026 edition of the Asian Games as star spinner Varun Chakaravarthy has been ruled out after sustaining a side strain, sources close to the development told Times Now.
Chakaravarthy picked up the injury during India’s seven-wicket win over Afghanistan in the first T20I in New Delhi on September 13 and was subsequently ruled out of the remainder of the T20I series. The 35-year-old had only recently returned to international cricket after recovering from a hamstring injury sustained during India’s recent England white-ball tour.
Vipraj Nigam Likely Replacement
With Chakaravarthy unavailable for the Asian Games, the selectors are expected to bring in a replacement. Delhi Capitals all-rounder Vipraj Nigam has emerged as the likely candidate, although official confirmation from BCCI is still awaited. India’s men’s team will begin their Asian Games campaign later this month in Japan under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer.
Chakaravarthy Already Out Of IND vs AFG Series
Due to the injury, Chakravarthy will miss the third and final match on September 17, just like he did the second T20I on Tuesday. More significantly, the injury has prevented him from participating in India’s Asian Games campaign, adding his name to the team’s expanding list of injured players. After winning the first two games, India has already won the T20I series against Afghanistan. In the absence of Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi has been given a chance, and Nitish Kumar Reddy has also had an impact with the ball throughout the series.
The spinner’s most recent setback follows his recovery from a Grade 2 hamstring injury sustained during India’s July tour of England. Before resuming professional cricket in the Tamil Nadu Premier League, he received rehabilitation at the Center of Excellence in Bengaluru.
After missing over two months due to a hamstring issue, Chakravarthy rejoined India’s T20I squad. Before being selected for the Afghanistan series, he had played for Dindigul Dragons in one Tamil Nadu Premier League game in August, concluding with stats of 0/34.
At first, his comeback against Afghanistan went well; he finished four overs, gave up just 16 runs, and claimed a wicket. However, he was pulled from the remaining games due to soreness in his side following the game, and as a result, he was excluded from the Asian Games.