Varun Chakravarthy Injured Again, and by Monday morning, the news was confirmed. One of India’s most important T20I bowlers is out of the series after just one match. This is not the first time this year. It is not even the second. The pattern that has been building around Varun Chakravarthy through 2026 is now impossible to ignore.
What Happened After the First T20I
Varun Chakravarthy will miss the remainder of the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan after experiencing discomfort in his side.
The news broke on September 14, one day after India’s seven-wicket win at Arun Jaitley Stadium. India’s medical team withdrew Chakravarthy following acute physical discomfort to prevent a potential long-term muscle tear.
He will not play in the second T20I on September 15 or the third on September 17. The BCCI has not issued an official statement on the exact nature or reasons behind Chakravarthy’s absence from the series.
The Good News in the Bad News For Indian Cricket
The injury is being managed carefully. It is understood that this setback is temporary, and the India spinner is expected to travel with the team for the Asian Games, which start on September 24 in Japan.
That expected Asian Games participation is the most important detail in this injury update. The team management would not send Chakravarthy to Japan if the side strain was considered serious. The precautionary withdrawal from the Afghanistan series protects him from aggravating a muscle injury into something that requires surgery or extended time away.
Varun’s Performance in the First T20I
The timing of this injury is particularly frustrating for Chakravarthy. He had just returned from a two-month gap due to a hamstring injury at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
He was a crucial force in India’s first T20I win over Afghanistan by seven wickets, bowling a sensational spell of 1 for 16 in four overs and cleaning up Darwish Rasooli’s stumps with a peach of a delivery.
That performance was exactly what India needed from him. He looked sharp, controlled, and threatening. Watching a bowler who performs that well in a match be ruled out the very next day is one of cricket’s most maddening situations.
A Year of Injuries For Indian Cricket
This is the third injury setback Chakravarthy has suffered in 2026. Each one has come immediately after he returned from the previous one. That pattern is not coincidental. Varun had just returned during the England series in July and had spent many days undergoing rehab for a foot injury at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
This year has been filled with injuries for the Indian spinner, having suffered a hairline fracture in his foot and a hand injury during the Kolkata Knight Riders IPL 2026 campaign. He featured in just 11 matches, taking 11 wickets at an average of 32.72 and an economy rate of 8.78.
The IPL foot fracture led to the Ireland series absence. The hamstring in the England series led to his Zimbabwe absence. Now a side strain in the Afghanistan series. Three separate injury sites across one calendar year. That is not bad luck. That is a body under sustained stress.
The BCCI Centre of Excellence Is Under Scrutiny
The CoE in Bengaluru has been at the centre of India’s recent injury management discussions. The volume of Indian players suffering injuries at or returning from the CoE in 2026 has become impossible not to notice.
His fresh breakdown almost as soon as he returned raises questions over whether he was cleared too early. It also sharpens concern that his bowling mechanics may be placing stress on his body that it cannot sustain across continuous international cricket.
The absence of a Head of Sports Science and Medicine at the CoE has been reported separately as a structural gap in India’s player management setup. These issues are connected.
Who Replaces Him for the Remaining Two T20Is
India have two spin options ready to step in for the second and third matches. Ravi Bishnoi played all three T20Is on India’s tour of Zimbabwe in July as Varun’s replacement. He took three wickets at an economy rate of 5.66. His leg-spin provides the wrist-spin variation that Chakravarthy’s mystery spin offers. He is not the same bowler but he is a proven performer in this format for India.
Washington Sundar is the other option. Sundar is also making a comeback after recovering from a leg injury during the England tour. His left-arm spin alongside Axar Patel gives India two disciplined slow-bowling options in the middle overs. Axar conceded only 27 runs in four overs in the first match. The spin attack is weakened by Chakravarthy’s absence but it is not defenceless.
What This Means for the Asian Games
The Asian Games begin on September 24 in Aichi, Japan. The cricket competition features ten nations in T20 format. India are strong favourites for the gold medal. Their first match is against Japan on September 24.
Chakravarthy’s expected involvement in Japan is critical context. If the side strain was a significant injury, he would be removed from the Asian Games squad immediately. The fact that management expects him to travel confirms this is a precautionary measure. He should be available for India’s most important matches in Japan.
The rivalry between India and Afghanistan that has been building across multiple formats, including the context of how competitive the bilateral relationship has become, is explored in our piece on the India vs Afghanistan 1st ODI preview from June 2026.
India’s Broader Injury Picture in 2026
Chakravarthy joins a long list of Indian players who have missed significant assignments through injury this calendar year. Bumrah missed the entire Sri Lanka Test series. Sundar missed the first Afghanistan T20I. Harshit Rana was ruled out of this series before it began. Nitish Kumar Reddy has missed multiple assignments.
The India squad’s collective fitness record in 2026 is the most discussed off-field issue in Indian cricket this year. Individual injuries happen in professional sport. When multiple key players miss multiple assignments in quick succession, the conversation about workload management, recovery protocols, and the CoE’s role becomes unavoidable.
Washington Sundar and Ravi Bishnoi are now the spin attack for the next two matches. Both are capable. Neither is Varun Chakravarthy when he is fully fit. The depth that India have developed in their spin department across different formats and the players who have benefited from India’s injuries to earn opportunities is explored in our piece on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s stats, records and rise. A reminder that India’s injury management challenges have inadvertently accelerated the development of their next generation.
Conclusion
Varun Chakravarthy is out of the Afghanistan series after one match and one wicket. The injury is a side strain. He is expected to travel with India for the Asian Games on September 24. Washington Sundar and Ravi Bishnoi share the spin responsibilities for September 15 and 17. The BCCI has not issued a formal statement. The pattern of injuries throughout 2026 has raised questions about how Indian players are being managed through their rehabilitation programmes. Those questions need answers that go beyond any individual innings or any individual bowler. Check out India vs Afghanistan 2nd T20 Preview.
