India wrist-spinner Varun Chakaravarthy has been ruled out of the remaining two T20Is against Afghanistan after suffering a side strain, according to Cricbuzz. He complained of discomfort following the first T20I in Delhi, where he bowled four overs and returned 1/16. The spinner will leave for the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru within 24–48 hours for further assessment, Indian Express reported.
His participation in the Asian Games in Japan is now doubtful. The Indian team is scheduled to depart on September 18, leaving little recovery time. PTI reported that an MRI confirmed the side strain and that he is unlikely for the Asian Games.
Timeline context: This is Varun’s latest setback in an injury-hit year. He suffered a toe injury during the IPL, then a hamstring injury during the England T20Is, which forced him out of the Zimbabwe series and led to a two-month rehabilitation at the CoE. He had only recently returned to action.
The injury has also put the CoE under further scrutiny. Hindustan Times noted that Harshit Rana was ruled out of the Afghanistan series and Asian Games after a strain during a match simulation at the CoE. Indian Express said the team management was taken aback because Varun had cleared his fitness test before the series.
Varun described injuries as part of an athlete’s life, according to Cricbuzz. India will now rely more on Ravi Bishnoi, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar. His recovery timeline will determine his Asian Games availability.
