![Varun Chakravarthy to be India's trump card in T20 World Cup [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X.com]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1765816315618_Varun_Chakravarthy_India_T20_World_Cup_2026.jpg?type=hq)
Varun Chakravarthy to be India's trump card in T20 World Cup [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X.com]
Very few players in Indian cricket have produced a revival story as interesting as Varun Chakravarthy. Once labelled a mystery that had been ‘figured out’ or ‘undeserving’ after the 2021 T20 World Cup, Varun has reinvented himself into India’s most reliable, impactful and intelligent T20I bowler in 2025.
Today, more than a wicket-taker, he is India’s control point in the shortest format.
Chakravarthy records dream comeback
| Criterion | Stats |
| Matches | 19 |
| Wickets | 32 |
| Average | 13.18 |
| Economy | 6.69 |
| Best figure | 5/24 |
| 5-fers | 1 |
(Table: Varun Chakravarthy's T20I stats in 2025)
In 2025, Varun Chakravarthy is no longer a mystery pick or a specialist option used only on helpful pitches. He has become India’s most reliable and influential T20I bowler, the one captain turns to when the game needs to change direction.
The numbers tell part of the story. Since his return to the national side, Varun has taken 49 wickets in T20Is, the most by any bowler in this period. He averages 12.9, strikes every 11 balls, and concedes runs at under 7 an over.
In a format designed to punish bowlers, those figures are elite. But Varun’s real value goes beyond numbers.
Varun Chakravarthy - the variation king
What sets him apart is deception without recklessness. He doesn’t rely on a single mystery delivery. Instead, he layers variations such as the googly, slider, carrom ball, and subtle changes in pace so batters are never fully certain what’s coming.
Even when they read the length, they often misread the spin. This is why Varun Chakravarthy has thrived against stronger opponents. Against South Africa and England, he has picked up 32 wickets in just 12 matches at an astonishing average of 10.46, including two five-wicket hauls.
These aren’t flat-track stat boosts. These are performances against sides that plan aggressively for spin.
Crucially, Varun Chakravarthy bowls when pressure is highest. He is used early to break partnerships and in the middle overs to kill momentum.
While most spinners in T20Is have an emphasis on containment, Varun brings control with an attack. His economy in 2025 sits around 6.7, but he still attacks stumps and edges rather than just pushing batters back.
The fairytale comeback
| Criterion | Stats |
| Matches | 6 |
| Wickets | 2 |
| Average | 66.00 |
| Economy | 5.86 |
| Best figure | 1/18 |
| 5-fers | 0 |
(Table: Varun Chakravarthy's T20I stats in debut year, 2021)
His comeback arc makes this rise even more compelling. After a disastrous 2021 T20 World Cup, Varun Chakravarthy faded out of the international picture.
Questions were raised about his confidence, fitness, skill set and mental resilience. Many assumed his moment had passed. Rather, he returned to domestic cricket, honed his trade, and worked on revamping his game without any fuss or complaints.
That patience has paid off. In 2025 alone, Varun Chakravarthy has claimed 32 T20I wickets, including a five-wicket-haul, the most by an Indian bowler. Not only that, he is the second-fastest Indian to compete 50 T20I wickets.
He no longer needs extreme turn to succeed. Slower surfaces simply make him more dangerous.
His resurgence also proves smart backing from the team management. While there has been criticism in other selection areas, Varun’s handling has been a rare success story. He has been trusted with responsibility, not protected with caution.
Varun Chakravarthy holds the key to the T20 World Cup 2026
Looking ahead, his form could shape India’s future.
The T20 World Cup 2026, to be played in India and Sri Lanka, is expected to reward spinners who can control tempo and force mistakes.
Varun Chakravarthy fits that profile perfectly. On turning tracks, his unpredictability becomes a weapon. On flatter ones, his accuracy keeps scoring in check. Varun now carries India's hopes of defending the title in a team that looks fairly unsettled.
In a format obsessed with power-hitting, Chakravarthy reminds us that skill still beats strength. Batters may prepare for him, study his releases, and watch hours of footage.
But once the ball leaves his hand, doubt creeps in. And in T20 cricket, doubt is often the beginning of the end.
