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“Varun Chakaravarthy more valuable than Bumrah”: Ex-CSK star makes explosive claim

Aakash Saini

Varun Chakaravarthy and Jasprit Bumrah [Source: @cricketkaushik, @Aditya_V_Mishra/x]Varun Chakaravarthy and Jasprit Bumrah [Source: @cricketkaushik, @Aditya_V_Mishra/x]

Former CSK batter Subramaniam Badrinath believes Indian spinner Varun Chakaravarthy is more valuable to the national team than ace paceman Jasprit Bumrah. The cricketer-turned-commentator believes that Chakaravarthy has taken his game to “another level”, and acknowledged his number one ranking on ICC T20I bowling charts at the moment.

It is worth noting that Jasprit Bumrah is also currently the number one ranked bowler, albeit in Test matches for Team India. Nonetheless, both cricketers will start out as crucial bowling exponents in the Indian team in next year’s 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Badrinath calls Varun Chakaravarthy a “huge asset” for India

While speaking on the Star Sports network, former Indian cricketer Subramaniam Badrinath praised spinner Varun Chakaravarthy and called him more valuable than India’s 2024 T20 World Cup winner Jasprit Bumrah.

The ex-CSK batter said:

“Numbers tell us that Varun Chakaravarthy is the No. 1 T20 bowler in the world. He is more valuable than even Bumrah. Whenever the runs are flowing in the powerplay or the middle overs or even in the 18th over, Varun is the go-to bowler. He has gone to a different level with his game. A superb comeback after being given a chance initially and getting dropped because of fitness. But in this second phase after his comeback, he has taken his game to the next level.”

Subramaniam Badrinath also believes that Varun Chakaravarthy will be the “most crucial factor” for Team India in the upcoming 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at home. He added:

“He's a huge asset for India, in fact, even a weapon. Going forward, with the T20 World Cup in India, he will be the most crucial factor. If Varun has a good day, there is a great chance the Indian team will have a good day.”

Both Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakaravarthy are currently placed at the top of the ICC bowling rankings in Tests and T20Is respectively. The two cricketers also played key roles in India’s recent Asia Cup 2025 triumph in the UAE.