India’s leading wicket-taker in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026, Varun Chakravarthy conceded 64 runs in his four overs in the semi-final clash against England. None of his plans worked in the middle as Jacob Bethell hit him all across the park. He was taken to the cleaners in his first over itself when the England international smacked him for three consecutive maximums, setting the tone, before the Three Lions suffered a seven-run defeat.
For Varun, it’s not just about one game. He has failed to live up to the expectations since the start of the Super Eights, maintaining an economy rate of 11.62. With that, his position in the playing XI is currently under the scanner. Ahead of the semi-final, bowling coach Morne Morkel backed the mystery spinner to find momentum soon, but how long can India wait is the prized question. Especially when there’s a talent like Kuldeep Yadav waiting in the wings.
Varun’s biggest problem since the Super Eights has been his overthinking. He seems to be dwelling much more on the previous ball, rather than concentrating on the next. It was evident in the semi-final against England, when keeper Sanju Samson was seen speaking to him several times to keep the spinner and readdress his focus.
Now, after such disastrous performances, the Indian team management might ponder a possible change. Particularly when India’s sixth bowling option, Shivam Dube, has an economy rate of 14.12 in this tournament. Hence, India cannot afford their fifth bowler to be out of form as they bank heavily on him. That being said, the door remains open for Kuldeep but it’s now up to the team management. The only thing that goes in favour of Varun is the momentum, as the winning team usually prefers to back the winning XI.
Other possible combinations
As reported by The Indian Express, the surface of the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will be a combination of black and red soil. It is expected to support the batters. That might force the hosts to play an extra seamer in Mohammed Siraj. In their Super Eights clash against South Africa on the same ground, the Proteas played an extra seamer and that seemed to have done the trick. India could do the same. Thus, it won’t be surprising if Varun is dropped for Siraj.
What about Washington Sundar? New Zealand have four left-handed batters in the mix and playing an off-spinner will make much sense. Captain Suryakumar Yadav dropped Axar Patel from the South Africa game to counter the southpaws but the plan didn’t go as planned. Nevertheless, India could do it once again. The question is in place of who? Benching Varun for Washington may not make enough sense and one can’t drop Axar after a terrific performance against England.
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