India spinner Varun Chakaravarthy has suffered another injury setback and has been ruled out of the ongoing T20I series against Afghanistan, with his participation in the upcoming Asian Games also now under a cloud.
According to Cricbuzz, the 35-year-old complained of a side strain after India’s opening T20I against Afghanistan on Sunday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. The team management has decided to release him from the squad, with Chakaravarthy set to return to Bengaluru for further medical assessment.
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The spinner is expected to report to the Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Wednesday, where he will undergo scans. A decision on his availability for the Asian Games will be taken after the medical evaluation.
The timing has raised concerns for India. The team is scheduled to leave for Japan from New Delhi on September 18, while the Indian side will play a bilateral match against the hosts on September 22 before beginning its Asian Games campaign on September 28.
That leaves little time for Chakaravarthy to recover if the injury proves significant.
Chakaravarthy had only recently returned to international action after spending almost two months recovering and rehabilitating at the CoE. He had suffered a hamstring injury during India’s T20I series in England in July and subsequently missed the series in Zimbabwe.
After being declared fit, he was selected for both the Afghanistan T20I series and India’s Asian Games squad.
His latest setback comes after what appeared to be an encouraging return. Chakaravarthy bowled his full quota of four overs in Sunday’s match and finished with impressive figures of 1 for 16. Apart from two no-balls, the spinner looked sharp and showed few obvious signs of discomfort during his spell.
However, the side strain emerged after the game, forcing the Indian team management to act quickly.
Speaking after the match, Chakaravarthy himself had acknowledged that injuries are an unavoidable part of professional sport.
“Look, injuries are very common for all sportspeople,” he said, explaining that athletes sometimes push themselves beyond their limits before the body eventually demands a break.
For India, the injury could be particularly inconvenient given the importance of Chakaravarthy’s experience and recent return to the T20 setup. His ability to bowl economical spells while creating pressure in the middle overs has made him an important option in India’s white-ball plans.
An expert assessment will now depend largely on the scan results. If the strain is minor, Chakaravarthy could still have a chance of making the Asian Games squad. But with India’s departure for Japan less than a week away, even a short rehabilitation period could make his participation difficult.
The immediate priority, however, will be ensuring that the spinner makes a full recovery rather than rushing him back.
For Chakaravarthy, who had already endured a lengthy rehabilitation period this year, the latest injury represents another frustrating interruption just as he appeared to be returning to his best.
