Varun Chakaravarthy will spearhead India’s spin attack alongside Ravi Bishnoi in the upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, set for September 13, 15, and 17 at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium. The 34‑year‑old spinner is coming back from a hamstring injury suffered during the third T20I against England, which kept him out of India’s Zimbabwe tour in July.
Chakaravarthy was a vital part of India’s victorious 2026 T20 World Cup campaign, claiming 14 wickets and sharing the top wicket‑taker honours with Jasprit Bumrah. Former India batsman Wasim Jaffer has expressed concern over the spinner’s recent form, noting that opposition batters appear to have figured out his bowling pattern. Jaffer observed that batters are unfazed when attacking the ball in their scoring zones.
“Varun Chakaravarthy should hopefully do well because, recently, there have been some difficulties for him. It seems that teams have figured him out a little. The batsmen have figured out how he bowls. Most of his deliveries come into the batsman, and the ball doesn’t go away,” Jaffer said on his YouTube channel.
“When the ball lands in the batsman’s hitting zone, they don’t hesitate to play their shots. They understand that Varun generally looks for the bat-pad gap. So, this will be a very important series for him,” he added.
In IPL 2026 with the Kolkata Knight Riders, Chakaravarthy featured in 11 matches, picking up 11 wickets at an average of 32.73, a strike rate of 22.3 and an economy of 8.78. His best outing was 3 for 14. Analysts have highlighted his ongoing issues with consistency and variation as he gears up for the Afghanistan series.
Afghanistan are dangerous in this format: Wasim Jaffer
Jaffer also warned India not to underestimate Afghanistan in T20 cricket, noting that while India is expected to dominate the series, the Afghan side can still pose a serious threat and possibly snatch a victory.
“Afghanistan are dangerous in this format. So, overall, I feel India should dominate, but don’t be surprised if Afghanistan beat India in one match and pose a challenge. I don’t think we should take them lightly. I feel this will be a slightly challenging series. India should win the series, otherwise, it would obviously be a very poor performance,” Jaffer said.