Known as the 'mystery spinner,' Verun Chakravarthy has now also been dropped from the Indian squad for the Asian Games. He was previously withdrawn from the T20 series against Afghanistan. His injury has worsened to the point where he will not be able to participate in the Asian Games.
During the first T20I against Afghanistan, Chakravarthy felt a sudden pain in his left flank (left iliopsoas area) during the third over. A subsequent scan confirmed a side strain.
Chakravarthy returned to the Indian squad after about two months, playing in the first match against Afghanistan in Delhi on September 13, where he took one wicket while conceding 16 runs in 4 overs. Prior to this, he had been battling a hamstring injury and undergoing rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bangalore. Earlier, in early July, during the third T20I against England, he sustained a second-degree hamstring injury, after which he returned to India and completed his recovery at the CoE.
Initially, this injury was considered temporary, offering hope for Chakravarthy's participation in the Asian Games. However, the discovery of a side strain forces him to leave the Asian Games team. Thus, after returning from injury, he managed to play only one T20I before being withdrawn again.
Before the series against Afghanistan, Chakravarthy also played in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL), where he played only one match for Dindigul Dragons in August, taking 0 wickets and conceding 34 runs in 4 overs. After this, he returned to the Indian national team, but the side strain issue halted his progress in the very first match.
India has not yet announced an official replacement for Verun Chakravarthy. There are two options in the current squad: Ravi Bishnoi and Washington Sundar. Ravi Bishnoi previously participated in all three T20Is in the Zimbabwe tour in July, where he was included in the team as a replacement for Chakravarthy. Bishnoi took three wickets in three matches, maintaining an economy rate of 5.66.
Washington Sundar could add more depth to the team in both bowling and batting. Nevertheless, he himself is recovering from a leg injury sustained during the England tour. Although Sundar could not play in the series against Afghanistan, this was because he was not yet fully fit to play.
India also has the option of Axar Patel. He took one wicket, conceding 27 runs in the first T20I against Afghanistan. Some reports suggest that Vipraj Nigam will replace Verun Chakravarthy in the Asian Games squad. A source from the BCCI told PTI that besides Vipraj Nigam, another available option was Kuldeep Yadav, who will play in the ODI against West Indies at the end of this month. The 22-year-old Nigam, representing Delhi Capitals in the IPL, has played 19 matches in the league, taking 13 wickets. This 21-year-old player has also demonstrated strong batting abilities, scoring runs at an average rate of around 176 in his IPL career.
The men's Asian Games will begin on September 24, and the Indian team will play in the quarterfinals. Chakravarthy's withdrawal is a blow to India, as the 35-year-old Chakravarthy returned to the national team after recovering from a hamstring injury before the series against Afghanistan. After the first T20I, he reported discomfort, and he was sent back to the BCCI Centre of Excellence for further examination.
The India squad for the Asian Games 2026 includes: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Tilak Verma (vice-captain), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Vipraj Nigam, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Yashas Thakur.
