Varun Chakravarthy ruled out of Afghanistan T20Is after injury setback

India have suffered an injury setback ahead of the remaining matches of their T20I series against Afghanistan with spinner Varun Chakravarthy ruled out of the second and third games.

India have suffered an injury setback ahead of the remaining matches of their T20I series against Afghanistan with spinner Varun Chakravarthy ruled out of the second and third games.

Chakravarthy will miss the two remaining T20Is scheduled to be played on September 15 and 17 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. His injury has also raised concerns over his availability for the 2026 Asian Games.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not yet released an official statement detailing the nature or severity of Chakravarthy’s latest injury.

The 35-year-old spinner featured in the opening match of the series and completed his four-over spell while conceding 16 runs and taking a wicket. However, he will now be unavailable for the rest of the series as India manage his fitness.

The latest setback adds to a difficult period for Chakravarthy who has dealt with several fitness issues over the past year.

During the 2026 Indian Premier League, Chakravarthy suffered a foot injury while representing Kolkata Knight Riders. He later returned to international cricket but faced another problem during India’s T20I series against England in July.

The spinner suffered a hamstring injury during the England series and was ruled out after the third match. He subsequently underwent rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence.

His recovery also kept him out of India’s T20I series against Zimbabwe as he continued his rehabilitation programme at the BCCI facility.

Chakravarthy’s absence is another concern for the Indian team as several key players have recently dealt with injuries.

Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah along with all-rounders Nitish Reddy and Washington Sundar have also been working their way back to full fitness.

India will now have to assess their bowling options for the final two matches against Afghanistan, particularly with Chakravarthy unavailable.

Despite the injury concern, India made an impressive start to the Afghanistan series, cruising to a seven-wicket victory in the opening T20I.

Afghanistan posted 156 for 8 from their 20 overs after India’s bowlers kept the visitors under control. Arshdeep Singh was the standout bowler finishing with three wickets.

India then produced an emphatic response with the bat. Young opener Abhishek Sharma smashed an outstanding 82 from just 32 deliveries hitting seven sixes and seven fours.

His explosive innings helped India chase down the target of 157 in fewer than 13 overs, giving the hosts a 1-0 lead in the series.

India will now look to seal the series in the second T20I but the absence of Chakravarthy will be an important talking point as the team prepares for the next match.