“In modern-day cricket there are no mysteries” - Varun Chakaravarthy exposed by Ex-CSK spinner

Former Team India bowler Harbhajan Singh said that Varun Chakaravarthy must return to the drawing board after a disappointing T20 World Cup 2026 campaign. The cricketer-turned-commentator backed Chakravarthy to bounce back during the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season.

Varun picked up nine wickets in the group-stage matches against the USA, Namibia, Pakistan, and the Netherlands. However, he struggled during the Super 8 matches. South Africa, Zimbabwe, and West Indies negotiated his deliveries. He ended the tournament with 14 wickets at an economy rate of 9.26.

Varun Chakaravarthy Erred Slightly In Length - Harbhajan Singh

Speaking to the Times of India, Harbhajan Singh said that he saw Varun Chakaravarthy early in his career and recognized his immense talent during Chennai Super Kings’ domestic practice sessions.

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“First things first, he is a champion bowler. I first saw him at the Chennai Super Kings nets in 2018 where he was a practice bowler. I told the CSK management to pick him straight away — which they didn’t — because even then he was often unplayable in the nets,” Harbhajan told TOI.

“Normally, Varun gets batters out for fun when they try shots off the back foot. But in this World Cup he has gone for runs and that might be because he erred slightly in length,” he added.

In Modern-Day Cricket, There Are No Mysteries - Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan Singh dismissed theories suggesting that international batters had decoded the bowling variations of Varun Chakaravarthy. Singh cited Dale Steyn as an example to explain that execution matters more than mystery.

“In modern-day cricket there are no mysteries. When it comes to top players, people often know what the next ball will be. Everyone knew Dale Steyn’s best delivery was the outswinger, but did that make him easy to face? It’s a battle of execution between the batter and the bowler. If the bowler gets it right, he will be successful,” Harbhajan opined.

Varun Chakaravarthy Can Certainly Refer To The Kumble Playbook - Harbhajan Singh

Varun Chakaravarthy bowled quickly under pressure during the T20 World Cup 2026. Harbhajan advised him to follow Anil Kumble, who built his career by avoiding self-doubt and maintaining consistent bowling across formats.

“Anil bhai’s height allowed him to extract bounce, and his biggest plus was that he could bowl all day at the same spot. That’s a rare quality. Varun can certainly refer to the Kumble playbook. That was something I used to do a lot and it helped me,” Bhajji said.

Singh said that Varun can become even more effective if he develops a delivery that turns away from right-handed batters. He added that stronger variations would prevent batters from predicting his plans and that the IPL will give Varun time to work on these improvements.

“Variation is important. If he gets that delivery right, batters won’t be able to premeditate against him. Varun will get some time now and can try these things in the IPL. I know he is mentally strong and I have full faith that he will continue to play a key role in India’s quest for more T20 success,” Bhajji said.

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