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The India National Cricket Team has suffered a big blow ahead of the second T20I against Afghanistan as Varun Chakravarthy has been ruled out of the remainder of the ongoing three-match T20I series.
Varun’s fitness problems have become a growing concern for India after the spinner suffered another injury setback on Tuesday (September 15). He suffered a fresh setback just one match after making his international comeback following the BCCI CoE clearance earlier this month.
Varun Chakravarthy ruled out, Ravi Bishnoi gets India chance against Afghanistan
Just before the proceedings, the BCCI confirmed that Varun Chakravarthy suffered discomfort in his left lateral abdominal region while bowling his third over in the first T20I. Scans later showed that the spinner has a side strain, forcing him out of the rest of the T20I series against Afghanistan.
BCCI posted on X (formerly Twitter): “Note: Varun Chakaravarthy experienced sudden-onset discomfort in his left lateral abdominal region while bowling his third over in the first T20I. Scans have revealed a side strain, and he has subsequently been ruled out of the remaining two T20Is.”
𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲: Varun Chakaravarthy experienced sudden-onset discomfort in his left lateral abdominal region while bowling his third over in the first T20I. Scans have revealed a side strain, and he has subsequently been ruled out of the remaining two T20Is.#TeamIndia | #AFGvIND
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 15, 2026
At the toss, Indian captain Shreyas Iyer has also confirmed that Ravi Bishnoi has replaced Varun Chakravarthy in the playing XI for the second T20I against Afghanistan on Tuesday in New Delhi.
Shreyas Iyer said at the toss: “Varun has got a side strain, so Ravi Bishnoi comes in for him.”
Varun Chakravarthy’s fitness woes put his Asian Games 2026 dream at risk
Varun Chakaravarthy has been struggling with the fitness issue for the past three-four months. In July, the mystery spinner picked up a Grade 2 left hamstring strain during the third T20I against England, which kept him out for nearly two months and forced him to miss the Zimbabwe series.
Before that, Varun suffered a hairline fracture in his foot/toe during IPL 2026 while playing for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He had successfully cleared his fitness test at the BCCI CoE Bengaluru before returning for the Afghanistan series, but the latest side strain has become a big headache for both the player and the team management.
The fresh setback has put Chakravarthy’s participation in the upcoming Asian Games 2026 now in serious doubt. India’s contingent is scheduled to leave for Japan on September 18, leaving the seasoned spinner with very little time to recover.
The BCCI medical sources suggested that Chakravarthy is unlikely to regain full fitness in time for the tournament. His recurring injury issues have now put his Asian Games campaign at major risk. Amid this, Jasprit Bumrah achieves unique T20I milestone with maiden over against Afghanistan.
Ravi Bishnoi makes instant impact, dismisses Sediqullah Atal
Meanwhile, Ravi Bishnoi made an instant impact after coming into India’s playing XI. The leg-spinner quickly gave India a breakthrough by dismissing Afghanistan opener Sediqullah Atal for 12 runs from 15 balls. Bishnoi bowled a googly, which Atal tried to hit towards the off side.
However, the Afghanistan batter failed to control the shot and only managed to hit the ball high towards long-off. Tilak Varma was perfectly placed there and took a comfortable catch without having to move much. Atal’s short stay ended with two fours, while Bishnoi celebrated the wicket in his trademark style at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
