Varun Chakaravarthy ruled out of Afghanistan T20I series with side strain

India spinner Varun Chakaravarthy has been ruled out of the ongoing T20I series against Afghanistan in Delhi due to a side strain, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Tuesday.

According to a post on X, Chakaravarthy experienced sudden discomfort in his left lateral abdominal region while bowling his third over in the first T20I. Scans confirmed a side strain, leading to his exclusion from the remaining two matches of the series.

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During the toss of the second T20I at Arun Jaitley Stadium, India captain Shreyas Iyer named Ravi Bishnoi as Chakaravarthy’s replacement in the playing eleven.

The spinner is now working to regain fitness in time for India’s next international fixtures—a one-off T20I against Japan and the Asian Games 2026.

Chakaravarthy had recently returned to the T20I squad in Sunday’s series opener after a two-month absence. He came back following recovery from a hamstring injury sustained during the third T20I against England in July. In his comeback match, he bowled four overs conceding 16 runs and taking one wicket, contributing to India’s seven-wicket victory.