After being India’s best bowler in the shortest format for the 18 months building up to the 2026 T20 World Cup, Varun Chakaravarthy went through a lean trot in the public glare at the business end of the marquee event.
The slump spilled over to the Indian Premier League, where a hairline fracture in his left foot compounded a wretched start that saw the mystery spinner concede 105 runs in nine overs without taking a wicket in his first three outings for Kolkata Knight Riders.
Such phases come with the territory of being a bowler in the slam-bang version. His returns of 4-0-16-1 against Afghanistan in the first T20I at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday were more in tune with the high standards he has set.
Varun, however, doesn’t judge himself by these metrics.
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“I cannot go by results. If I go by results, I will start reacting to each and everything. If it goes my way, I will start being very happy. If it doesn’t go my way, I will become very sad. I cannot go that way. The best way for me is to see the process. If it is a good ball and if it is hit for a six, I will always take it. But if it is a bad ball and it is a wicket, I have to go and work on it again. So that is how it works,” the 35-year-old told the media after India’s seven-wicket victory.
Elaborating on his process-driven rationale, Varun offered: “It is not about wickets. Whatever happens till I pitch the ball is in my control. After that, it is not in my control. So what is in my control is till I pitch the ball. After the ball pitches, it may turn or not turn.”
Varun’s words may offer comfort to the Afghanistan spinners, who found the going very tough against the destructive left-handed duo of Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan on Sunday night. The spinner from Tamil Nadu could relate to Afghanistan’s predicament.
“While sitting in the dressing room, I was just telling someone that against our batting line-up, you can’t bowl spin. They are just going to smack left, right and centre. I have personally bowled against them. I know how hard it is. So, yeah, I feel for the Afghan spinners,” Varun stated.
Published on Sep 14, 2026
