'Do not bowl from round the wicket to...': R Ashwin gives Varun Chakravarthy key tips ahead of T20 World Cup final

Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin reckons that Varun Chakravarthy’s confidence takes a hit whenever batsmen attack him early in his spells. Ahead of India’s title defence against New Zealand in the T20 World Cup final, Ashwin suggested that Chakravarthy should avoid bowling from round the wicket to left-handed batters.

Varun Chakravarthy's bowling vs England

Ashwin’s comments come after India booked their spot in the final by defeating England by seven runs in a thrilling semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday. In that match, Chakravarthy had a tough day, conceding 64 runs for just one wicket while India defended a massive total of 253. His figures were the joint-second most expensive in T20 World Cup history, tying with Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya, who gave away 64 runs against Pakistan in Johannesburg in 2007.

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Ashwin's advice Varun Chakravarthy

Ashwin explained on his YouTube channel Ash Ki Baat:

“What is happening with Varun is not that teams are attacking him or picking him specially. Everyone knows that Adil Rashid has a googly. This happens with every cricketer. But if this happens, you have to be tactical. You cannot miss the lengths. Line and length variations with speed variations are important. Varun has to be spoken to.”

He added, “Every time he gets attacked upfront, the confidence goes down further, because he knows he is catching up. I am tired of saying this again and again. From the last few games, I am saying this. Do not bowl from round the wicket to the left-hander.”

Chakravarthy's forgettable record

Chakravarthy’s figures in this match also put him among India’s costliest T20I spells. He now shares the joint second-most expensive returns for India with Yuzvendra Chahal’s 0/64 against South Africa in Durban in 2018 and is just behind Prasidh Krishna’s 0/68 against Australia in Guwahati in 2023.

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The worst bowling figures in a T20 World Cup were recorded in this tournament when Saurabh Netravalkar of the USA went 0/65 against India.

IT20 World Cup 2026 final

Notably, India and New Zealand will meet in the T20 World Cup final on Sunday, March 8, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Interestingly, the two teams also faced each other in the final of the Champions Trophy in 2025, and now, nearly a year later, they will clash again in another major ICC summit clash.