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Despite recent criticisms of Varun Chakaravarthy, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner remains wary of the threat posed by India’s mystery spinner. Heading into the T20 World Cup 2026 final in Ahmedabad, Santner emphasized that a player of Chakaravarthy's caliber is never truly out of form, suggesting that he is merely one standout performance away from completely shifting the momentum of a match in India's favor.
Varun Chakaravarthy is just one game away from changing the tide: Santner
The Black Caps' caution comes at a time when many are questioning India's spin department, particularly following Chakaravarthy’s expensive spell against England in the semi-final. While that performance sparked debate over his place in the XI for the championship clash, Santner used his pre-match press conference to shut down any notion that his side is taking the spinner lightly.
By highlighting Chakaravarthy’s potential impact, Santner made it clear that the New Zealand camp is preparing for the Indian spinner to be at his most dangerous. Rather than writing him off based on a single tough outing, the Kiwi skipper respects the "mystery" element that could still prove to be the deciding factor on the Ahmedabad surface.
“For any bowler, when the pitch is flat, it’s a challenge. When it’s spinning or seaming, it can trouble the batters, but on a flat surface it becomes difficult for bowlers. I think everyone can go for 60 on their day,” Santner said at the pre-match press conference.
“For Varun, he has to know that he is still a very good bowler. He is just one game away from changing the tide. It’s the same with any bowler or batter. If you are out of form, you are only one game away from being back. So it’s about going out there and proving it. It’s always a challenge, but days like that happen. It doesn’t get much harder than that. You can bank on that experience going into the next game. If you find yourself in a similar situation, you think about what it looks like and whether you can do things slightly differently,” he added.
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Varun Chakaravarthy dismal outing in 2nd half of T20 World Cup 2026
The 34-year-old entered the T20 World Cup heralded as India’s premier X-factor and a cornerstone of their white-ball strategy. His reputation was well-earned; in the period leading up to this tournament, no bowler from a Full Member nation had claimed more wickets than the mystery spinner. This prolific form made him the central figure in India's plans to dominate the middle overs.
The tournament initially validated that hype, as Chakaravarthy enjoyed a near-perfect start during the group stages. He bamboozled opposition hitters with a sophisticated mix of carrom balls and googlies, tearing through lineups to collect 12 wickets across just four matches. During this phase, he appeared almost unplayable, consistently stifling the scoring rate and providing breakthroughs whenever called upon.
However, the tide turned during the Super 8 stage as the competition grew fiercer. Facing powerhouse lineups like South Africa, the West Indies, and a resilient Zimbabwe, Chakaravarthy found it increasingly difficult to contain batters. His economy rate climbed to a concerning 10.16, and his ability to build pressure vanished; out of the 72 deliveries he sent down in this phase, only 20 were dot balls, a meager dot-ball percentage of just 27.77 per cent.
This slump culminated in a historically difficult semi-final outing in Mumbai. Chakaravarthy finished with figures of 1 for 64 from his four overs, marking the most expensive spell ever delivered by an Indian bowler in T20 World Cup history. The damage was largely driven by England’s Jacob Bethell, who took a particular liking to the spinner's variations by smashing 41 runs off just 13 balls. To put the severity of that performance into perspective, Chakaravarthy's figures now sit as the joint second-most expensive spell in the history of the tournament. It will be interesting to see whether Chakaravarthy gets another shot or face axe for the T20 World Cup final in Ahmedabad.
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