Suryakumar Yadav ends suspense on Varun Chakaravarthy's chance of playing IND vs NZ T20 World Cup final

Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav has backed Varun Chakaravarthy amidst calls of dropping the mystery spinner for the T20 World Cup 2026 final against New Zealand, which is scheduled to be played at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad.

Suryakumar Yadav comes to Varun Chakaravarthy's defence

During the pre-match press conference, Suryakumar dismissed concerns regarding the 34-year-old’s recent form, asserting that Chakravarthy remains a match-winner who understands how to deliver under pressure for his country.

"Varun's form is not a concern. We are focusing on winning the game. He's world number 1. He knows how to make this team win. We want to keep things simple. Not to complicate things. For me, it has been a good journey, six years. It is a big occasion to lead this team in the final," Suryakumar said at the pre-match press conference.

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Varun Chakaravarthy's concerning form

The scrutiny surrounding Chakaravarthy stems from a statistically underwhelming tournament. While his career T20I economy rate sits at a disciplined 7.75, it has ballooned to 8.85 during this campaign. Furthermore, critics point out that his 13 wickets have been largely padded by dominant spells against Associate nations—such as his 3/7 against Namibia and 3/14 against the Netherlands, while his impact against Full Member teams, with the exception of Pakistan, has been notably lackluster.

The data from the later stages of the tournament paints a particularly challenging picture. Since the conclusion of the group stage, Chakravarthy has managed only four wickets across four matches, averaging a high 46.50 with an economy rate of 11.62. His ability to build pressure has also declined sharply; his dot-ball percentage plummeted from 45.8 per cent to 26 per cent, while the percentage of boundaries conceded off his bowling surged from a meager 5.55 per cent to a staggering 27.08 per cent.

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Even in the lead-up to the World Cup, the New Zealand batters seemed to have found a way to counter him. During the five-match home series against the Black Caps, Chakravarthy surrendered 108 runs in the 12 overs he bowled. While his economy of 9.00 in that series was higher than his personal average, it was technically lower than New Zealand’s overall scoring rate of 9.94, providing a small silver lining for those defending his inclusion.

The final narrative twist lies in the venue itself. Despite his record-breaking expensive spell of 1/64 against England in the semi-final, Chakravarthy’s last standout performance actually occurred at the Narendra Modi Stadium. As India prepare to face New Zealand on Sunday, the team management appears to be banking on that ground familiarity to help him rediscover his 'mystery' at the most critical moment.