Former India cricketer Subramaniam Badrinath believes that mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy is more valuable than pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah after his impressive performance in the five-match T20I series against Australia. Chakravarthy picked up five wickets in his five outings against Australia with an average of 16.40 and an economy rate of 6.83 where the Suryakumar Yadav-led sode registered 2-1 series win after the fifth T20I in Brisbane washed out due to rain.
Varun Chakravarthy more valuable than Jasprit Bumrah: Subramaniam Badrinath
On the other hand, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah picked up three wickets in five matches at an average of 26.33. The Indian spinner is currently the No. 1-ranked bowler in the T20I format, having picked up 26 wickets in 16 matches with an average of 13.96. Badrinath, who represented the Chennai Super Kings during his playing days, said that Chakravarthy has been able to stop the run flow in the powerplay or the middle overs and even the death.
"Numbers tell us that Varun Chakaravarthy is the No. 1 T20 bowler in the world. He is more valuable than even Bumrah. Whenever the runs are flowing in the powerplay or the middle overs or even in the 18th over, Varun is the go-to bowler. He has gone to a different level with his game. A superb comeback after being given a chance initially and getting dropped because of fitness. But in this second phase after his comeback, he has taken his game to the next level," said Badrinath.
Badrinath further stated that Chakravarthy will be India's vital cog in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, where India will enter as the defending champions.
"He's a huge asset for India, in fact, even a weapon. Going forward, with the T20 World Cup in India, he will be the most crucial factor. If Varun has a good day, there is a great chance the Indian team will have a good day," said Badrinath.
Venues shortlisted for T20 World Cup 2026
The BCCI reportedly shortlisted Ahmedabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai for the upcoming edition of the T20 World Cup and the title decider of the mega event will take place at iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Each venue will likely get six games. The marquee event will take place in a hybrid model where matches featuring Pakistan will take place in Sri Lanka, but there is no clarity over which venues those would be.