India have suffered another injury setback ahead of the second T20I against Afghanistan, with mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy reportedly ruled out of the remainder of the three-match series. The development has also brought the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) back under scrutiny, with Chakravarthy breaking down after playing just one match following a lengthy rehabilitation programme.
According to PTI, Chakravarthy has suffered another injury and will not be available for the remaining two T20Is against Afghanistan. “It is a fresh injury. MRI has revealed that it is a side strain. He is out of the series and looks unlikely for Asian Games,” said a BCCI source to PTI.
The setback comes barely a day after Chakravarthy made an impressive return to international cricket in the series opener at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The spinner conceded only 16 runs from his four overs and dismissed Darwish Rasooli as India restricted Afghanistan before completing a comfortable seven-wicket victory.
India lead the three-match series 1-0, with the second T20I scheduled at the same venue on Tuesday. Chakravarthy’s absence would leave Ravi Bishnoi as the other specialist wrist-spinner in India’s squad, while Axar Patel and Washington Sundar provide additional spin options.
Varun Chakravarthy’s injury raises fresh CoE questions
It is the sequence leading up to Chakravarthy’s latest setback, however, that has attracted attention towards the CoE. Chakravarthy suffered discomfort in his left hamstring during the third T20I against England in July. Subsequent scans revealed a Grade 2 hamstring injury, forcing him out of India’s T20I series against Zimbabwe. The BCCI announced at the time that he would report to the Centre of Excellence for further management.
After spending close to two months away from international cricket and undergoing rehabilitation, Chakravarthy returned for the Afghanistan series. He was able to complete his full quota of four overs in Sunday’s opening T20I but has now reportedly been ruled out after that solitary appearance.
The latest episode comes at a time when India’s injury management has already been under focus. Harshit Rana was recently ruled out of both the Afghanistan series and the Asian Games after suffering another injury while undergoing rehabilitation at the CoE. The BCCI had said Rana was progressing well during his rehabilitation before sustaining a rectus femoris strain while bowling during a match simulation on September 7. Yash Thakur was subsequently drafted into India’s squads as his replacement.
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That makes Chakravarthy another high-profile fitness concern around the Indian setup in a short period. While injuries can occur even after a player has successfully cleared rehabilitation benchmarks, the quick recurrence after a lengthy spell at the CoE is likely to raise questions over workload progression and the return-to-play process. Chakravarthy had, interestingly, spoken about dealing with injuries after India’s victory over Afghanistan, before news of his latest setback emerged. The 35-year-old described injuries as an unavoidable part of professional sport and said players sometimes push their bodies beyond their limits.
For India, the immediate concern will be replacing one of their premier T20 bowlers for the final two matches of the series. The larger concern, though, could revolve around why another player has suffered a setback so soon after going through the rehabilitation and clearance process at the country’s premier high-performance facility. There has been no official announcement from the BCCI regarding a replacement for Chakravarthy at the time of writing.