New Delhi: In the first half of the T20 World Cup, Varun Chakravarthy looked to be India’s biggest weapon with the ball. He hit the right notes, batsmen struggled to read him and wickets followed. But as the game progressed, the mystery spinner’s control gradually waned. With his length going astray and his runs flowing, his dip in form is an alarming sign for India heading into the final against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.
The concerns were heightened after what happened in the semi-final against England at the Wankhede Stadium. Clay courts are supposed to be great for spinners, but he opted for a lot of them. His bowling figures were 4-0-64-1. Varun struggled to find the right length and his confidence seemed to have taken a hit, a matter of concern for captain Suryakumar Yadav and coach Gautam Gambhir.
With 13 wickets, Varun is currently the joint-leading wicket-taker in the 2026 T20 World Cup. In the first four games, he took 9 wickets at an impressive economy rate of 5.17. In the last four games, he has conceded a run rate of 11.63 while picking up just four wickets.
Overall, Varun is difficult to chase when he bowls over long areas and tries to attack the stumps. In the 118 balls he bowled this long, he conceded just 128 runs with an economy rate of 6.50 and also picked up 10 wickets.
Whenever he bowled full or under bowled, basically when he mistakenly hit the length of 5 to 6 metres, he would bowl and bleed. In the 27 balls he attempted, he conceded 66 runs with an economy rate of 14.66. Due to lack of length, he conceded 50 runs in 22 balls at 13.63.
good stage
Now let’s break down Wallen’s data into two phases: pre-South Africa and post-South Africa.
Ahead of India’s first Super Eight match against South Africa, Varun was a nightmare for batsmen. He bowled 51 balls in this good length area, conceding just 37 runs and picking up 7 wickets. Even fuller and shorter lengths didn’t cost him much, with his economy rates of 7 and 5.25 respectively.
After the match in Namibia at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Varun, who took 3 for 7 in two overs, spoke about his new variant and which ones he is working on.
“I have been practicing overspin instead of sidespin, and more pace and getting out of the wicket quickly,” he told reporters at the ICC mixed zone.
“I’ve always been working on something, but it’s always been my process. I’ve always had some delivery, so I’ve always had something going on. But it’s up to me. It’s really about whether I’m brave enough to try it in the next game, but that’s up to me.
“There are some balls in the game that suit me and I’ve been trying some variations over the last six years but it didn’t come earlier. So it just depends on the complexity of the delivery,” he added.
Notably, India played three affiliate teams – United States, Namibia and Netherlands – in the group stage. The match against Pakistan in Colombo was played on a two-tempo pitch.
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flat stage
In the first four games, Varun’s bowling figures were 1/24 against the United States, 3/7 against Namibia, 2/17 against Pakistan and 3/14 against the Netherlands. In the next four games, he took figures of 1/47 against South Africa, 1/35 against Zimbabwe, 1/40 against West Indies and most recently 1/64 against England.
Varun bowled 96 balls in three Super Eight matches and the semi-finals, conceding 186 runs and picking up 4 wickets. Of those four wickets, three came when he tried to hit the stumps from long distance. He conceded 91 balls in 67 balls and had a save rate of 8.14. At the same time, in 29 overs, he tried different things by bowling fuller or shorter, and he was given a lot of work. Wallen gave up 52 points on 15 complete passes and 43 points on 14 shorter length passes.
Storm Bessel hits Wallen
England were well prepared against Chakravarthy and centurion Jacob Bethell, who smashed three sixes in his opening spell, was not allowed to settle into any rhythm. Chakravarthy was guilty of bowling too short or too full. Besser smashed Chakravarthy for 42 in just 13 balls to reach a special hundred, although it could not guide them into the final.
Varun has shortened his length to get more bounce, former India cricketer Dinesh Karthik said while responding to a query from TimesofIndia.com during the JioStar media day on the eve of the match at the Wankhede Stadium. Karthik had expected Varun to perform well in Wankhede.
“First of all, the statistics tell you that Varun has shortened his length. When someone shortens his length, you need to understand why they were able to do that. It could also mean that he bowled a few more complete balls that were out of bounds. In trying to readjust his length and pull it back, he may have gotten shorter.
“For Varun, the fact that he’s been bowling on pitches that maybe don’t have as much bounce means that sometimes he’s going a little bit short, trying to get the ball to bounce. Or maybe he’s bowling too many balls at the stumps and trying to attack them more,” Karthik said.
“He’s trying to get the length back a little bit because people tend to hit what’s called a walk-off from the crease. So maybe he’s a little bit shorter to avoid getting hit by the walk. But, yes, can he bowl a little fuller and challenge the batsmen? I feel like he’s very capable of doing that. Is he a little bit shorter? The stats do tell you that he’s got the length a little bit shorter,” he added.
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Or an ace?
After the 2024 T20 World Cup, Varun found a new lease of life after Gambhir took charge. Under Surya and Gambhir, he emerged as India’s ace, taking 70 wickets in 38 games so far. He also played an important role in India’s 2025 Champions Trophy victory, taking 9 wickets in three games.
Meanwhile, India vice-captain Axar Patel defended the controversial world number one bowler.
“We have discussed it. We have played a lot of knockouts now, so it is very important to have the right mentality. Yes, there are skills and everything, but what we told him is that when you run, even if the batsmen target you, don’t change your plan,” Axar said in the mixed zone.
“You have a plan to put the ball on the stumps and then suddenly change the course. Yes, mistakes can happen in pressure situations. We have always told him that he is the X factor and he should believe in himself. When it comes to bowling, it is all about confidence.
“If you look at it, even after being hit for a couple of sixes, he got it off the wicket of Jos Buttler. He is the No. 1 T20 bowler and he knows what he is doing. It is a matter of mentality. We have one game left and maybe he will bring a winning performance in the final,” Axar added.
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Varun’s dip in form may have raised some questions, but he’s no stranger to bouncing back from tough times. The 34-year-old has built his career on toughness and often finds a way to cope when the pressure is at its peak. Now the final gives him this opportunity.
Against a strong New Zealand side, India will not only rely on their enigmatic spinner to get wickets but also control the ball in the middle overs. If Chakravarthy can find his rhythm again and trust his scheme, Sunday night could be the stage for another compelling comeback story.
