India have suffered another injury setback ahead of their Asian Games 2026 campaign, with Varun Chakravarthy ruled out of the tournament after picking up a side strain during the first T20I against Afghanistan in Delhi. The spinner experienced discomfort during his spell on September 15 before being sent to Bengaluru for further assessment.
Chakravarthy had only recently returned to competitive cricket after recovering from a hamstring injury that kept him out for a significant period earlier this year. His latest setback comes just days before India begin their Asian Games campaign, forcing the team management to make another change to the squad.
Delhi Capitals all-rounder named as replacement
According to reports, Delhi Capitals all-rounder Vipraj Nigam has been named as Chakravarthy’s replacement in India’s Asian Games squad. The youngster is a leg-spinner who can also contribute with the bat, giving the team another spin-bowling option for the tournament. Nigam has featured regularly for Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and has impressed with his ability to contribute in both departments.
He has played 19 IPL matches and picked up 13 wickets, while his batting has also added value to his profile as a T20 player. His selection comes after Kuldeep Yadav was reportedly considered as one of the possible replacements. However, Kuldeep’s selection for India’s upcoming ODI series against the West Indies opened the opportunity for Nigam to join the Asian Games squad.
Nigam will now join Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Ravi Bishnoi among India’s spin options for the tournament. The call-up could also hand him an opportunity to make his international debut.
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Another injury setback after recent comeback
The latest setback is particularly disappointing for Chakravarthy given that he had only just returned from his previous injury. The spinner suffered a Grade 2 hamstring injury in England in July and subsequently spent time at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence as part of his rehabilitation.
After returning to competitive cricket through the TNPL, Chakravarthy was picked for India’s T20I series against Afghanistan. His comeback lasted only one match, however, with the side strain now ruling him out of the Asian Games.
India squad for Asian Games 2026: Shreyas Iyer (c), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (vc), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yash Thakur, Vipraj Nigam.
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