Varun Chakaravarthy Out of T20I and Asian Games; Vipraj Nigam Steps In

Indian spinner Varun Chakaravarthy has been ruled out of the T20I against Japan and the Asian Games due to a side strain. Vipraj Nigam has been called up to replace him, marking his first international selection. Chakaravarthy's injury occurred during a match against Afghanistan, and despite initial hopes for recovery, he will miss both events. The Indian squad is set to travel with 14 members, including notable players like Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel. The team is looking to adapt with Nigam's inclusion as they prepare for the upcoming challenges.

By Narendra Chaudhary Sep 17, 2026, 00:07 IST

Chakaravarthy's Injury Opens Door for Nigam

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 16: Indian mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy has been sidelined from the upcoming one-off T20I against Japan and the Asian Games due to a side strain. In his place, leg-spin all-rounder Vipraj Nigam has received his first international call-up.

The injury occurred during Chakaravarthy's first international match back from a hamstring issue, which was against Afghanistan in Delhi, as reported by Cricinfo.

Initially, he was expected to miss the remainder of the Afghanistan series but was anticipated to recover in time for the Asian Games. Unfortunately, the recent side strain has now ruled him out of both events.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced Nigam as Chakaravarthy's replacement for the Japan T20I and Asian Games squad.

Nitish Kumar Reddy, who was part of the original Asian Games squad, has also been withdrawn and will now be available for the three-match ODI series against the West Indies.

Nigam first gained recognition during IPL 2025, where he took 11 wickets in 14 matches for Delhi Capitals, maintaining an economy rate of 9.12, while also scoring 142 runs at a strike rate of 179.74.

Although his performance in IPL 2026 was less impactful, with just 15 runs and two wickets in five matches, he shone for India A in a one-day tri-series in Sri Lanka in June, finishing as the joint-highest wicket-taker with seven wickets from five matches and scoring 116 runs at a strike rate of 126.08.

With Chakaravarthy out, Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi are expected to lead India's spin attack, with Washington Sundar and Nigam as additional options.

India will head to Japan with a 14-member squad for the T20I and Asian Games. The replacement for Nitish Kumar Reddy has yet to be announced.

India's updated squad includes: Shreyas Iyer (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (VC), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yash Thakur, and Vipraj Nigam.