Wrist Spinners India Can Groom In Varun Chakaravarthy's Absence For T20 World Cup 2028

Suyash Sharma among Varun Chakaravarthy's potential replacements [Source: AFP]

The Indian cricket team's injury crisis deepened as a fitness setback sidelined Varun Chakaravarthy from the ongoing T20I series against Afghanistan. Chakaravarthy had just made his comeback to the T20I setup after recovering from a hamstring injury that ruled him out of the India vs England series earlier in 2026. 

However, the wily spinner has been asked to shift his base to the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) after reportedly sustaining a side strain during the Afghanistan series. 

Varun Chakaravarthy's frequent injuries make him doubtful for 2028 T20 World Cup

(Varun Chakaravarthy's injury timeline since IPL 2026)

Varun Chakaravarthy has been quite prone to injuries in recent times. The wrist spinner was one of India's most successful bowlers in the T20 World Cup 2026, finishing the tournament with 14 wickets in nine innings. 

However, his IPL 2026 campaign was jeopardised due to multiple injuries. Chakaravarthy had two fractured fingers on his left hand while also sustaining a hairline fracture in his left toe. As a result, he missed three matches for Kolkata Knight Riders in the tournament. 

Varun Chakaravarthy was further ruled out of the India vs Ireland T20I series due to a foot injury. Although he made a comeback and played two T20Is in England, a hamstring injury in the third game sidelined him from the remaining matches of the tour. 

Now, with the side strain being added to his long list of injuries since the IPL 2026, Varun Chakaravarthy's international career seems all but over. 

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As he is already 35, India can groom three wrist spinners, apart from the existing Ravi Bishnoi, as his potential replacements for the T20 World Cup 2028, set to be played in Australia and New Zealand. 

3. Yash Punja

(Yash Punja's stats in T20s)

Right-arm wrist spinner Yash Punja grabbed the limelight through a string of impressive performances in the IPL 2026. Playing for Rajasthan Royals, Yash Punja scalped nine wickets in eight innings, displacing Ravi Bishnoi from the playing XI in the latter stage of the tournament. 

The 20-year-old has enjoyed stellar success in the Maharaja Trophy as well, accounting for 28 dismissals in just 13 outings across two seasons. He is 6'5" and can extract bounce from awkward lengths on the Australian and New Zealand pitches. 

Given he has age on his side and can be a potent weapon to not only control the flow of runs but also strike at crucial junctures, Yash Punja can be seriously considered as Varun Chakaravarthy's long-term replacement, keeping the T20 World Cup 2028 in mind. 

2. Suyash Sharma

(Suyash Sharma's T20 record)

As evidenced by the above stats, Suyash Sharma has proven his mettle with the ball in T20 cricket. He has bagged 65 wickets at an impressive economy of 7.93, highlighting his ability to succeed in the shortest format. 

Additionally, Suyash has struck at a healthy rate of 25.4 while also registering a 34.8% dot-ball percentage in the middle overs (7-16 overs phase), where the spinners generally operate. 

His unique bowling action and a deceptive stock ball make Suyash Sharma a tricky customer for the batters and a wrist-spinner worth considering as Varun Chakaravarthy's replacement for the T20 World Cup 2028. 

3. Shivang Kumar

(Shivang Kumar's T20 record)

Being a left-arm wrist spinner, Shivang Kumar belongs to the rarest category of bowlers in cricket. In an era of rapidly evolving modern-day spin bowling, Shivang has an aggressive instinct, courtesy of his tendency to toss the ball up and get genuine turn off the surface. 

His ability to outfox the batters with flight presents Shivang Kumar as a potentially effective weapon for Australian grounds, where he can exploit the large boundary dimensions. 

Additionally, with Kuldeep Yadav out of the T20I scheme of things and Ravi Bishnoi claiming the top spot in the pecking order for India's frontline spinner, Shivang can complement the latter with his left-arm wrist spin. 

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