T20 World Cup Heroes Varun Chakaravarthy, Washington Sundar Seek Lord Shiva's Blessings

Varun Chakravarthy, Washington Sundar visits Shiv Temple [Source: @EmediaManoj/X.com]

After India’s victory in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, two members of the squad, Varun Chakaravarthy and Washington Sundar, undertook a spiritual pilgrimage in Tamil Nadu to fulfil a personal vow.

The duo were part of India’s title-winning squad that beat New Zealand last Sunday in the finals at Ahmedabad. Hence, to thank the higher powers for their blessings, Sundar and Varun completed a spiritual trip together.

Varun Chakaravarthy and Washington Sundar complete a 14 Km walk

Washington Sundar and Varun Chakaravarthy visited the Arunachaleswarar Temple in Tiruvannamalai together this week. They completed Girivalam, which means walking around Arunachala Hill.

It’s a sacred ritual in Shaivism, which is about a 14 km long walk. Devotees walk the entire path barefoot or on foot while praying and chanting. It is believed to bring spiritual blessings and fulfil vows.

MK Sharma ✍️

@EmediaManoj

Varun Chakravarthy and Washington Sundar performed Girivalam, the sacred 14-km circumambulation around Arunachala Hill in Tiruvannamalai, offering prayers and seeking blessings.

Mar 12, 2026, 3:38 PM

Both cricketers are from Tamil Nadu and had reportedly made a personal vow before the tournament. After India successfully defended their T20 World Cup title, they travelled to Tiruvannamalai to thank Lord Shiva and fulfil that promise.

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How did Varun and Sundar perform in the T20 World Cup?

As for their performance, Varun Chakaravarthy had a strong tournament, finishing with 14 wickets in 9 matches, thus being one of India’s joint-highest wicket-takers.

On the other hand, Washington Sundar played two matches, contributing during the group and Super 8 stages.

But now that the tournament is over and India successfully defended its title, Varun Chakaravarthy and Washington Sundar will now join their IPL franchises. 

While Varun is part of KKR, Sundar will join the Gujarat Giants camp. Both teams will soon kick-start their pre-season camps, and both Washington Sundar and Varun Chakaravarthy are expected to take an active part in these camps.

IPL 2026 to begin on March 28

That being said, the upcoming IPL 2026 season is set to kick off on March 28. The opening match will be held between SRH and RCB at Bengaluru. 

However, games scheduled in Bengaluru will only go ahead if the expert committee constituted by the Government of Karnataka provides proper clearance to the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Having said that, the BCCI released only the initial set of matches instead of the full season schedule. It's due to logistics and security problems caused by state elections. Later, the remaining league matches and playoff schedule will be announced separately.

All matches will be played across multiple Indian venues with double-headers on weekends. Teams will play their early league matches before the rest of the schedule is released later.

Overall, this season is exciting because of newly built squads after the mega auction cycle, players returning after the T20 World Cup 2026 and emerging young Indian talents.

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