Varun Chakaravarthy's Replacement Announced For Asian Games 2026

Chakaravarthy replacrement announced for Asian Games [Source: AFP]After playing just a solitary game since his return from injury, Varun Chakaravarthy sustained another massive injury blow in the first T20I against Afghanistan. He was ruled out of the remainder of the Afghanistan matches, and the spinner has now been ruled out of the Asian Games as well.Ravi Bishnoi replaced him in the playing XI for the second T20I on Tuesday, and according to the latest report by Kushan Sarkar, the BCCI has finalised Chakaravarthy’s replacement in the Asian Games squad.Vipraj Nigam to replace Chakaravarthy in Asian Games 2026The Delhi Capitals spinner, Vipraj Nigam, has reportedly been finalised as Chakaravarthy’s replacement in the upcoming Asian Games squad. The bowler has been on the BCCI radar, and the board was quick to draft him into their team as a replacement player.Chakaravarthy, who sustained a side strain, has been advised to rest; thus, he won’t be able to take any part in the marquee Asian event.How Chakaravarthy got injured vs Afghanistan?2026 has been an injury-hit season for the wily Indian spinner. He sustained an injury during the England T20I series and missed out on the tour of Zimbabwe.The first T20I between India and Afghanistan was his first assignment since his return, and while he delivered the goods with the ball, things turned from bad to worse as he suffered a left abdominal side strain.Chakaravarthy felt a discomfort in his left side while bowling his third over of the day, and it ruled him out not only from the Afghanistan matches but also from the Asian Games as well.What Vipraj Nigam brings to the Indian side in Asian Games?A leg-break bowler and a more-than-handy batter down the order, Vipraj Nigam has the ability to take wickets in the middle overs of a T20I game.Also Read: Varun Chakaravarthy Injury TimelineRecently, Vipraj played in the UPT20 league, and the star player delivered with the ball, picking up 12 wickets in 12 matches, with an economy of 7.71 on wickets, where the other bowlers conceded plenty of runs. Moreover, he also scored 128 runs, with a solid strike rate of 154.22.In recent times, the Indian team loves to have a plethora of all-rounders in the team, and Vipraj is a handy option (both with the bat and the ball).Will Vipraj Nigam get playing time in Asian Games 2026?Surprisingly, India have named a strong squad for the upcoming Asian tournament, with all the big guns included in the team by the BCCI selectors.As a result, Vipraj might not find a place in India’s playing XI as the team already has Ravi Bishnoi, who can come in to replace Chakaravarthy in the main XI.If not Bishnoi, Washington Sundar is ahead of Vipraj in the pecking order, and the Tamil Nadu player could be drafted into the playing XI if India wants an all-rounder in the Asian Games 2026 playing XI.Also Read: Abhishek Sharma Dethrones Pakistan's Sahibzada Farhan In Latest ICC T20I Rankings