Varun Chakaravarthy's Injury Setback Ahead of Asian Games

Varun Chakaravarthy’s comeback has lasted just one game.

Barely two months after an intensive recovery and rehabilitation stint at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru, the 35-year-old has broken down again and been ruled out of the ongoing T20I series against Afghanistan. His participation in the Asian Games now hangs by a thread.

From promise in Delhi to a flight back to Bengaluru

On Sunday night at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, Chakaravarthy looked, for a while, like the old version of himself India had been waiting to see again. He sent down his full quota of four overs, gave away just 16 runs, and picked up a wicket. The only blot: two no-balls in an otherwise controlled spell.

There were no obvious signs of discomfort. No limping off. No clutching at a muscle. He even fronted up to the media after the game, talking calmly about the realities of an athlete’s body and the inevitability of injuries, stressing that players often push themselves beyond their limits and must then “take a step back and work better and come back stronger.”

By Monday, the narrative had changed.

Chakaravarthy complained of a side strain after the match, and the team management moved quickly. He has been released from the squad and will fly to Bengaluru on Wednesday to meet the CoE medical staff, who will now decide his immediate future.

Asian Games race against time

That decision will not be straightforward. The CoE managers are expected to send him for scans before any call is taken on his availability for the Asian Games. The problem is the calendar.

India leave for Japan on September 18 from New Delhi. They are scheduled to play a bilateral game against the hosts on September 22 before opening their Asian Games campaign on September 28. With less than a week to go before departure, the window for diagnosis, treatment, and clearance is brutally tight.

On paper, Chakaravarthy had done everything right to get back into the frame. A hamstring injury cut short his T20I series in England in July and ruled him out of the subsequent tour of Zimbabwe. He then spent close to two months at the CoE, working his way through rehab and fitness protocols, and was picked for both the Afghanistan series and the Asian Games after being deemed fully fit.

Sunday’s performance in Delhi seemed to validate that call. He looked more like the incisive spinner India had relied on in the past, after a period in which he had not appeared as threatening. The figures – 4-0-16-1 – hinted at rhythm restored and confidence returning.

Within 24 hours, the side strain has thrown all that progress into doubt.

For India, it is an untimely setback in terms of planning and balance ahead of a multi-sport event where cricket, though condensed, still carries weight. For Chakaravarthy, at 35 and coming off back-to-back disruptions, it is another reminder of how fragile momentum can be.

The scans in Bengaluru will tell the story. The clock, unforgiving as ever in elite sport, is already ticking.