Kris Srikkanth agrees that Varun Chakravarthy is now more lethal than Jasprit Bumrah for the Indian team and argued that the spinner is not celebrated enough. Varun picked up nine wickets in four matches at the T20 World Cup 2026 at an average of 6.88 and an economy rate of 5.16. Against Netherlands spinner he finished with figures of three for 14 in three overs.
In the 21 matches that Varun and Bumrah have played together so far, the spinner trumps the pacer in terms of wickets taken with a score of 30-22. Taking to his YouTube channel, Srikkanth said that Varun doesn’t get the recognition he deserves and feels that the bullies are still out to get him.
IND vs NED T20 WORLD CUP 2026: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
“Look at the pitch maps – most of his shots are around off-stump and mid-stump. Against right-handers, the ball just leans slightly and then spins. His googly comes in sharp. Most of his wickets are good length or just short. Not even full deliveries. Even his so-called short balls are deceptive.”
“People don’t know what he’s bowling. Is he googling it? Is it a straight line? Is it slower? Is it faster? Nobody knows. All of a sudden he throws one faster. Then he changes speed again. Multiple speeds. Long build-up, relaxed action – but incredibly deceptive.”
“Honestly, he doesn’t get enough credit. Bumrah is fantastic. You don’t find a bowler like Bumrah easily,” Srikkanth said.
While Shivam Dube was adjudged the man of the match against the Netherlands, Srikkanth said that Varun was also a deserving candidate.
“Today, yes, Shivam Dube played blind and deserved Man of the Match. I’m not denying that. But if you look at Varun’s figures – three wickets for very few runs, all top-order wickets – why was he not even considered a Man of the Match contender? Nobody even thought about it,” Srikkanth said.
“VARUN IS MODERN T20I GREAT”
Since his return to the Indian team after a poor start, Varun has taken a total of 47 wickets in 27 matches across 2024 and 2025. He has 13 scalps from seven matches this year and Srikkanth feels that if India win the T20 World Cup 2026, he is a contender to be the player of the tournament.
“One hundred percent (can be Player Of The Tournament). Because of consistency. Every match he plays, even on a bad day, he only gives 34 or 35 runs. For a spinner, four overs for 36 runs is perfectly acceptable in T20 cricket. But he still takes one or two wickets within that.”
“Occasionally, he delivers match-winning performances. But he is not celebrated enough,” Srikkanth said.
The former India coach hailed Varun as a modern-day great in the format and claimed that he is doing what Bumrah did in T20Is a few years ago.
“Varun, you are a modern-day great. I’m telling you this from the bottom of my heart – not because you’re Tamil, not because you’re from Tamil Nadu or Chennai. No. Purely because of ability. Every batsman struggles. They don’t know how to face him. They don’t know whether to defend against him. They don’t know what to do.”
“That’s exactly how Bumrah used to be a few years back. Bumrah is still doing great,” Srikkanth said.
Varun will be next in action during India’s Super 8 match against South Africa on Sunday, February 22.
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– The end
Published on:
February 19, 2026