Former India opener Virender Sehwag has come out in support of mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy after his expensive outing in the semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 against England national cricket team. Sehwag believes the spinner should not face harsh criticism, arguing that the batting-friendly surfaces in Wankhede Stadium made life difficult for bowlers.
Chakravarthy endured the toughest spell of his T20I career in the high-pressure knockout, finishing with figures of 1/64. England’s aggressive approach, particularly from young batter Jacob Bethell, put the spinner under intense pressure. Bethell launched a brutal assault, smashing three consecutive sixes in one over.
Although Chakravarthy managed to regain some control by clean-bowling Jos Buttler, England continued to target him throughout his spell. By the end of his four overs, Varun Chakravarthy had conceded eight boundaries and recorded an economy rate of 16. It marked the most expensive spell of his T20I career.
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His only comparable outing came during the Indian Premier League 2025 season, when he conceded 54 runs in three overs while playing against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Virender Sehwag, however, urged fans and analysts to keep the bigger picture in mind. Speaking on Cricbuzz, he pointed out that struggling players still deserve backing from team management.
“Even Abhishek Sharma isn’t doing well. If you continue backing a batter during a lean patch, why not extend the same support to a bowler?” Virender Sehwag remarked. He further added that replacing a player after a few expensive spells offers no guarantee of improvement.
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The former opener also stressed that flat tracks in Mumbai and earlier matches made bowlers vulnerable. Despite the heavy scoring, he noted that Chakravarthy still managed to pick up a crucial wicket.
India will now shift focus to the final, where they face New Zealand national cricket team at the Narendra Modi Stadium on March 8, aiming to successfully defend their T20 World Cup title.
