Former India captain Kris Srikkanth has made a bold statement during the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, claiming that Varun Chakravarthy is currently more lethal in T20Is than Jasprit Bumrah — and yet doesn’t receive the recognition he deserves. Varun’s numbers this tournament back that argument.
In four matches, he has already picked up nine wickets at a stunning average of 6.88 and an economy rate of just 5.16. Against the Netherlands, he was virtually unplayable, finishing with figures of 3 for 14 in three overs and dismantling the top order. Quietly and efficiently, he has become India’s biggest weapon in the middle overs.
Interestingly, in the 21 T20Is that Varun and Bumrah have played together, the mystery spinner leads the wicket tally 30-22. While Bumrah’s reputation as a death-overs specialist remains intact, Srikkanth believes Varun’s impact right now is just as decisive — if not more.
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On his YouTube channel, Srikkanth dissected Varun’s skill set in detail. He highlighted how most of the spinner’s deliveries target the off-stump and middle-stump corridor, especially to right-handers, before subtly turning away or skidding on. His googly, delivered from a consistent action and long run-up, remains difficult to pick.
“People don’t know what he’s bowling,” Kris Srikkanth said. “Is it the googly? The straight one? The quicker one? The slower one? He changes pace constantly. Even his short balls are deceptive.”
Despite such performances, Srikkanth questioned why Varun wasn’t seriously considered for Player of the Match against the Netherlands, even though he removed key batters cheaply. The award eventually went to Shivam Dube for his all-round brilliance, but Srikkanth argued that Varun’s spell was equally match-defining.
Since reviving his international career after a challenging start, Varun has taken 47 wickets across 27 matches in 2024 and 2025. In 2026 alone, he has 13 scalps from seven games. Srikkanth believes that if India lifts the trophy, Varun could very well be in contention for Player of the Tournament.
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He even went as far as calling him a “modern-day great” in T20 cricket, drawing parallels with how Bumrah once dominated batters with unpredictability. Varun will next be seen in India’s Super 8 clash against South Africa — and if current form is anything to go by, batters will once again be guessing rather than dictating.
