AhmedabadIn the semi-final match against England, Varun Chakravarthy, India's top wicket-taker in the current T20 World Cup 2026, gave up 64 runs in his four overs. Jacob Bethell hit him all over the park in the middle, ruining all of his plans. The England international hit him for three straight maximums in his opening over, setting the tone for the Three Lions' seven-run loss.
For Varun, it goes beyond a single game. With an economy rate of 11.62, he has fallen short of expectations since the beginning of the Super Eights. As a result, his spot in the starting lineup is currently being scrutinized. Bowling coach Morne Morkel predicted that the mystery spinner would gain momentum before the semi-final, but the crucial question is how long India can wait. Particularly when there is a gift like "waiting in the wings."
Since the Super Eights, Varun's overthinking has been his biggest issue. Instead of focusing on the next ball, he appears to be thinking about the previous one a lot more. Sanju Samson, the keeper, was seen talking to him multiple times to keep the spinner and refocus during the semi-final match against England.
After such terrible performances, the management of the Indian team might think about making a change. Especially since Shivam Dube, India's sixth bowler, has an economy rate of 14.12 in this tournament. India can't afford for their fifth bowler to be out of shape because they depend on him so much. That said, Kuldeep still has a chance, but it's now up to the team management. The only thing that works in Varun's favor is the momentum, since the team that wins usually backs the winning XI.
Other possible mixesThe Indian Express says that the ground at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will be made up of black and red soil. It should help the batters. That could mean that the hosts have to use Mohammed Siraj as an extra seamer. The Proteas played an extra seamer in their Super Eights game against South Africa on the same field, and that seemed to work. India might be able to do the same thing. So, it won't be a surprise if Varun is replaced by Siraj.
Washington Sundar, what about it? Playing an off-spinner will make a lot of sense because New Zealand has four left-handed hitters. In an attempt to counter the southpaws, captain Suryakumar Yadav benched Axar Patel from the South Africa match, but the strategy didn't work out. However, India might succeed once more. Who is the question instead? It might not make sense to bench Varun for Washington, and Axar cannot be benched following a fantastic performance against England.
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