Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy has been ruled out of the 2026 Asian Games after suffering a side strain and young all-rounder Vipraj Nigam has been named as his replacement in India’s squad. The injury
came during the opening T20I against Afghanistan where Chakravarthy had made his return to the Indian side after recovering from a hamstring problem. The spinner bowled economically in the match, but discomfort afterwards led to further assessment, which confirmed a fresh side strain. He will now miss the rest of the Afghanistan series as well as India’s Asian Games campaign. Varun Chakravarthy’s absence leaves India without one of their most experienced T20 spinners.
The 35-year-old Tamil Nadu cricketer has become an important part of India’s plans in the format, particularly because of his variations and ability to keep the runs down through the middle overs. The selectors had a few options to consider, including left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, but they eventually opted for Vipraj Nigam. The Delhi Capitals all-rounder, has already made an impression in the IPL. He has picked up 13 wickets in 19 matches while also showing his ability with the bat, striking at close to 176. India will have to make adjustments to their plans in the middle overs, but the squad still has plenty of spin and all-round options under captain Shreyas Iyer.
Asian Games 2026: India’s route to another cricket gold medal
The 2026 Asian Games will be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4. Cricket will once again be part of the Games, with both the men’s and women’s competitions being played in the T20 format at Korogi Athletic Park, also referred to as Korogi Sports Park, in Nisshin, Aichi Prefecture. India enter the tournament as defending champions in both the men’s and women’s events after winning gold in Hangzhou.
The men’s tournament follows a different format. The group stage will take place from September 24 to 26, with Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal part of one group, while Hong Kong, Malaysia and Oman make up the other. India, along with the other top-seeded teams, will enter the competition directly at the quarter-final stage. Their first match is scheduled for September 28 at 10:30 AM IST, against the second-placed side from Group A.
Pakistan will play the other quarter-final earlier on the same day against the runner-up from Group B. The semi-finals are scheduled for October 1, followed by the bronze-medal match and the gold-medal final on October 3. The matches are spread across morning and afternoon sessions. For India, the route is
simple once their campaign begins. A win in the quarter-final on September 28 would take them into the semi-final on October 1, with a place in the gold-medal match on October 3 at stake.
