Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has stated that when Varun Chakaravarthy is under pressure, he tends to lose a bit of control over his lengths. His comments came after India’s T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 clash against the West Indies, held on Sunday, March 1, at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Chasing 196, Sanju Samson top-scored with an unbeaten 97 off 50 balls, striking 12 fours and four sixes as India secured a five-wicket victory. Meanwhile, Chakaravarthy struggled, finishing with figures of 1/40 from his four overs. Over the last three matches, the spinner has taken three wickets but has conceded runs at an economy rate of 10.17.
Highlighting his struggles, speaking in a YouTube video, Pathan stated that the batters are now reading the 34-year-old more effectively and said:
“As for Varun Chakaravarthy, I felt he would make a comeback on this pitch. But when he is put under a bit of pressure, it seems like he loses control over the length that usually works for him. The batters are playing him well and reading him properly. So now Varun Chakaravarthy will have to find a way to respond and work out a solution.”
Meanwhile, he also praised how Axar Patel was utilized in the game, with the left-arm spinner returning as the most economical bowler, conceding 35 runs in his four overs. Pathan stated:
“At the same time, Axar Patel was also used cleverly. Before the left-handers could come in, he bowled two overs in the powerplay, which was a very good tactical move. In fact, Axar’s economy rate was even better than Bumrah’s; his economy was the best. If the opposition scores 200 and you concede just 35 runs in four overs, even without taking a wicket, you have done a very good job.”
Overall, Axar has had a decent tournament so far, taking seven wickets in five games at an average of 20.42, a strike rate of 16.28, and an economy of 7.52.
“Indian team managed the game very well” – Irfan Pathan’s rich praise for Men in Blue
In the same video, Irfan Pathan commended skipper Suryakumar Yadav and the management for the way Jasprit Bumrah was utilized, with the pacer emerging as the pick of the bowlers, returning figures of 2/36 in four overs and taking the crucial wickets of Shimron Hetmyer and Roston Chase. Pathan said:
“One more thing, the way Jasprit Bumrah was handled tactically. Suryakumar Yadav and the Indian team managed the game very well because using Bumrah is not an easy task. Ideally, you would want to give him the first over or the second over. But here, there were important match-ups to consider. Shimron Hetmyer is a powerful player and had already smashed 17 sixes before this game. The match-up against Bumrah was important because Bumrah had dismissed him five times before.”
“So they were waiting for that moment and planning the bowling accordingly. When Bumrah bowled one over in the powerplay and was then brought back against Shimron Hetmyer, he did not disappoint. There will surely be discussion about some decisions, but he once again put Hetmyer under pressure and delivered as expected,” he added.
Bumrah has taken nine wickets in six innings at an average of 14.00, a strike rate of 13.33, and an economy of 6.30, with his best figures being 3/15.
Edited by Dev Sharma
