Varun Chakravarthy bamboozles Darwish Rasooli in IND vs AFG 1st T20I

Varun Chakravarthy, back in India's T20I squad after recovering from fitness issues, produced a telling opening spell in the 1st Twenty20 International against Afghanistan. Returning to India's attack for the series opener, the mystery spinner used his variations and flight to trouble the Afghan batsmen and give the hosts depth in the middle overs. His performance formed a key part of India's plans to mix spin with seam options, applying pressure from the first ball and continuing to probe throughout the innings. The innings saw Chakravarthy's ability to deceive with pace changes and sharp turn, contributing to building pressure on Afghanistan's chase. His inclusion underscored India's intent to rotate players to keep the attack fresh while managing workloads for a busy schedule. Afghanistan, meanwhile, faced a disciplined effort from India's bowlers as they sought early momentum in the series. With two more T20Is to follow, the opening game set the tone for a tightly contested contest, giving selectors a positive indicator about Chakravarthy's fitness and form ahead of future assignments. Officials will monitor his workload and form as the series unfolds, with the developing surface and match conditions likely to influence tactics in the remaining games.