IPL 2026: ‘I told the CSK management to pick him straight away’ – World Cup winner backs Varun Chakravarthy to bounce back

Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh has backed mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy to bounce back strongly in the Indian Premier League 2026, despite his struggles during the latter stages of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Chakravarthy finished as the joint-highest wicket-taker in the tournament, but he found it difficult to deliver in some of the crucial matches.

Harbhajan also recalled the first time he noticed Chakravarthy’s talent back in 2018 during a practice session at the nets of Chennai Super Kings. At the time, Chakravarthy was serving as a net bowler, quietly testing his variations against several established players. The former off-spinner said he was immediately impressed with Chakravarthy’s control and wide range of variations, even during the early stages of his career.

“First things first, he is a champion bowler. I first saw him at the Chennai Super Kings nets in 2018 where he was a practice bowler. I told the CSK management to pick him straight away — which they didn’t — because even then he was often unplayable in the nets,” Harbhajan told The Times of India.

Although an opportunity with CSK never materialised, Chakravarthy went on to establish himself as a key performer for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The mystery spinner played a crucial role in the 2024 title-winning campaign, finishing the tournament with 21 wickets. Across his IPL career, Chakravarthy has maintained an impressive economy rate of 7.57 while claiming 100 wickets from 84 T20 matches.

His success has not been limited to franchise cricket. Since making his international debut, Chakravarthy has become a valuable member of the Indian team in the shortest format. So far, he has played 45 T20Is, picking up 73 wickets at an average of 16.61, with best bowling figures of 5/17.

The Tamil Nadu spinner’s performances have also seen him rise to the top of the ICC T20I Bowling Rankings, reaching 771 rating points at his peak. The former India spinner believes these achievements already demonstrate Chakravarthy’s quality at the highest level. According to him, the mystery spinner has the skill and temperament to overcome setbacks and is confident that he will bounce back strongly.