R Ashwin warns off-colour Varun Chakaravarthy ahead of T20 World Cup 2026 final vs NZ; ‘This blip is new to Varun’

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin warned Varun Chakaravarthy of bowling from round the wicket to left-handers and also adviced to use his game awareness ahead of the all-important T20 World Cup 2026 final against New Zealand on Sunday. Chakaravarthy has been a pale shadow of what he actually can do post the group stage.

In the Super 8 stages and the semifinal, Chakaravarthy conceded 186 runs at an expense of just four wickets. In fact, the Tamil Nadu spinner conceded the most against England in the semifinal - 1/64 in his four overs. Jacob Bethell, who scored a hundred for England in a losing cause, actually went brutal against Chakaravarthy, taking the Indian for cleaners.

The England batter welcomed Chakaravarthy with a hattrick of sixes in the final over the powerplay on Thursday, before the Indian spinner changed his ends from round the wicket to over the wicket. The left-hander smashed four more boundaries off Chakaravarthy to add up to the latter's misery.

“Every time he gets attacked upfront, the confidence is going down further, because he knows he is catching up. I am tired of saying this again and again. From the last few games, I am saying this. Do not bowl from round the wicket to the left-hander,” Ashwin said on his YouTube show 'Ash ki Baat'.

What can Varun Chakaravarthy do differently?

Although, Chakaravarthy's poor bowling was covered up with some electrifying fielding by his Indian teammates, his bowling remains a concern for the Indian team management ahead of the big final on Sunday.

Citing his own example of his playing career, Ashwin also urged Chakaravarthy to use his game awareness a bit more. “I used to bowl a lot of deliveries quickly. But if I feel I wanted a pause, I would take it. This is about awareness. The toughest thing is about adapting and responding to tough situations," added Ashwin, who retired from international cricket in 2024.

"Every day will not be good and bad days will keep coming. This blip is new to Varun. So those who are around him, what conversations they have are also critical. It isn’t just about taking time too, you have to see what delivery you want to bowl. This is a very valuable lesson for him. Till now, he has relied on people not picking him. From now on, he has to rely on the finer aspects of spin bowling. This is a challenge and a journey,” explained Ashwin.

Will Kuldeep Yadav replace Varun Chakaravarthy?

With Kuldeep Yadav warming the bench, the left-arm wrist-spinner is unlikely to come into playing XI against New Zealand in the final. Ashwin too feels the same. “Can Kuldeep come in for Varun? I think they will think about it, but it won’t happen. They might think a lot about this. But I hope it does not happen, and I don’t think so too,” Ashwin said.

Catch the live action of the T20 World Cup 2026 with the complete T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule, and the T20 World Cup 2026 Points Table. Also, know who are currently leading the charts for Most Runs in T20 World Cup 2026 and Most Wickets in T20 World Cup 2026.