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Former Indian batter Subramaniam Badrinath has reserved big praise for world No. 1 T20I bowler Varun Chakaravarthy by calling him more valuable than Jasprit Bumrah. In the recently concluded five-match T20I series between India and Australia, 34-year-old Varun impressed with his bowling. He played in all five matches and picked up five wickets in three innings. In addition to his wicket-taking abilities, he also made headlines for not allowing Australian batters to play their shots. Impressed by Chakaravarthy’s bowling in the series that India won with a scoreline of 2-1, Badrinath said that the Tamil Nadu-based cricketer has gone to a different level with his game. “Numbers tell us that Varun Chakaravarthy is the No. 1 T20 bowler in the world. He is more valuable than even Bumrah. Whenever the runs are flowing in the powerplay or the middle overs or even in the 18th over, Varun is the go-to bowler. He has gone to a different level with his game. A superb comeback after being given a chance initially and getting dropped because of fitness. But in this second phase after his comeback, he has taken his game to the next level,” Badrinath said on Star Sports. “He’s a huge asset for India, in fact, even a weapon. Going forward, with the T20 World Cup in India, he will be the most crucial factor. If Varun has a good day, there is a great chance the Indian team will have a good day,” Badrinath added. Varun made his T20I debut for India in 2021 but was dropped from the side after a flop show in the T20 World Cup 2021. He earned his place back in the side last year after an impressive performance in IPL 2024, and since then he has performed well for India as well. He dismissed a total of 17 batters in seven T20I matches last year, and in 2025, he has picked up 26 wickets in 16 matches.
