India Suffer Major Setback As Star Player Ruled Out Of Afghanistan Series

India have suffered a major setback in the ongoing Afghanistan T20I series as star spinner Varun Chakravarthy has been ruled out of the remaining matches after suffering an injury following his appearance in the series opener.

Chakravarthy had only just returned to competitive cricket against Afghanistan after spending close to two months recovering from an injury. However, his comeback has lasted just one game, with the spinner now set to miss the remainder of the Afghanistan series.

The injury woe has also raised fresh questions over the rehabilitation process at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE).

ALSO READ: Asia Cup Final: Indian Pacer Fined 10% Match Fee For THIS Reason During Sri Lanka Clash

Varun Chakravarthy Injured After Four Overs

The 35-year-old spinner made his mark in India’s seven-wicket win over Afghanistan in the first T20I in New Delhi on Sunday. He produced an impressive spell, finishing with figures of 1/16 from his four overs.

Chakravarthy dismissed Darwish Rasooli and did not concede a single boundary during his spell.

His performance was particularly encouraging after his struggles during the England tour, where he had managed only one wicket from seven overs while conceding 72 runs.

However, the positive return has now been overshadowed by another injury setback. According to reports, Chakravarthy suffered the injury after returning to action and will not feature in the rest of the Afghanistan T20I series.

It's surely a headache for Indian cricket considering the spinner had already spent a major period undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence.

Questions Raised Over BCCI Centre Of Excellence

Varun's injury has brought the rehabilitation process under scrutiny yet again. Chakravarthy had spent close to two months recovering before being cleared to return, only to suffer another setback after bowling just four overs in his first competitive outing.

Although injuries remain an unavoidable part of professional sport, the latest setback will put further focus on the fitness and workload management of Indian players.

ALSO READ: Asia Cup Final: Indian Pacer Fined 10% Match Fee For THIS Reason During Sri Lanka Clash

Interestingly, Chakravarthy had himself spoken about injuries before the latest problem, saying they are common for athletes and can happen when players push beyond their limits.

India will now have to manage without one of their key T20I spinners for the remainder of the Afghanistan series, despite his promising return in the opening match.

The BCCI has reportedly parted ways with Team India's head physiotherapist, Kamlesh Jain recently. Varun's injury will strengthen the case even more as team India will look to improve their fitness management.