Varun Chakravarthy is the best Indian bowler of the year for me: R Ashwin

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The year 2025 proved to be an excellent one for the Indian men’s cricket team, with major victories in limited-overs tournaments like the Champions Trophy and the Asia Cup. Spinner Varun Chakravarthy played a key role in India’s success in both competitions. Former Indian great R Ashwin has now named Varun Chakravarthy as the best Indian bowler of 2025.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said, “Varun is one of India’s most important players. He has consistently been an X-factor. Batters always find it difficult to read him. For me, he is the best Indian bowler this year. His role in the T20 World Cup 2026 will be extremely important.”

Ashwin further highlighted Varun’s inspiring journey, saying, “Cricket was not Varun’s first profession. He was an architect and had almost moved away from the game at one point. His comeback has been remarkable. Performances in domestic cricket in Chennai, followed by the Tamil Nadu Premier League and the IPL, helped him earn a place in the Indian team. Today, he is the ICC’s number one T20 bowler, which is truly special.”

For Varun Chakravarthy, 2025 has been a breakthrough year that firmly established his place at the international level. Whether in ODIs or T20Is, he delivered whenever given an opportunity. This year, Varun picked up 10 wickets in four ODIs and claimed 36 wickets in 20 T20 matches.

Varun’s strong T20 performances are a big positive for India ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka in February–March. Pitches in both countries are expected to assist spinners, and Varun’s mystery bowling has troubled batters across the world. With 55 wickets in 33 T20 internationals, expectations are high for another impactful performance from him at the World Cup.