India, Feb. 19 -- Varun Chakaravarthy has justified the buzz around him with a series of incisive spells in the T20 World Cup, using his variations to keep batters guessing. The leg-spinner has snapped up nine wickets in four outings, despite bowling only 12 overs in total. Captain Suryakumar Yadav has rotated him smartly, often holding an over back to preserve the element of surprise rather than exhausting his full quota.

The 34-year-old once again underlined his value in the previous game against the Netherlands, where he delivered a tight, attacking spell of 3 for 14 from three overs. By striking in both the powerplay and middle phase, he ensured the opposition never settled, reinforcing his status as one of India's key weapons in the...