India, Sept. 16 -- India have suffered a significant injury blow ahead of the 2026 Asian Games, with mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy ruled out of the continental event after sustaining a side strain during the ongoing T20I series against Afghanistan. Uncapped leg-spinning all-rounder Vipraj Nigam has been named as his replacement in the Indian squad.

Chakaravarthy picked up the injury during the first T20I against Afghanistan in New Delhi, where he nevertheless managed to complete his full quota of four overs. The 35-year-old returned figures of 1/16 in an economical spell before experiencing discomfort that subsequently required medical assessment.

The BCCI initially confirmed that Chakaravarthy would miss the remaining two matches...