Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy impressed one and all in the first T20I against Afghanistan, which was played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on September 13, 2026. He returned to the Indian team after missing the Zimbabwe T20Is due to a hamstring injury.

Varun was part of India’s T20 World Cup 2026 win, but his performance was far from the best. His poor form continued in IPL 2026, but he returned against Afghanistan and picked 1/16 in 4 overs and looked like his old form was back.

After the match, Chakravarthy was asked how he coped when the returns weren't as great as they used to be during the first phase of his international career.

"What you are referring to is results; I cannot go by results. If I go by results, I will start reacting to each and everything. If it goes my way, I will start being very happy. If it doesn't go my way, I will become very sad. I cannot go that way. So, the best way for me is to see the process.

If it is a good ball and if it still differs, I will always take it. But if it is a bad ball and it is a wicket, I have to go and work on it again. So, that's how it works,” Varun said in the post-match press conference.

Chakravarthy, who has taken 75 wickets in 49 T20Is, doesn't think a player's performance indicator should be limited to what is listed in the wickets column.

"See, you told it's all about wickets. It's not about wickets. It is about if I am bowling in the right place or not. Whatever happens after that, it's not in my control. So, what's in my control is till I pitch the ball. After the ball pitches, if the ball can turn or cannot turn, it's not in my control. I'll see till that point. If it is still that, if it is fine, yeah, I'll take it. I don't go by results,” he stated.

Even though the England tour didn't go as per plan, he believed that there was some learning there too.

"It is just good, because the thing is, England too was also good for me. Just because we didn't win, it doesn't mean that it has gone to waste. You get to learn a lot if you do the right thing. So, there is nothing that goes to waste. And as I said today, even if things hadn't gone our way, we would have had the same mindset to learn something. Every match is a learning, and the results sometimes come our way, sometimes don't,” he added.

He feels that one shouldn't get too bogged down by injuries.

"Look, injuries are very common for all sports people, and it just shows that we are working; we are giving our best. Sometimes, we push beyond our limits, and that is when the body gives in. So, that is when we have to take a step back and work better and come back stronger," Chakravarthy added.

Varun felt bad for Afghanistan bowlers, as Abhishek Sharma slammed 32-ball 84, which included 7 sixes.

"While I was sitting in the dressing room, I was just telling someone that against our team, batting line-up, you can't bowl spin. So, if you bowl spin against our batting lineup, they are just going to smack left, right, and center. We are just so used to playing spinners. We have our top eight batsmen, and anyone can take on any spinner in this world. So, I have personally bowled against them and played against them. I know how hard it is. So, yeah, I feel for the spinners,” Varun signed off.

The second and third T20Is will also be played in Delhi on September 15 and 17.

(PTI inputs)