Former cricketer Subramaniam Badrinath has heaped praise on Varun Chakaravarthy, terming the mystery spinner as more valuable player for India than ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah.

Badrinath’s assessment came after Chakaravarthy’s top performance in India’s 2-1 T20I series win over Australia. He picked up five wickets in as many matches with an average of 16.40 and an economy rate of 6.83.

On the other hand, Bumrah claimed three wickets in the series at an average of 26.33 and an economy rate of 6.58.

Speaking to Star Sports, Badrinath highlighted Chakaravarthy’s brilliance with the ball in all phases of the game.

"Numbers tell us that Varun Chakaravarthy is the No. 1 T20 bowler in the world. He is more valuable than even Bumrah. Whenever the runs are flowing in the powerplay or the middle overs or even in the 18th over, Varun is the go-to bowler. He has gone to a different level with his game. A superb comeback after being given a chance initially and getting dropped because of fitness. But in this second phase after his comeback, he has taken his game to the next level," said Badrinath.

According to Badrinath, Chakaravarthy will be the most crucial factor in India's title defence during the T20 World Cup 2026.

"He's a huge asset for India, in fact, even a weapon. Going forward, with the T20 World Cup in India, he will be the most crucial factor. If Varun has a good day, there is a great chance the Indian team will have a good day," Badrinath remarked.

Varun Chakaravarthy has established himself as India’s leading spinner after his return to the T20I fold under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir in late 2024. He has taken 43 wickets from 23 matches.