Delhi Capitals leg spinner Vipraj Nigam has been called up as a replacement for Varun Chakravarthy in the Indian squad for the Asian Games 2026 cricket tournament. The change was made on September 16, a day after Chakravarthy had suffered a side strain in India's opening T20I against Afghanistan in Delhi.

Chakravarthy had bowled four overs and had figures of 1/16 in the match before leaving due to discomfort during the third over of his spell. India went on to win the match by a margin of seven wickets. After the match, the spinner had gone to Bengaluru for scans and a medical evaluation by Center of Excellence medics, who ruled him out for the Asian Games.

Vipraj Nigam Replaces Varun Chakravarthy As Kuldeep Yadav Remains Unavailable.

Kuldeep Yadav had been considered a potential reserve for the Asian Games squad. His call-up for the ODI series against the West Indies meant Nigam was selected to fill the vacancy.

The cricket tournament at the 2026 Asian Games is set to get underway on 28th September in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Nigam's inclusion gives the Delhi Capitals spinner a chance to play for India at international level.

Varun Chakravarthy's Fitness Woes Increase After Second Setback In 2026

The latest injury blow represents a second fitness scare for Chakravarthy in the space of a year.

The spinner was forced to miss out on India's tour of England in July 2026 with a Grade 2 hamstring injury. He underwent a course of treatment at the Center of Excellence in Bengaluru before returning to competitive action in the Tamil Nadu Premier League.

Back on form, Chakravarthy was selected for India's T20I series against the Afghans. But the side strain suffered in Delhi has ended that campaign prematurely.

The recurrence of fitness problems comes at a busy time for the south pacer.

With his latest injury still requiring ongoing medical attention, further testing will be needed to establish if he can play an important role in India's international fixtures ahead.

What Vipraj Nigam's Call-Up Means For The Rest Of India's Spin Options

Nigam's inclusion gives India an alternative wrist-spin option in an attack that already has Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Ravi Bishnoi.

With Chakravarthy out of the squad, the T20I spinner loses a bit of experience from the squad. But Nigam's call-up allows the young Delhi Capitals player to come in and gain valuable international experience.

With Kuldeep Yadav unavailable because of his ODI commitments, Nigam was selected to fill the vacancy created by Chakravarthy's injury.

India's Asia Games squad will be captained by Shreyas Iyer, with Tilak Varma as his vice-captain. The team has a strong batting line-up with a variety of bowling options, with Nigam adding further spin to the attack.

The tournament will give the players a chance to test themselves on the international stage in Aichi-Nagoya.

India full squad for Asian Games 2026

Shreyas Iyer (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (VC), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yash Thakur, Vipraj Nigam.