Shillong: Vipraj Nigam is heading to the Asian Games. The young leg-spin all-rounder replaces Varun Chakravarthy in the national squad. Chakravarthy is dealing with a side strain. He is now out for an indefinite period of time.
A BCCI source confirmed the roster change on September 16. The source noted, "Varun is out for an indefinite period of time. Vipraj Nigam and Kuldeep Yadav were the two available options from the long list." Kuldeep will stick to the upcoming West Indies ODIs instead.
Chakravarthy’s exit follows an injury sustained in the opening T20I against Afghanistan. He previously returned from a hamstring tear before suffering this setback. BCCI officials sent him to the Centre of Excellence for testing. The 35-year-old’s withdrawal leaves a hole in the lineup.
Nigam brings fresh energy to the side. He is 22 years old and plays for the Delhi Capitals. He has 13 wickets across 19 IPL appearances. His bat is dangerous. He maintains a strike rate near 176 in the league.
The Asian Games begin September 19 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The men’s cricket competition officially starts September 24. India enters the tournament at the quarterfinal stage.
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