Former Indian Test batter Cheteshwar Pujara reckons Varun Chakravarthy will pose the biggest challenge to Harry Brook in the semifinal of the T20 World Cup 2026. Chakravarthy hasn’t been at his absolute best in the last three games and he would be determined to turn the tables.
The mystery spinner returned with figures of 1-40 in his quota of four overs against the West Indies at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Sunday. Earlier, Chakravarthy returned with expensive figures of 1-47 in his four overs against South Africa. He bagged 1-35 against Zimbabwe in the Super 8 clash.
Meanwhile, Brook has been in fine form and had scored a majestic century against Pakistan in the Super 8 clash. The right-hander has scored 228 runs in seven matches of the ongoing T20I showpiece at an average of 32.57 and a strike rate of 161.70.
“I think he will be the most dangerous bowler against Harry Brook because Harry Brook likes to play the sweep shot and the slog sweep. If he gives any room on the off side, Varun has this googly which comes back in and hits the stumps,” Pujara said on Star Sports.
The former number three Test batter said Chakravarthy should target the stumps and not give any room to Brook.
“Out of three dismissals, two are on the stumps, and one is just outside the off-stump. As a bowler, you should be targeting the middle and off-stump, but at the max fourth stump. Nothing wider than that for Harry Brook,” Pujara observed.
Pujara also backed gun fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah to bowl one of the first three overs against the England opener Jos Buttler, who hasn’t been in the best of forms.
“At least one over within the first three overs. It can be the first, second, or third. However, when Jasprit is bowling that over, he will have to try and ensure that he is pitching the ball around that 8-meter mark or a little shorter. We also saw Jos Buttler getting out against Lockie Ferguson in one of the games, and that was caught behind,” he responded.
“So try to replicate a similar delivery if you can. Also, the advantage for Jasprit Bumrah is that he has got a very good yorker and a slower ball. So if the back-of-length delivery is not working, he can always try and mix up with a yorker or a slower delivery for Buttler,” Pujara observed.
Bumrah has scalped nine wickets in six matches of the tournament at an average of 14 and has the best economy rate of 6.30 in the competition.
India will take on England in the second semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, on Thursday.
