Leg and Off: Is Varun Chakravarthy the world's best T20 spinner today? 

Team India spinner Varun Chakravarthy has been a hot commodity since returning to the T20I national team setup last year. His exploits over the last couple of years finally led to his comeback under the Gautam Gambhir-Suryakumar Yadav regime, and to his credit, he has made himself undroppable since then.

A prolific return in the home series against Bangladesh and a fruitful tour of South Africa led to him becoming the first-choice spinner for the ongoing five-match series against England. He was at his deceptive best as he bamboozled the visiting batters to be adjudged the Player of the Match in the first T20I at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on January 22.

The mystery spinner finished with figures of 3-23, as he took the key wickets of Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, and Jos Buttler in the first innings. His spell played an important role as India secured a seven-wicket win to register a 1-0 lead in the series.

On that note, let us look at why Varun Chakravarthy has done enough in a short time to be considered the best T20 spinner at present, while glancing through aspects that suggest he needs to prove more.

#1 Not many can match his numbers from the ongoing purple patch

The top seven ranked bowlers in T20I cricket are all spinners (Akeal Hosein, Adil Rashid, Wanindu Hasaranga, Adam Zampa, Ravi Bishnoi, Maheesh Theeksana, and Rashid Khan). It must take something extraordinary to surpass these names, and that is exactly what Varun Chakravarthy has done of late.

Since his return last year, Chakravarthy has picked up 20 wickets in eight matches. It took the top two bowlers, Akeal Hosein and Adil Rashid, 15 matches each to take their last 20 wickets in T20Is, Hasaranga needed 10 matches, Bishnoi needed 14 matches, and Zampa needed 13. None of them match Chakravarthy's resurgence.

The comparison is a tad unfair since there are several factors like opposition strength and conditions that need to be considered for it to be a level playing field. However, it can be seriously considered as an overview to prove that none match Varun Chakravarthy at the moment in terms of pure wicket-taking ability.

#2 Varun Chakravarthy's transition from a defensive to an attacking bowler has worked

Varun Chakravarthy's mystery, owing to his variations, had made him an excellent defensive option in the middle overs. He used to plug the scoring from one end, while bowlers from the other side reaped rewards for the batters' frustration.

The recent rise in his wicket tally has been a result of his attacking approach, where he relentlessly hones it on the stumps. Batters cannot afford too much time at the crease these days without scoring, and are growing to take him on.

In KKR colors, Chakravarthy picked up 41 wickets in his first 41 matches. He replicated the wicket-tally of 41 in the next two seasons in just 29 matches. The improved rate of taking wickets has come at a small cost in the form of a slightly inflated economy rate. However, considering the modern-day approach, any side would be more than happy to accept such numbers.

It is this attacking version of Chakravarthy that has made him the almost-undisputed first-choice T20I frontline spinner for India. Since his return, he has taken wickets at a manic pace. His returns of 20 wickets in eight matches while conceding over 30 runs only on two occasions have made him consistent and reliable.

The rate and the manner in which Varun Chakravarthy is producing these displays, courtesy of his overspin prowess, sets him apart from the rest at the moment. There are spinners who are somewhat close to the mystery spinner when it comes to impact for their respective sides, but none have a grip on batters like Chakravarthy does.

#3 Chakravarthy has some stiff competition in this aspect

Varun Chakravarthy reigns supreme based on his current run, but there is a significant difference between being the best in-form spinner and the best spinner in the world. He is certainly the former at the moment, but he needs to prove more to become the latter.

Bowlers like Akeal Hosein, Adil Rashid, Rashid Khan, and Wanindu Hasaranga have showcased their prowess for years at the highest level to be recognized as the best spinners in the format.

Chakravarthy had a lean IPL 2022 season, where he picked up only six wickets in 11 matches. He has bounced back strongly since then, slowly climbing the ladder to be considered among the best, but needs to do a bit more of the same to cast aside everyone else and be the undisputed best spinner in the world without any resistance.

#4 Yet to be properly tested away from home

A huge factor why the tag of 'best' cannot be put on Varun Chakravarthy yet is the fact that he has yet to be seriously tested away from home. He did have a formidable series in South Africa recently, but he has to showcase what he is capable of when conditions are not exactly tailor-made for him.

His peers have showcased their ability across terrains through franchise cricket, while almost all of Chakravarthy's exploits have come in the subcontinent. He made his debut in Sri Lanka, played the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE, made his comeback in India, and features for Tamil Nadu and KKR. So far, there has not been room for him to perform in overseas conditions, barring the South Africa series.

Most of India's white-ball exploits are confined within the subcontinent during the build-up to the 2026 T20 World Cup. A tour of Bangladesh and the Asia Cup are the scheduled assignments for India post the IPL. A white-ball series in Australia might prove to be Varun Chakravarthy's biggest test in the coming months, which will decide where he stands among his peers.