As construction is progressing towards India ICC T20 World Cup 2026, Varun Chakraborty has offered a rare insight into the mental and strategic framework that shaped their preparations for the global event. Speaking ahead of the fifth and final T20I against South Africa, the off-spinner stressed that success at the elite level starts long before match day, with players needing to constantly challenge themselves – even when conditions seem comfortable.
Varun Chakraborty shares key points ahead of T20 World Cup 2026
India has been included in Group A Namibia, Netherlands, Pakistanand this United States of AmericaVarun believes that preparation is as much psychological as it is technical. India are set to begin their World Cup campaign against the United States in Mumbai on February 7, and the spinner feels it is a mistake to wait for the big moments to come naturally.
Varun pointed out that elite cricketers must build intensity in training and matches where the challenge does not seem obvious. According to him, creating internal pressure sharpens decision-making and ensures promptness when the stakes are greatest. Confidence, he said, comes from knowing one’s role, bowling the right length and entering the contest with a clear understanding of the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses.
One of Varun’s key points in the tournament is the importance of opposition analysis. He believes that reading batsmen, identifying patterns and adapting to different match situations can give bowlers an edge in T20 cricket, where margins are very slim.
Instead of constantly improving his bowling, Varun highlighted the value of relying on his existing skill set. He said that overthinking can sometimes be counterproductive, especially when the momentum and confidence are intact. For him, clarity of thought remains the foundation of consistent implementation.
“It is very important to keep the pressure on yourself to prepare for the World Cup. You have to challenge yourself even if there is no challenge. If a match seems easy, you have to create that pressure mentally and start challenging yourself. Confidence, bowling the right length and understanding the opponent is important. This is a major factor I want to take into the World Cup. With a better understanding of the opposition, I feel I can do well.” Varun said on Star Sports.
Also read: Jacques Kallis explains why South Africa have a real chance of winning the T20 World Cup 2026
Key to Varun’s recent success
Reflecting on his recent stellar performance, Varun attributed his success to keeping things simple. He stressed that sticking to basic plans and consistently bowling lengths has helped him achieve control and effectiveness. Although every delivery does not yield immediate results, he believes that patience and discipline eventually forces the batsmen to make mistakes.
Varun also admitted that confidence directly affects skill execution. A decline in confidence can affect decision making and accuracy, while supporting one’s ability allows the bowler to perform freely. For him, consistency at the highest level cannot be compromised, and regular experience of international cricket plays a vital role in honing that consistency.
Recalling his early international tours, the spinner admitted that the early struggles taught him valuable lessons. Those experiences pushed him back to the practice net, where he worked on technical improvements and mindset adjustments. Varun feels that playing against top international batsmen provides clarity about areas for improvement and helps players understand where they really stand.
“Sometimes it works, and thankfully it has worked well in the last three matches. I will try to do the same in the next match. It is about mentality and skill. When you are not confident, your mentality affects your skills. The key is to maintain confidence and support your skills. Only then do you perform well without much variation. That is the secret to being consistent. At this level, you must be consistent; playing at the highest level is important knowing where you are. International level But in my first match, I struggled a little bit in the beginning, and then I understood some things and I practiced and improved, so it is very important to play at the highest level.” Varun was added.
Also read: Rohit Sharma predicts the finalists of T20 World Cup 2026
