As the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 draws closer, former India skipper Rohit Sharma explained why the left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh will hold a key for the defending champions in the global tournament.
According to Rohit, Arshdeep’s biggest strength is swinging the new ball and taking early wickets, and it will help India immensely.
The 26-year-old had played an instrumental role in India’s triumphant T20 World Cup campaign in 2024, finishing as the joint-highest wicket-taker with 17 scalps, alongside Afghanistan’s Fazalhaq Farooqi.
“It is a big positive to have both Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh together because they always attack for wickets," Rohit said while speaking on JioHotstar.
“Arshdeep’s biggest strength is swinging the new ball and taking early wickets. He mainly bowls with the new ball and at the death. Starting and finishing are the most important phases, and he is strong in both," he added.
For Rohit, Arshdeep’s standout feature is that he always tries to pick up wickets. “With the new ball, he swings it to get left-handers caught in the slips and targets the pads of right-handers. He has also started taking the ball away from right-handers. These skills are key for a new-ball bowler. He always tries to take wickets, which is why he bowls the first over. In the 2024 T20 World Cup final against South Africa, he did a great job. I still remember he dismissed Quinton de Kock when he was set and batting well. In the 19th over, he gave away just two or three runs, which built pressure on the South Africans. That is his game, bowling with the new ball and at the death, and he will play a key role for India in the 2026 T20 World Cup," Rohit stated.
Rohit Sharma also advocated for the inclusion of both Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy in India’s playing XI for T20 World Cup 2026 matches.
“The biggest challenge for captain Suryakumar Yadav and coach Gautam Gambhir will be how to play both Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy together. If you want that combination, you can only do it if you play with two seamers, which is a big challenge. But honestly, I would be tempted to play both, Varun and Kuldeep, because they are wicket-takers, and batters struggle to read them," Rohit remarked.
India will open their T20 World Cup campaign on February 7 against the USA at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, followed by group matches against Namibia in Delhi (February 11), Pakistan in Colombo (February 15), and Netherlands in Ahmedabad (February 18).
