Ravi Ashwin identifies India’s key players for 2026 T20 World Cup
The Men in Blue have pulled off an impressive turnaround in the ongoing five-match series Down Under. After the opening game in Canberra was washed out, Kangaroos registered a comprehensive win in the second India vs Australia T20I. However, the hosts have since suffered back-to-back defeats, with India now leading the series 2-1 heading into the final fixture. Meanwhile, as Suryakumar Yadav and his side look to seal the series in Australia’s backyard, former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has identified the players he believes will be crucial to India’s plans for the fast-approaching ICC 2026 T20 World Cup.
Ravichandran Ashwin sees Abhishek Sharma and Varun Chakravarthy as India's crucial picks for 2026 T20 World Cup
India are expected to enter the 2026 T20 World Cup campaign at home as one of the most dominant sides in the competition, not only as the reigning champions but also as a unit that has, at times, appeared nearly untouchable in the shortest format. Their recent showing in the India vs Australia T20I series reinforced that perception. After taking a 2-1 lead by registering a commanding 48-run victory in Queensland, the Men in Blue sent out a strong reminder to one of their most serious challengers for the title.
Following Australia’s approach in this series and how they attempted to counter some of India’s primary match-winners, Ravichandran Ashwin offered his perspective on what opposing teams must prioritise if they hope to take down this Indian side. Interestingly, the player he felt would determine the balance in key moments was not the obvious picks like Jasprit Bumrah or the current captain, Suryakumar Yadav.
During a discussion on his YouTube channel, Ashwin pointed to two individuals whom he believes hold the strategic key for teams planning to halt India’s momentum. He broke down how Tim David targeted Varun Chakravarthy during the India vs Australia clash in Hobart. Moreover, the former spin all-rounder went on to highlight how Australia’s new-ball bowlers deliberately avoided the preferred hitting arc of Abhishek Sharma, restricting his scoring rate in the powerplay.
“If any team wants to win the T20 World Cup in India, they will have to master two factors. I was saying until now that handling Jasprit Bumrah. But I will say right now, the way I have seen Tim David handle Varun Chakravarthy, I am thinking teams will gun for Abhishek Sharma and Varun Chakravarthy if they have to get past India,” Ashwin said.
The Indian opener, who has been in exceptional form, produced a rather uneven innings by his recent standards in the India vs Australia T20I series. Abhishek's rare lapse in his fiery charge has now emerged as an element that the analysts preparing for the 2026 World Cup are likely to scrutinize closely.
“Against Abhishek Sharma, they will see this plan Australia has used against him in this series, and they will imbibe that. Whoever is coming for the World Cup will prepare similarly against Varun Chakravarthy because that will give them the leverage in that World Cup,” explained the former all-rounder.
Yet, India did not deoend solely on these two players to secure their dominant win at Carrara Oval in the fourth T20I. It was a collective performance, with contributions across departments. Axar Patel earned the Player of the Match award not only for closing out India’s innings with the bat but also for striking early with the ball, claiming two key wickets that disrupted Australia’s chase and sealed the result.
