Not Bumrah and Gill, Ravichandran Ashwin picks two surprise Indian game-changers for 2026 T20 World Cup

Legendary cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin thinks India will be the top favourites for next year’s T20 World Cup. The team, now led by Suryakumar Yadav, will defend their title after winning the 2024 T20 World Cup under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy.

Since that win, India has played really well under coach Gautam Gambhir, even with many changes in the team. After the 2024 victory in Barbados, senior players Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja retired, starting a new chapter for Indian cricket.

Add Cricket Country as a Preferred Source

Ashwin also pointed out two key players that he believes rival teams will need to find a way to stop if they want to prevent India from winning the T20 World Cup again.

“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 on his YouTube channel.

“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,” he added.