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Former India captain Rohit Sharma believes that Men in Blue's success in the T20 World Cup 2026 hinges on the performances of Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh. As the defending champions prepare for the showpiece tournament, they are widely regarded as favorites, bolstered by a roster that boasts incredible depth and world-class quality across all departments.
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Rohit specifically pointed to Arshdeep Singh's versatility as a primary tactical advantage for the squad. He emphasized the left-arm seamer's unique ability to be equally effective during the initial powerplay and the high-pressure death overs. Combined with the all-round balance provided by Pandya, Rohit sees this duo as the foundational "key" to India maintaining its dominance on the global stage.
"It is a big positive to have both Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh together because they always attack for wickets. 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," Rohit told JioHotstar.
"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," he added.
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Beyond their primary skill sets, Rohit, who led India to T20 World Cup 2024 title glory, also talked about the immense tactical value Hardik Pandya brings to the squad through his dual responsibilities. By serving as a reliable finisher with the bat and a versatile multi-phase bowler, Pandya offers the Indian team a level of structural balance that is difficult to replicate.
Rohit noted that having a player capable of delivering breakthroughs at various stages of the innings while simultaneously anchoring the lower-order allows the team to be more aggressive elsewhere. This flexibility, according to the skipper, remains one of India’s greatest strengths heading into major tournaments.
"Whenever Hardik Pandya is in the team, his role is huge. He bats and bowls very consistently. His batting is crucial when the team is stuck. If we have a score of 160 on the board in 15-16 overs and Hardik is batting, then he's the one who can help the team reach 210-220 from there or if we are 50 for 4, he has to build the innings.
"Batting in the middle order at 5, 6, or 7 is very tough. That is why Hardik's role is critical in any format. We know his bowling. He bowls in key phases, with the new ball, in the middle and in the death as well. His role is very important because he gives the team balance, letting us play six bowlers and keep our batting deep," Rohit concluded.
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