Former India opener Aakash Chopra named two spinners in his top three impact bowlers for the upcoming 2026 T20 World Cup (via ESPN Cricinfo YouTube channel). Team India spinner Varun Chakaravarthy was his first choice, followed by ace Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah and Australian veteran Adam Zampa.
Varun is on top of the latest T20I bowler rankings, boasting incredible T20I numbers with 59 wickets in 36 games at an average of 15.69 and an economy of 7.15. On the other hand, his Indian teammate, Bumrah, remains arguably the most dominant force in T20Is.
The champion seamer was the Player of the Tournament in the 2024 T20 World Cup, which India won, with 15 wickets at an economy of 4.17.
Finally, Zampa remains a vital cog in the Australian side, thanks to his excellent T20I numbers with 139 wickets at an average of under 21 in 111 outings.
Coming to the batting department, Chopra named Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, and Jos Buttler as his three impact batters of the upcoming T20 World Cup. The Indian left-hander is the top-ranked T20I batter in the world, boasting an average of 37 and a strike rate of almost 195 in T20Is.
Meanwhile, Head and Buttler will be massive to Australia and England’s chances in the tournament, with the latter being a former T20 World Cup winner in 2022.
Aakash Chopra includes only one Asian team among his T20 World Cup 2026 semifinalists
Aakash Chopra moved to the teams after his player choices and picked his four semifinalists for the 2026 T20 World Cup. The former opener went for India, Australia, England, and New Zealand as the semifinalists.
Playing in home conditions, the Men in Blue are massive favorites to defend their title, having triumphed in 2024 without a single loss. On the other hand, Australia will field a depleted side due to the absence of Pat Cummins and the injury concerns of Josh Hazlewood.
The Men in Yellow missed out on semifinal qualification in the last two T20 World Cup editions, following their title run in 2021. Rivals England suffered a crushing defeat to India in the 2024 T20 World Cup semifinal and have been largely inconsistent in the shortest format.
The Kiwis suffered a shocking first-round exit in the 2024 edition and will look to make amends in the upcoming competition.
Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran
