Rishabh Pant names his four semi-finalists ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026

Even though Rishabh Pant is not playing for India in the 2026 T20 World Cup, he nonetheless made an impression with his audacious and self-assured approach to the major tournament. Rishabh Pant listed the four teams he thinks will advance to the tournament's semifinals.

The wicketkeeper batter selected India, Australia, South Africa, and Afghanistan as the T20 World Cup 2026 semifinalists during Sports Tak's special Salam Cricket event. Afghanistan is a surprising choice that has drawn interest from all quarters. The Indian batsman-wicketkeeper thinks the Men in Blue, the reigning champions, will carry on their successful campaign at the 2026 T20 World Cup.

“In my opinion, the semifinalists will be India, Australia and South Africa. The fourth team should be an Asian side, so it will be Afghanistan. I think the Indian conditions will definitely help them. Their game has certainly gone up and they are a team whose process is very strong,” he said.

Pant, who had suffered an injury prior to the ODI series against New Zealand, expressed confidence in Team India's ability to defend the championship at the same session. He thinks the current team has everything they need to win their third T20 World Cup championship and that the Men in Blue are playing well, having won eight straight series.

“The depth of Indian cricket is unstoppable right now. I don’t know how teams are going to beat them. Every one of them is dangerous—they are all ‘Hukum ka Ikka’ (Aces). Whoever clicks on that day will win the match for India. We have World Cup-winning bowlers because we have all the variety,” he concluded.

On February 7, 2026, Team India will play the USA in Mumbai to begin their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign. All group-stage games are set to commence at 7:00 PM IST. The Men in Blue will play the Netherlands in Ahmedabad on February 18, Namibia in Delhi on February 12, and Pakistan in Colombo on February 15.

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at Sky365 and download the Sky365 App to start betting today!