Teams will target those two Indian players if they have to beat India in T20 WC 2026: Ravi Ashwin

Former Indian cricketer and analyst Ravi Ashwin has revealed India’s two key players moving into the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, in India and Sri Lanka, scheduled to be played early next year. 

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin stated that Abhishek Sharma and Varun Chakravarthy will play a crucial role for Team India in the forthcoming mega event. He also added that the opposition teams will target these two Indian players to go past India.

Furthermore, Ashwin asserted that the Australian bowlers have contained Abhishek Sharma pretty well in the ongoing five-match T20I series. Moreover, Ashwin stated that Australian bowlers dealt with Chakravarthy well.

“So far, I was saying that handling Jasprit Bumrah is critical, but I would now say, from what I have seen, Tim David handled Varun Chakaravarthy. I am thinking teams will go for Abhishek Sharma and Varun Chakaravarthy if they have to get past India. Against Abhishek Sharma, we will definitely see in this series the plan that is made, and they will definitely invite that. Whatever teams are coming, they will come prepared for the World Cup. Similarly, against Varun Chakaravarthy, because that will give them leverage in that T20 World Cup,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

“Abhishek Sharma has been one of the deadliest batters against fast bowlers inside the powerplay, against any bowler. Australian bowlers to Abhishek Sharma, in the powerplay itself, he made 29 off 23, of which a sixth over went for a lot. Before that, Abhishek Sharma was going at less than a run a ball. See, they had a plan to slightly reduce bat swing,” he added.

“You will notice that Nathan Ellis hasn’t bowled any balls within the stumps to Abhishek Sharma. They have gone wide outside the off stump, and they also went a bit pace off to make sure that a swinging arc is curtailed. So against Abhishek Sharma, he is not weak on the off side; he hits very strongly there. But they are limiting hitting areas by bowling slightly wider and also taking the pace off so that it can come a bit straighter. I thought they bowled really well,” he concluded.

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