Team India’s brief trip to Sri Lanka will capture global attention. After weeks of discussions and meetings, Pakistan have agreed to face the defending champions in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, with
Colombo all set to host the high-voltage clash.
And just as the buzz around the game begins to settle, a fresh talking point has emerged: Usman Tariq. The Pakistan side-arm spinner has stirred considerable debate, with his bowling action drawing scrutiny and sparking discussions over its legality.
More than the action, it’s the pause he takes before releasing the ball. That alone has been enough to deceive batters in the tournament so far. His hypermobile elbows have led to speculation about chucking, but biomechanical tests have confirmed that his arm extension remains within the legal 15-degree limit set by the International Cricket Council.
Controversy aside, it is a fact that Tariq has become one of the most deceptive spinners to watch at the T20 World Cup.
On Wednesday night at Kotla, Indian batters got a fair idea of what they might face in Colombo. Credit to Namibia skipper Gerhard Erasmus, who targeted the Indian left-hand batters with his side-arm sling balls, returning 4/20 in four overs.
Ishan Kishan, one of Erasmus’ victims, spoke about the bowler pulling off flashy variations on the field. However, the key to countering this mystery, according to Kishan, lies in self-belief.
“It might play in your head for a couple of balls, but I think at this level you need to trust your own strengths as well. Even if he is trying something different, we can go for sixes or boundaries at the same time,” Kishan said while addressing the post-match presser.
“So, the important thing is how we are thinking at that point when the bowler is trying to do something different. If we keep looking for boundaries and sixes and believe in our strengths, I think that helps batters more — so we are just trying to keep it simple,” he added.
If the Namibia game was an extended warm-up before flying to Colombo, the opposition ensured the defending champions got proper match simulation, especially against spin.
Erasmus’ action and success may have looked unconventional for India, but Kishan ruled out any surprise factor.
The keeper-batter said preparations are already done and it’s now about watching the ball and playing freely.
“We have already done the preparation part and now it’s just time to watch the ball and play our natural game,” Kishan said.
“We do have to believe in our strengths as well. There’s nothing like over-preparing. At this level, we just watch a few videos and get an idea of what kind of bowling to expect. So we’re keeping it simple. He bowled pretty well today and I think there was quite a bit of learning for our team as well,” he added.
If the world is fretting over Tariq’s confusing act, they must not overlook the strength of India’s spin attack. Varun Chakravarthy has been lethal all the way, while Axar Patel has chipped in whenever needed.
India still have Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar in the mix, devastating options yet to get a match.
After ticking almost all the boxes, India will head into the Pakistan clash confidently, feels Chakravarthy. Speaking on JioHotstar’s Match Centre Live, the mystery spinner said the defending champions have enough ammunition in their arsenal to take down Pakistan.
“We have a strong spin attack, and I feel we have the edge over them,” Chakravarthy said.
“They are playing in these conditions back-to-back, so they might have an advantage in terms of familiarity. But as a group, we have had the better of them and we are well prepared. Whenever you play any opponent in a World Cup, you need to keep your confidence high. You have to believe you are the best in the world — that’s when you deliver in the biggest moments,” he added.
All eyes now shift to Colombo and the hype aside, it’ll simply come down to who holds their nerve better on Sunday, February 15.
