'He'll Play A Key Role': Rohit Sharma Makes Bold T20 World Cup Prediction About 26-Year-Old Star

Former Indian men’s cricket team captain Rohit Sharma has made a bold prediction about a 26-year-old fast bowler, who, according to him, will play a key role for the Suryakumar Yadav-led side in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026

. Rohit, who led India to the T20 World Cup title win in 2024, while speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Captain Rohit Sharma’s Roadmap for the T20 World Cup’, speaks up about Arshdeep Singh’s new-ball swing and explains why the left-arm pacer from Punjab will play a key role.

According to Rohit, Arshdeep’s biggest strength is swinging the new ball and taking early wickets, and it will be very beneficial for India in the 20-team tournament starting February 7.

“It is a big positive to have both Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh together

because they always attack for wickets,” Rohit said.

“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,” he added.

According to Rohit, Arshdeep, who is India’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is, always tries to take wickets.

“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,” Rohit said.

Arshdeep, who won the ICC T20I Cricketer Of The Year award in 2024, played all eight matches for India in the 2024 T20 World Cup and picked up 17 wickets to finish as the joint-highest wicket-taker of the tournament.

Rohit also batted for the inclusion of both Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy in India’s playing XI for T20 World Cup 2026 matches by stating that they are both wicket-takers and batters struggle to read them.

“The biggest challenge for captain Suryakumar Yadav and coach Gautam Gambhir will be how to play both Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy together. If you want that combination, you can only do it if you play with two seamers, which is a big challenge. But honestly, I would be tempted to play both, Varun and Kuldeep, because they are wicket-takers, and batters struggle to read them,” Rohit said.