IND vs AUS: Not Jasprit Bumrah! Ravichandran Ashwin names two Indian players teams will fear in ICC T20 World Cup 2026

Ravichandran Ashwin talked about India’s performance in the T20I series against Australia.

Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin talked about the two key players from the Indian team that the opposition teams would fear in ICC T20 World Cup 2026. His comments came amid the ongoing T20I series between Australia and India, which the Suryakumar Yadav-led side lead by 2-1. 

Indian since the last few series have been right on the money. Be it in batting or bowling, they have aced the challenges. Although, they have tested different combinations in the lead up to ICC T20 World Cup 2026, one thing has been common is the results. 

In the ongoing T20I series against Australia, India have looked slightly below par but still have managed to avoid the series defeat. Abhishek Sharma has yet again shone with the bat at the top with his aggressive approach, while spinners too have been spot on. 

Teams will go for Abhishek Sharma and Varun Chakravarthy if they have to get past India – Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin while talking about the Indian T20I team pointed out that Abhishek Sharma and Varun Chakravarthy will be the two threatening weapons that the teams would fear. Speaking in a video posted on his YouTube channel, he said: 

“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,” said Ravichandran Ashwin.

Ravichandran Ashwin further lavished rich praise on Abhishek Sharma, calling him the deadly batter against fast bowlers. He also pointed out how Australia stopped him in the fourth T20I. He added: 

“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.

“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,” concluded Ravichandran Ashwin.

Abhishek Sharma, who won Player of the Tournament in Asia Cup 2025, is the leading run-getter of the ongoing T20I series against Australia. In the four games, he has hammered 140 runs at a strike rate of around 160. 

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