As Team India prepares to face off against their long-standing rivals, Pakistan, in the T20 World Cup 2026 on February 15 at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo, legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has put forth an intriguing suggestion. He believes that star spinner Kuldeep Yadav should step in for pacer Arshdeep Singh in this crucial encounter against the ‘Green Shirts’. In India’s last match against Namibia, Arshdeep bowled three overs, claiming one wicket while giving away 36 runs. The fact that he didn’t complete his full quota of overs has led Gavaskar to speculate about his absence in Colombo. “All our bowlers took wickets, but Arshdeep didn’t finish his four overs, while Shivam Dube managed two, and Hardik completed his full allocation. This indicates that Kuldeep Yadav could be the ideal replacement against Pakistan,” Gavaskar noted. The former cricketer further emphasized that Kuldeep’s inclusion in the lineup would be beneficial, given the favorable conditions for spinners on Sri Lankan pitches. “Historically, Sri Lanka’s pitches support spin bowlers, and India often fields three spinners. I expect Kuldeep to be in the XI against Pakistan in Colombo,” the 76-year-old added. Gavaskar also praised mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy, highlighting his knack for taking wickets whenever he bowls. “The fact that Hardik bowled the first over suggests Arshdeep might be sidelined for the upcoming match against Pakistan. Varun Chakaravarthy bowled just two overs but could have easily taken five or six wickets had he completed his full quota. The best part about Varun is his ability to get wickets whenever called upon. Additionally, Axar Patel’s two wickets in three overs is a positive sign,” he concluded.
T20 World Cup 2026, IND vs PAK: Full Squads
India: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Sanju Samson (WK), Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishan Kishan (WK), Rinku Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Abhishek Sharma, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Tilak Varma.
Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Babar Azam, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha (C), Faheem Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Khan (WK), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Khawaja Nafay (WK), Usman Tariq.
