Defending champions India enter the tournament as one of the favorites due to their depth and quality across all departments.
Rohit highlighted Arshdeep Singh’s effectiveness with both the new ball and at the death.
‘It is a big positive to have both Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh together because they always attack for wickets. 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,’ Rohit told JioHotstar.
Rohit praised Arshdeep’s ability to swing the ball to left-handers, target the pads of right-handers, and consistently take wickets, adding that his performance in the 2024 T20 World Cup final against South Africa was outstanding.
Rohit also spoke about the importance of Hardik Pandya in India’s team.
‘Whenever Hardik is in the team, his role is huge. He bats and bowls very consistently. His batting is crucial when the team is stuck. In the middle order at 5, 6, or 7, he can build innings and accelerate when needed. His bowling in all phases-new ball, middle overs, and death-gives the team balance,’ Rohit said.
Hardik’s all-round ability allows India to play six bowlers while keeping the batting order deep, which is vital in T20 cricket.
Rohit shared that accommodating both Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy in the playing XI will be a challenge for the team management.
‘The biggest challenge for captain Suryakumar Yadav and coach Gautam Gambhir will be how to play both Kuldeep and Varun together. Honestly, I would be tempted to play both because they are wicket-takers and make life difficult for batters,’ Rohit added.
Rohit also talked about how dew could impact matches during the February-March period across India.
‘Most grounds in India will have heavy dew, which makes bowling in the second innings difficult. The captain and coach need to plan whether to play three spinners or adjust the combination depending on conditions,’ he explained.
Rohit advised Kuldeep Yadav to be smarter with appeals and DRS reviews.
‘My simple advice is to bowl quietly and trust the keeper. Don’t appeal on every ball. Teams only get two DRS reviews, so you have to think of the team first,’ Rohit said.
The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 will be held in venues across India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.