'He could be the trump card' - Irfan Pathan predicts India's top wicket-taker at T20 World Cup 2026

Published - 21 Dec 2025, 16:10 IST | Updated - 21 Dec 2025, 16:10 IST

Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan picked ace spinner Varun Chakravarthy over Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah to end with the most wickets at the T20 World Cup 2026. The mega event is scheduled to be played from February 7 to March 8 across different venues in India and Sri Lanka.

Irfan commented on tIndia's bowling, stating that the 12 overs combined from Chakravarthy, Arshdeep and Bumrah will be crucial for India in every match. He also opined that Chakravarthy could potentially be India's X-factor in the tournament.

"Our bowling is amazing. The whole responsibility will be on Bumrah and Varun. We have 12 overs that are rock solid - Varun, Arshdeep and Bumrah. I think Varun will become the highest wicket-taker in this World Cup with the kind of performances he’s been putting in of late. I really think a lot depends on Varun. He could be the trump card for the Indian team. His confidence is really high," shared Irfan in a video on his YouTube channel.

The prominent commentator, after commending the prowess of Arshdeep, pointed out how India's leading T20I wicket-taker has recently been found out while bowling in not-so bowling-friendly conditions.

"Arshdeep, from what I’ve seen, is a really good bowler, a strong bowler, puts in a lot of effort, and is always ready for a challenge. But the issue arises when the pitches aren’t really helping much, when the conditions aren’t made for seaming and the ball isn’t gripping much. He needs to improve a bit more in those areas. This is a fair assessment," he added.

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India come into the mega event as defending champions after winning the 2024 T20 World Cup in the Americas. They will be aim to become the first team to win three T20 World Cup titles.

Arshdeep and Bumrah ended up as India's first- and second-highest wicket-takers in the 2024 T20 World Cup. While Arsdheep picked 17 wickets at an economy of 7.16, Bumrah ended with 15 at 4.17.