T20 World Cup 2026: ‘Indian batters are not talking about him, and that is good’ - Mohammad Kaif reacts to Usman Tariq hype

Published - 13 Feb 2026, 22:17 IST | Updated - 13 Feb 2026, 22:19 IST

Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has downplayed the hype surrounding Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq ahead of the high-voltage India vs Pakistan clash in the T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled for February 15 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

Kaif stated that despite the growing buzz around Tariq, Indian players have refrained from speaking about him publicly. He emphasised that the team’s focus should be on preparing a solid game plan to tackle the spinner rather than adding to the unnecessary hype.

“First of all, the hype that is building is fine, but it is a good thing that the players themselves are not talking about it. None of the Indian batters are making public comments, and that is good because you do not want to give too much hype to any player before a big game. Broadcasters, experts, and fans can discuss it, but the players have to focus on playing. The players should not build so much hype in their minds that they start thinking about things like pauses in the bowling action or carrom balls,” said Kaif on YouTube live session.

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Kaif further asserted that India boasts a strong squad filled with proven match-winners and questioned the reason behind the spotlight on Tariq. He pointed out that the spinner has not yet faced the Men in Blue and stressed that performances against top opposition should determine the level of attention a player receives.

“This Indian team is a very strong side. They have big match-winners from the top order down to No. 8. So there should not be unnecessary hype around Tariq. Of course, players should watch his videos, understand how to play him, and make proper plans for the match. Bigger spinners have been faced in the past. Tariq is being talked about a lot, but he has not even played against India yet. If he had played and taken four wickets, then there would be reason to discuss how brilliant he was. But he has not faced India yet, so building hype beforehand raises questions,” said Kaif.

Kaif also highlighted that India have regularly faced world-class spinners in the past. He noted that the current squad trains against Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy in the nets, emphasising that the players are well accustomed to tackling high-quality spin bowling.

“Indian batters have handled Muttiah Muralitharan, one of the greatest bowlers ever. He played in the 2011 World Cup and yet India managed to cope with him. There was also Saeed Ajmal from Pakistan, a very difficult bowler. Even Sachin Tendulkar has spoken about how hard he was to read because of his variations and changes in pace. So India have faced and played against bigger spinners before. Indian batters regularly face Kuldeep and Varun in the nets. Varun Chakravarthy even picked up three wickets in two overs in the last match. Our players grow up playing against such spinners,” said Kaif.