India are going to be extremely difficult to beat in T20 World Cup: Former Australian cricketer

Former Australian cricketer and WPL franchise Gujarat Giants head coach, Michael Klinger, has heaped praise on the Indian men’s T20I team ahead of the forthcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026, starting on February 7, in India and Sri Lanka.

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Speaking exclusively to PTI Videos in an interaction, Klinger asserted that the defending champions would be extremely tough to beat in the upcoming mega event, adding that Men In Blue’s top-order core makes them arguably the strongest unit going into the showpiece event. 

“With the form they’re in, and what I saw recently against New Zealand, India are going to be extremely difficult to beat. A team will probably have to catch them on a bad night in a final to beat them,” Klinger told PTI Videos.

Furthermore, the former Aussie cricketer also revealed Abhishek Sharma as his new favourite player in the format, having opened with Travis Head for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, showcasing a fearless batting approach.

“Abhishek Sharma is probably my new favourite player. I’ve been watching him for a while now. Opening with Travis Head in the IPL and now doing it at the international level, he’s fearless and amazing to watch,” he added.

While Klinger reckoned that Ishan Kishan has put a case forward to make it to the starting XI in the campaign opener against the USA on Saturday, he also asserted that Australia and South Africa are also the teams to watch out for in the mega event.

“Ishan Kishan has come back in fantastic form and is certainly putting a case forward to start in the XI at the World Cup. Australia and South Africa are strong teams. South Africa, coming off a lot of T20 cricket recently, will be dangerous as well,” he concluded.

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India squad for ICC T20 World Cup 2026: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh.

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