In a series of major strategic disclosures ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, veteran leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has sparked conversation by overlooking India’s biggest batting stars Abhishek Sharma for the tournament’s ultimate individual honour. With the marquee event set to kick off on February 7, 2026, Chahal’s predictions offer a unique insight into the tactical expectations of the defending champions.
Yuzvendra Chahal predicts the Player of the Tournament at T20 World Cup 2026
In an exclusive video shared on January 31, Chahal officially named ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah as his predicted Player of the Tournament. By choosing Bumrah, Chahal pointedly overlooked both T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav and the explosive young opener Abhishek for the MVP title. Chahal’s selection is a nod to Bumrah’s historic 2024 campaign, where he took 15 wickets at an extraordinary economy of 4.17 to lead India to glory. The 35-year-old leg-spinner believes that on the subcontinental tracks of India and Sri Lanka, Bumrah’s ‘unplayable’ nature will once again be the deciding factor in India’s title defense.
#YuzvendraChahal ki भविष्यवाणी! 💡
As #TeamIndia are en route to defeat history, comment your predictions for this World Cup! 👀
ICC Men’s #T20WorldCup 2026 👉 #INDvUSA | SAT, FEB 7, 6 PM pic.twitter.com/CPF3kOXHHJ
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) January 31, 2026
Chahal’s predictions for top batter and highest total in T20 World Cup 2026
Despite overlooking him for the Player of the Tournament award, Chahal did show immense faith in Abhishek, picking him to be the Top Batter of the competition. He further backed the young left-hander to lead the six-hitting charts, signaling high expectations for a breakthrough performance on the global stage. Additionally, Chahal made a bold tactical prediction for the tournament’s scoring trends, setting 240 as the likely highest team total, suggesting he expects some extremely high-scoring encounters despite the spin-friendly conditions of the host nations.
Chahal also identified the India vs. Pakistan match, scheduled for Sunday, February 15 in Colombo, as the fixture he is most anticipating. This mirrors the sentiment of the wider cricketing world, especially following the recent announcement of Richard Illingworth and Kumar Dharmasena as the on-field umpires for that specific clash. As the ‘rockstar’ of Indian music, Anirudh Ravichander, faces backlash for the official anthem ‘Feel the Thrill,’ Chahal’s grounded cricket analysis has provided a much-needed focus on the on-field battles to come.
