Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar has named Varun Chakaravarthy as one of India’s key X-factor players for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. He also picked Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya and Ishan Kishan as other match-winners for the team. The tournament will begin on Saturday, February 7, and will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

Ahead of the tournament, Manjrekar shared a video on Instagram on Friday, February 6. In the video, he named Australia, England, South Africa and New Zealand as the strongest teams. He also said India are the best team in the tournament and have the highest chance of winning the trophy.

Manjrekar explained that his view is based on X-factor players who can change a match at any time. He said the more such players a team has, the better their chances of winning. He added that players like Varun Chakaravarthy can take quick wickets and turn the game around. Manjrekar said India have many such players, including Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya.

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India Enters T20 World Cup 2026 With Strong Momentum

India will enter the T20 World Cup 2026 in good form after beating New Zealand 4-1 in their recent home T20I series. Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar believes this strong run, along with India’s match-winners, makes the team a top contender for the title.

In a recent video, Manjrekar praised India’s bowling attack and said other strong teams do not have as many X-factor bowlers as India. He highlighted key names who can change a match at any moment.

Manjrekar Praises India’s X-Factor Bowlers

“Bowling, very important. The other team that I mentioned, the strong team, don't quite have as many X factors in their bowling that India has. India have at least three. Bumrah, the master. Then you've got Varun Chakaravarthy, another X factor bowler. And Kuldeep Yadav on Indian pitches,” Manjrekar said.

He added that India have more X-factor players than other teams. “I may have missed a few Indian batters, but I'm thinking India has at least six or seven X factor players as opposed to the other teams, which don't have quite as many,” he added.

Manjrekar also spoke about the importance of bowling in big tournaments. “And especially in the bowling department, India won the last World T20 in the US and West Indies because of some fine bowling that India was able to defend. A score that wasn't huge. So, watch out for the team that has quality bowlers and India have that with the three magicians that I mentioned. Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy and right on top, Jasprit Bumrah,” he said.

India will begin their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign on the opening day of the tournament against the USA at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.