Former opener Aakash Chopra predicts that Team India all-rounder Hardik Pandya will be the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the 2026 T20 World Cup, which starts on February 7. He also supported Indian talents by selecting the highest run-getter and wicket-taker for the ICC event.
The Men in Blue registered a 46-run win over New Zealand at Thiruvananthapuram’s Greenfield International Stadium on Saturday, January 31 in the fifth and final T20I of the series. It was the last international game for Team India ahead of T20 World Cup 2026. Hosts and defending champions will open their campaign against United States on February 7 at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Speaking on ESPNcricinfo, Chopra said that Indian players would shine at the ICC event. He picked in-form opener Abhishek Sharma as a top run scorer of the match and leg-spinner Varun Chakaravarthy was his choice for leading wicket taker. Asked to name the MVP of the tournament, he named all-rounder Pandya.
Furthermore, Chopra identified Australia as India’s most likely adversary in the 2026 T20 World Cup. He predicted that the West Indies would be the tournament’s dark horse, and he identified the Netherlands as the associate nation with the finest World Cup.
“An upgraded version of the team that won the World Cup” – Aakash Chopra admits India favorites to win 2026 T20 World Cup
Aakash Chopra, like other analysts, believes that Team India would win the 2026 T20 World Cup. The 48-year-old described the present side as an enhanced version of the team that won the 2024 event.
“So far T20 cricket is the only format where you couldn’t possibly predict a firm favorite in advance because the margins have been really thin. But, when you look at this Indian team and their performances over the last two and a half years… This team is an upgraded version of the team that won the World Cup.”
Aakash Chopra
The former India opener, however, pointed out that the Men in Blue may not have it easy given the T20 World Cup’s history. He elaborated:
“There is history that tells us that it’s not easy. It has never been done. No team has defended the crown. No team has actually won at home. So home advantage does not matter in this format. But yes, if you were to just look at the personnel, this is the strongest team in the tournament.”
Aakash Chopra
Team India has won the T20 World Cup twice. They defeated Pakistan by five runs in the 2007 Johannesburg final, and South Africa by seven runs in the 2024 Barbados final.
