Former India captain Rohit Sharma has backed young pacer Arshdeep Singh to be one of the defining fast-bowling voices for Suryakumar Yadav’s side at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Speaking on JioHotstar’s “Captain Rohit Sharma’s Roadmap for the T20 World Cup”, Rohit made a forceful case for Arshdeep’s role — not just as a death-over utility, but as an attacking new-ball option who can seize early wickets and set the tone.

Rohit singled out Arshdeep’s new-ball prowess as his standout asset. “Arshdeep’s biggest strength is swinging the new ball and taking early wickets. He mainly bowls with the new ball and at the death. Starting and finishing are the most important phases, and he is strong in both,” Rohit said, underlining why the left-armer is so highly valued in the shortest format.

There’s method to that praise. Rohit pointed to moments of genuine impact — notably Arshdeep’s game-changing spells in the 2024 T20 World Cup final against South Africa — to illustrate his point.

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“In the 2024 T20 World Cup final… he dismissed Quinton de Kock when he was set and batting well. In the 19th over, he gave away just two or three runs, which built pressure on the South Africans. That is his game — bowling with the new ball and at the death,” Rohit Sharma recalled. Arshdeep’s capacity to swing the ball both ways, target left-handers early and vary his angles to right-handers, means he is often given the ball to strike up front.

Rohit was equally bullish about the balance Arshdeep adds when paired with Jasprit Bumrah. “It is a big positive to have both Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh together because they always attack for wickets,” he said — a neat summary of how India can marry raw pace with nagging swing.

The conversation also turned to spin resources, where Rohit Sahrma admitted the selection headache Trent: Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy. “The biggest challenge for captain Suryakumar Yadav and coach Gautam Gambhir will be how to play both Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy together. If you want that combination, you can only do it if you play with two seamers, which is a big challenge,” Rohit explained. Yet he confessed he’d be tempted to field both, calling them “wicket-takers” who “batters struggle to read.”

What emerges from Rohit’s analysis is a tactical framework rather than a fixed XI: start with an attacking new-ball pair — Bumrah and Arshdeep — to snag early wickets, then deploy wrist-spin maestros who can force stumbles in the middle overs. It’s a balance between aggression and control, and one that Rohit believes India should back when conditions and match-ups allow.

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With Arshdeep already recognised for his impact — including a stellar 2024 World Cup haul where he finished among the tournament’s top wicket-takers — Rohit’s message is clear: expect the left-arm swinger to be a frontline wicket-taker in India’s title defence if the team wants to keep applying pressure in both powerplay and death overs.