Former India player turned commentator Varun Aaron has said that New Zealand could pose a big challenge to the Indian team in the T20 World Cup 2026. He added that the New Zealand batters are good against spin, with IPL experience working to their advantage as well. However, New Zealand are placed in Group D in the T20 World Cup 2026 along with South Africa, Afghanistan, Canada and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Speaking on Star Sports, Aaron said, “They are a big challenge to India because they have a lot of players in their ranks who can play spin really well. We all know that when you come to the subcontinent, your batters have to be able to negotiate spin well, and they also have a lot of experience playing the IPL. The likes of Daryl Mitchell, somebody who is in prime form, is going to be key in this New Zealand setup.”

“The thing with New Zealand is that they have this never-give-up attitude. They can come from behind and win games. New Zealand is a team which has never had massive superstars when you compare them to the likes of Australia and India, but somehow they all chip in, and most importantly, on the field, they save a lot of runs,” Aaron shared again.

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However, Varun Aaron added that New Zealand have a strong bowling attack, with Mitchell Santner being their key bowler as well.

“New Zealand have one of the best-rounded bowling attacks, whether it comes to spin or pace, because a lot of their players have a lot of IPL experience. When you have IPL experience, you know how conditions are going to play out. You know each venue really well, especially Mitchell Santner, somebody who is going to be key for them, especially when the wickets get a bit slower towards the backend,” he said.

“D for death. They have got Afghanistan and South Africa, two very, very potent teams, especially Afghanistan. Afghanistan, for me, are the dark horses, especially in the group stages. They can knock out any team on a given day. So New Zealand are really going to have to be on their A game if they want to qualify for the next stage,” Varun Aaron concluded.