Speaking on the Star Sports show ‘Follow the Blues’ Parthiv has drawn up a blueprint of several high-profile stars being relegated to the bench. His vision for the tournament opener against the USA in Mumbai will be guided by a ‘form first’ philosophy, notably steering away from some of the squad’s younger sensations. The Gujarat titans assistant coach believes that the intensity of a World Cup requires players who are already in top condition, both mentally and physically. By opting for experienced death bowlers and a red-hot wicketkeeper, Parthiv has sparked a major debate in the cricketing landscape.
Parthiv Patel’s decision to drop Harshit Rana from Indian XI for T20 World Cup 2026
Despite Harshit Rana‘s meteoric rise and his knack for picking up crucial wickets in the IPL and domestic circuits, Partiv Patel has opted for a more conservative and battle-hardened tempo attack. Parthiv believes that in a high-stakes tournament opener, the reliability of a jasprit bumrah-guided attack is non-negotiable. He argued that while Rana offers raw pace and bounce, the combination of jasprit bumrah‘s precision and Arshdeep Singh‘s left-arm variant offers a more complete defensive and attacking package. For Parthiv, Rana remains a brilliant prospect, but one who will have to wait for the right opening.
“Then Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakaravarthy. That will be my eleventh player. I would like to include both Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah…” said Partiv.
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Ishan Kishan or Sanju Samson? Parthiv reveals his wicketkeeping pick for T20 World Cup 2026
The most controversial part of Patel’s XI is the wicketkeeping slot, which he unequivocally supports Ishan Kishan about Sanju Samson. This follows Kishan’s explosive return to form against New Zealand, culminating in a dominant century that reminded the selectors of his match-winning pedigree. Parthiv noted that Samson’s recent struggles with consistency make it impossible to ignore Kishan’s momentum. He emphasized that the team needs a wicketkeeper who is not only reliable behind the stumps but can also tear the game apart during the Powerplay.
“I feel Ishan Kishan is also holding up quite well. He remained so in the previous match and will continue to be so in the warm-up match as well. You want to have your in-form player in the team when the World Cup starts. In my opinion, when the team selection takes place, India will have to include Ishan Kishan.” the former cricketer added.
The strategic return of Tilak Varma
Addressing the middle order balance, Parthiv urged the immediate inclusion of Tilak Varma as soon as he has been declared match fit. Varma is undergoing rehabilitation in hospital Center of Excellence (CoE) due to an abdominal injury, and Patel sees him as the anchor that makes people like this possible Suryakumar Yadav And Shivam Dubey playing with freedom. By moving Varma at No. 3, Patel aims to give the Indian top order a left-handed stability that has been lacking in high-pressure scenarios over the past year.
“I feel that Tilak Varma will get a place in the Indian team’s XI once he gets fit because of the way he has performed and the way he has batted in different, different positions in the T20 format for India over the last one to one and a half years. Also, he will obviously play the warm-up match.” Parthiv concluded.
Parthiv Patel’s India playing XI for T20 World Cup 2026
Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy.
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