Team India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant has predicted his four semifinalists for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Apart from defending champions, the 28-year-old included Australia, South Africa, and Afghanistan as a surprise pick. Pant added that the Men in Blue have 90 percent chances of winning their third T20 World Cup trophy, which will be played in India and Sri Lanka from February 7.
Speaking to Sports Tak‘s YouTube channel on Thursday (February 5), Rishabh Pant said:
“Australia and South Africa, the fourth team should be Asian – Afghanistan.
“90 percent chances for India [to win the title],” he added.
Notably, the Suryakumar Yadav-led side has not lost a T20I series after Rohit Sharma and company clinched the 2024 T20 World Cup triumph. Since then, the Men in Blue have won eight series in a row. They also lifted the 2025 Asia Cup title.
India began 2026 with a bang by defeating New Zealand 4-1 in a five-match series. They then beat South Africa by 30 runs in a warm-up game. The two-time champions will next begin their T20 World Cup campaign against the USA in Mumbai on February 7.
Rishabh Pant gives one word for current India players from the 2026 T20 World Cup squad
Risabh Pant further coined a term for Indian players who are part of the 2026 T20 World Cup squad. The wicketkeeper-batter picked openers Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma as cute and handsome, respectively. He also gave different one-word answers for a few other players. Take a look below:
- Ishan Kishan – Cute
- Abhishek Sharma – Handsome
- Sanju Samson – Team man
- Rinku Singh – Amazing team man
- Shivam Dube – Impact player
- Hardik Pandya – Outrageous and outstanding
- Tilak Varma – Brave
- Washington Sundar – Smart package
- Arshdeep Singh – Intelligent bowler
Notably, Rishabh Pant is part of the 2024 T20 World Cup-winning team. The wicketkeeper-batter is currently a regular for India in Tests and ODIs. He, however, missed the recently concluded ODI series against New Zealand due to a side strain. The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain is likely to be next seen in action during the upcoming IPL 2026 season.
Edited by James Kuanal
