Indian wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant has named his four semi-finalists for the much-awaited T20 World Cup 2026, which is set to kick off on Saturday (February 7).
Speaking on the Sports Tak YouTube Channel, Pant backed Team India to qualify for the Super Four quite easily. On the flip side, he feels Australia and South Africa are strong enough to make their way into the next round.
However, the left-handed batter surprisingly left out of the likes of New Zealand, England, and the West Indies for the remaining spot. He believes an asian team will get a booking for the semis, but it would be Afghanistan and not Pakistan.
“Australia and South Africa, the fourth team should be Asian – Afghanistan”, Pant said in the interview.
When asked about the favourites, the flamboyant didn’t hesitate to point out that the defending champions are looking the strongest.
“90 percent chances for India [to win the title],” he added.
The Men in Blue will start their 2026 campaign by taking on the USA on Saturday at the iconic Wankhede Stadium. The Suryakumar Yavav-led side is in a red-hot form and would like to open their account with a comprehensive victory.
Read More: Bengaluru Chinnaswamy Stadium declared unsafe to host big events; IPL 2026 matches in doubt
Harshit Rana is likely to be ruled out of the T20 World Cup 2026
Just ahead of the event, Team India has dealt with a blow as their pacer Harshit Rana is likely to miss the entire tournament due to a knee injury. While the fans await the confirmation, the management has already started looking for alternatives.
As per reports, Mohammed Siraj is the front-runner to replace Rana in the squad. The 31-year-old played his last T20I in July 2024 against Sri Lanka. Since then, he has been kept quite away from white-ball cricket, but the latest developments could open the doors for him once again.
Read More: BCCI breaks silence on boycotting India vs Pakistan clash in Asia Cup 2025
