AB de Villiers Backs Hardik Pandya as Key Player for T20 World Cup 2026

The T20 World Cup 2026 is all set. It will be hosted by India and Sri Lanka and will start on February 7. Most of the teams have already announced their squad for the tournament, with experts discussing the best possible combinations for all the sides in the tournament. Ahead of the tournament, former South Africa cricketer AB de Villiers took centre stage and heaped massive praise on star India all-rounder Hardik Pandya. De Villiers claimed that Pandya could be key for India in the World Cup and would play a big role in helping them win matches. 

AB de Villiers Backs Hardik Pandya Ahead of T20 World Cup 2026

"There are a lot of players offering skill with both bat and ball so you can really play around with the balance. I noted no Pant here, no Gill, no Jaiswal, no Jitesh, so those are the unlucky guys who missed out. Hardik will be the big pivotal player. He's the guy who can win you games. When he walks out to bat, there's a sense in the opposition like we need to get him out. Same with the ball in hand, the minute he comes on, you feel like he has a golden arm, so a great asset," AB de Villiers said on his YouTube channel.

De Villiers also spoke about Ishan Kishan’s selection. He said Kishan had been out of the team for some time, but his strong performances in domestic cricket helped him earn a place back in the squad.

"Interesting that Ishan Kishan comes in as a wicketkeeping option. Will he play? where will he bat? Looking at the top three, there's a bit of a headache there for them. Will Abhishek and Samson open or will Ishan fill that spot at the top? It's that kind of squad, a mouthful, all of them are incredibly talented. Don't know exactly where they are going to fit in," he said.