T20 World Cup 2026: Aakash Chopra backs Team India star as MVP for marquee event

According to former India opener Aakash Chopra, star all-rounder Hardik Pandya will be named MVP (Most Valuable Player) after the 2026 T20 World Cup ends. While predicting the highest run-getter and highest wicket-taker of the tournament, Chopra went for Indian players.

The 10th edition of the T20 World Cup will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. 20 teams are going to be competing for the coveted title. The global extravaganza begins on February 7 and will conclude on March 9. India are placed in Group A, with Namibia, Pakistan, the Netherlands, and the USA being the other four teams. Two teams will progress to the Super-Eight stage of the competition.

During a discussion on ESPNcricinfo, Chopra backed Indian players to dominate proceedings with bat and ball in the T20 World Cup. He predicted that Abhishek Sharma would be the highest run-getter. On the other hand, the cricketer-turned-commentator mentioned Varun Chakaravarthy’s name while picking the player who could end up with the most wickets. When he was asked to name the MVP, Chopra went with Hardik Pandya.

Chopra opined that Australia would be India’s likeliest challenger in the T20 World Cup. He also mentioned that two-time champions West Indies will enter the tournament as the dark horse. The 48-year-old picked the Netherlands as the nation that will have the best campaign among associate nations.

This team is an upgraded version of the team that won the World Cup: Chopra

India are the defending champions of the T20 World Cup. They won the previous edition of the tournament under Rohit Sharma’s leadership. However, Chopra believes that the current team, led by Suryakumar Yadav, is an upgraded version of the World Cup-winning side.

“So far T20 cricket is the only format where you couldn’t possibly predict a firm favorite in advance because the margins have been really thin. But, when you look at this Indian team and their performances over the last two and a half years… This team is an upgraded version of the team that won the World Cup,” Chopra said.

Chopra said that it is very difficult to retain the title, and home advantage doesn’t count for much in the T20 format. However, he stated that the Men in Blue are the strongest team in the competition.

“There is history that tells us that it’s not easy. It has never been done. No team has defended the crown. No team has actually won at home. So home advantage does not matter in this format. But yes, if you were to just look at the personnel, this is the strongest team in the tournament,” he added.