“He will be the big pivotal player” - AB de Villiers reveals India’s key player in T20 World Cup 2026

Former South African explosive batter AB de Villiers has disclosed that the premium Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya would play a crucial role for the Men In Blue in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026 competition, scheduled to start on Saturday, February 6.

Speaking exclusively on his YouTube channel, AB de Villiers has talked about the Indian squad for the mega event, stressing Hardik Pandya as India’s pivotal player with the bat and ball, adding that he can bat anywhere in the line-up and bowl in any situation. 

"There are a lot of players offering skill with both bat and ball, so you can really play around with the balance of the squad," AB de Villiers said on his YouTube channel.

"Abhishek Sharma upfront, Sanju Samson wicketkeeper. I noted no Rishabh Pant here, no Shubman Gill, no Yashasvi Jaiswal, no Jitesh Sharma, so those are the unlucky guys who missed out," he added.

"Hardik will be the big pivotal player. He's the guy who can win you games with bat and bowl. He can bowl in any situation, he can bat anywhere in the line-up," he stated.

"When he walks out to bat, there's a sense in the opposition like we need to get him out, we're gonna lose the game if he bats for three or four overs,” he noted.

"Same with the ball in hand, the minute he comes on, you feel like he has a golden arm and he might just break the partnership, so a great asset for Suryakumar (Yadav) to have in the team," he concluded.

In the recently concluded T20I series against South Africa, he amassed 142 runs in three innings at an average of 71.00 and a strike rate of 186.84, with two half-centuries. Moreover, he scalped three wickets with the ball in hand.

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