Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy hurled verbal googles at Parthiv Patel when asked about the strength of Pakistan’s spin ahead of their much-anticipated clash at the 2026 FIFA World Cup T20. After a strong start to India’s campaign with back-to-back wins over USA and Namibia, all eyes are now firmly on the much-anticipated clash against R Prembo Pakistan on February 15.
Pakistan had a sharp bowling attack in their previous match against the USA, with Shaheen Afridi the only front-line player in the XI. Apart from him, the Salman Agha-led side bowled the rest of their overs through Saim Ayub, Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan and Usman Tariq, with the spin quintet sharing seven wickets between them.
Ahead of Pakistan’s next task against India, Varun Chakravarthy was asked about his views on Pakistan’s powerful spin attack and the threat it could pose to the Indian batting line-up. But the Indian spinner was quick to remind the former commentator-turned-cricketer of the hosts’ own spin power.
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“Obviously every match in the World Cup is very important. We are excited for it and it will be a fun challenge. We are also strong against spin and have a good spin attack. I feel we have an edge over them. Although they are playing in similar conditions back to back and they could have an advantage in that regard, I believe as a group we have got the better of them and we are well prepared,” said Chakratstarthy on JioHohotstar.
Who will come out on top Pakistan vs. India?
Pakistan off-spinner Usman Tariq He is expected to be a trump card for the Men in Green heading into the marquee clash. The 28-year-old has so far taken 11 wickets from four T20I innings at an impressive average of 7.90 and an economy of 5.93.
Tariq’s unique bowling action has become the talk of the cricket fraternity, with the off-spinner having a significantly wider release point than most bowlers. Ahead of the crucial match, Indian batsman Ishan Kishan has already shared his thoughts on how to face the enigmatic tweaker, saying that the Indian batsmen would simply focus on the ball and look to hit it if it came into their slot.
India entered the competition having won their last seven consecutive matches against their arch-rivals. Pakistan last defeated India in international cricket on 4 September 2022 during an Asia Cup match in Dubai. Since then, India have won eight of the nine matches played between the two sides, with one match ending in no result.
As a result, the Men in Green will be under immense pressure going into the upcoming fixture as they look to end a long winless run against their fiercest rivals on the global stage.
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Issued by:
Rishabh Beniwal
Published on:
February 13, 2026