The IND vs PAK T20 World Cup 2026 clash is slated for February 15.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav made headlines on Saturday when he was spotted bowling in the nets with a style similar to that of Pakistan’s mystery spinner Usman Tariq ahead of the much-anticipated IND vs PAK match at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
The IND vs PAK T20 World Cup 2026 clash is scheduled for Sunday, February 15, in Colombo.
One of the main topics leading up to the intense IND vs PAK T20 World Cup 2026 Clash has been Usman Tariq. His unusual round-arm action and pause in his delivery have sparked a lot of discussion in the cricketing fraternity. Since India will face Tariq for the first time in international cricket, the team is making sure they are fully prepared for the unique challenge he brings.
During the training session in Colombo, Suryakumar Yadav was providing practice to his batter with a round-arm and pause action to imitate Tariq’s bowling style. The Indian captain bowled a significant number of deliveries to batters in the nets, including Abhishek Sharma, who missed the last game due to illness. Suryakumar Yadav’s bowling in that fashion seems to be a continuous effort to help his batters adjust to the flatter trajectory and awkward angles that Tariq is likely to produce on the spin-friendly surface of Premadasa Stadium.
Earlier in the day, speaking at the pre-match press conference, Suryakumar Yadav addressed the buzz around Usman Tariq with a witty remark.
“Sometimes in an exam, you get a question out of the syllabus, but you can’t just skip it. You have to try something to tackle it,” Suryakumar Yadav said.
And the Indian skipper giving practice to his batters, bowling in a similar fashion, highlighted the Men in Blue’s strategy for dealing with the mystery surrounding the Pakistani spinner.
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Despite him having played only four T20Is, the rise of Usman Tariq has been swift, having earned a strong reputation in franchise cricket. He has taken 70 wickets in 42 T20 matches at an average of 15.94 and an economy rate of 6.79. Though his action is deemed fair by the ICC, the brief pause in his delivery has sparked divided opinions among former players and umpires.
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha has strongly defended Tariq and expressed annoyance over repeated questions about his action. He emphasised that Usman Tariq has been cleared twice after testing and is not bothered by the scrutiny.
Meanwhile, India have shown some vulnerability against spin in the T20 World Cup 2026. The Suryakumar-led side has lost eight wickets against spinners in the last two games at an economy rate of just around six. Indian skipper’s proactive practice indicates that India are well-prepared for whatever challenges may come.
While Abhishek Sharma, who has scored the most runs for India since the T20 World Cup 2024 in the shortest format, is yet to open his account in the tournament and missed the last game, Suryakumar was dismissed by Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus, an off-spinner, in the last fixture, highlighting a few concerns.
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