As India prepares for the upcoming 2026 T20 World Cup Colombo encounter, former all-rounder Irrfan Pathan Bold suggestions about the team’s bowling combination sparked debate. Ahead of the match at the iconic R. Premadasa Stadium, Pathan shared his thoughts on how India should tweak their strategy and strengthen their spin attack. According to him, the situation in Colombo calls for a spin-based approach, which may mean rejigging the current bowling line-up.

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Pathan pointed out that the slow and gripping nature of the Colombo pitch made a strong case for the three specialist spinners to play. He feels that along with Varun and Axar, the left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav Should be in the lineup.

The 41-year-old suggested that India could revisit the model that worked for them during the Asia Cup 2025 – fielding just one frontline pacer while relying on all-rounders with strong bowling ability to provide additional support. In this model, spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will lead the pace attack with valuable overs coming from Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dubey.

Pathan stressed that India have a variety of options across the board, which allows them to experiment with combinations without significantly weakening any one department.

“What can India do against them? Look, in this case, in my opinion, India should play one more spinner. You already have Varun and Axar, but Kuldeep Yadav definitely has a place in the playing eleven. It could mean Bumrah comes in and alongside him Hardik and Shivam Dube take care of the pace bowling, which is what we saw in the Asia Cup recently. The team may go back to that template, and in my opinion, they should,” Pathan said on his YouTube channel.

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Tough decision but tactical necessity

While advocating this spin strategy, Pathan admitted that it would be harsh on in-form pacers such as Mohammed Siraj and Ardeep Singh If they are excluded. Both bowlers have been consistent and have made key breakthroughs in recent matches.

Pathan, however, insisted that team balance and conditions should take precedence over emotions. He stressed that adaptability is key in a high-stakes event like the T20 World Cup.

He also highlighted that Hardik has handled the new ball effectively before, while Dube has shown that he can make important passes up front. With Axar providing control and batting depth and Kuldeep providing wicket variety through his wrist spin, India has the potential to dominate in the middle order.

Advertisement Pathan added.

Also read: Sanjay Bangar suggests one tweak to India’s bowling combination for Namibia in 2026 T20 World Cup