Michael Clarke KICKS Abhishek Sharma aside, names another Indian as No.1 T20 cricketer

India, which has been termed as the favourite for the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, will be taking the field on 7th February against the USA. Ahead of their first game, former Australia World Cup-winning captain Michael Clarke had an interview with RevSportz, where he shared his views on various aspects of the World Cup and also his most valuable player for the upcoming major event.

Michael Clarke picked star India all-rounder Hardik Pandya as his MVP for the World Cup. The former Aussie cricketer believes that Pandya is currently the best player in T20 cricket, and his all-round ability with the bat and ball helps India to win games. Over the years, Pandya has been an important part of Men in Blue’s white-ball team and has led India win matches single-handedly as well.

Michael Clarke snubs Abhishek Sharma to pick Hardik Pandya as World No.1 T20 player

Michael Clarke, while speaking with Boria Majumdar, said, “If I was asked to pick one player in the world today for the T20 format, I’d pick Hardik Pandya.” “He can win you games with the bat, ball and also in the field. He has mastered these conditions and is a fantastic player to have for India.”

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“What is little spoken about is his tactical nous. He is a superb strategist and, while he isn’t the captain of the team, as a senior player he can of course give his ideas to the skipper, Suryakumar Yadav. So I will tell you this — Hardik is my go-to man in T20 cricket and is my number one pick among all teams in the world at the moment.”

Hardik Pandya is a clutch player for India

In the previous edition of the T20 World Cup, Hardik Panyda showcased his ability to perform underpressure. In the last edition of the tournament, he averaged 48 and had a strike rate of over 150. This showcased his hard-hitting ability towards the end of the innings. Pandya also picked 11 wickets in the tournament and bowled the final over of the World Cup.

Pandya delivered once again underpressure picking up the wicket of David Miller, and helped India win the title when 16 was needed off the last over, and led India to their second title in the format. In the recent warm-up game against South Africa, he played a fiery knock off a 10-ball 30, and this led India to post 240 runs yesterday.

'I will not get into the political side'- Michael Clarke

Michael Clarke also spoke about the ongoing chaos surrounding the India vs Pakistan game. He said, “I will not get into the political side of things, as that’s not my domain.” “I have been away from politics since the time I stopped playing for Australia.”

He concluded, saying, “I can tell you every player dreams of playing the World Cup. It is the pinnacle of the sport, and if you are a cricketer, this is the one tournament you want to play. I feel for the players from both Bangladesh and Pakistan.”

“If you are a Pakistan player, the one match you would want to win is the game against India. If you are a Bangladesh player, you’d want to be part of the action. It is unfortunate from the standpoint of the players.”

Also Read: Nasser Hussain takes anti-India propaganda to next level; Aggressively backs Pakistan, Bangladesh