Not Babar Azam or Shaheen Afridi! R Ashwin picks Pakistan’s trump card for T20 WC

Ravichandran Ashwin and Pakistan team [Source: @Rajiv1841/x, AFP]The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a strong Pakistan squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka next month. Senior pros like Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi are making their respective returns to the national squad following their BBL 2025-26 stints in Australia. Haris Rauf became a surprise omission from the line-up, mere days after the speedster was also excluded for the three-match T20I series against Australia at home. Nonetheless, in a potent team featuring the likes of Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan, Naseem Shah and charismatic captain Salman Agha among others; former Indian all-rounder Ravindran Ashwin has named a surprise pick from the Pakistan team to watch out for at the showpiece event. R Ashwin names Khawaja Nafay as a player to watch out for On Sunday, January 25; the PCB named a 15-player Pakistan squad for the upcoming 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Former Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin took note of the squad and named his pick as Pakistan’s potential trump card for the tournament. In a surprising move, the legendary Indian cricketer took to X and named rising star Khawaja Nafay as one of the Pakistani players to watch out for at the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka next month. He wrote, “This KM Nafay is a player to keep an eye on this World Cup.”Ashwin 🇮🇳 @ashwinravi99 This KM Nafay is a player to keep an eye on this World Cup. #T20WorldCup2026 Compatible to Ravichandran Ashwin’s claims, Khawaja Nafay is highly regarded as one for the future among Pakistan’s young cricketing circle.Aged 24, the right-handed batter has aggregated 714 runs in 33 innings at a staggering strike rate of nearly 135. He also bludgeoned an electrifying 26-ball 51 for the Quetta Gladiators franchise back during PSL 2025 last year against Multan Sultans. Overall, Khawaja Nafay has tallied 234 runs in 12 PSL games at an average of 23.40 and a strike rate of 130. Earlier this month, the youngster received his maiden international cap for the Pakistan team, doing so for a match against Sri Lanka in Dambulla. Batting at number six, the cricketer struck 26 off just 15 balls in the game with a boundary and a six. Pakistan squad for T20 World Cup 2026 The Pakistan team for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 is glittered with several all-rounders in the form of Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf and captain Salman Agha himself. Moreover, even Khawaja Nafay tends to lend his arm on occasions to bowl some off-breaks. The likes of Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Abrar Ahmed and blistering top-order batter Fakhar Zaman continue to remain some of the star attractions of the Pakistan team. Here is a look at the entire Pakistan squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk) and Usman Tariq Mohsin Naqvi throws tantrumsThe Pakistan team is placed in Group A of the T20 World Cup 2026 alongside Netherlands, USA, Namibia and arch-rivals India. Their first match will be played against Netherlands on February 7 in Colombo.Recently, PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi threatened ICC of a boycott call in favor of Bangladesh. Ever since Bangladesh have been removed from the T20 World Cup, Pakistan has been taking a moral ground in support of the Asian tigers. It will be interesting to see if these threats materialise.