The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Men’s T20 World Cup is set to begin in India and Sri Lanka on Saturday, Feb. 7.
With 20 nations from around the world set to participate across 54 total matches, the best the sport has to offer will be showcased. India ― one of the two hosts ― enters as the favorite after winning the 2024 T20 World Cup, which was hosted by West Indies, with games played in New York and Dallas.
The United States had a strong showing in the 2024 World Cup, pulling off an impressive defeat and upset of cricket power Pakistan in Dallas, and reaching the Super 8s stage.
Team USA will be in Group A this go around, with India and Pakistan, with a chance to make history. Here’s a look at 15 international cricket players to keep an eye on during the 2026 T20 World Cup:
Sharma will make his T20 World Cup debut as the No. 1-ranked player in T20 Cricket in 2026. The 25-year-old is the youngest Indian to achieve the feat. He serves as one of India’s opening batsmen, often setting the tone for how innings could go.
In 2025, Sharma hit his high score as a batter with 135 runs from 54 balls against England. He hit 13 sixes and 7 fours in that performance.
Azam is often regarded as one of the most successful batters in T20 cricket. The usual No. 3 batter for Pakistan has scored 4,429 runs in his T20 career with an average of 39.54 runs in 136 matches.
With a strike rate of 128.45, Azam is a threat to put runs on the board in a hurry with fours or sixes when he catches fire.
Ranked as the No. 2 player in the T20 cricket format, Salt is also the wicket keeper for the England side. The right-handed batsman scored his highest run total of 141 on Dec. 9, 2025 vs. South Africa, showing his form ahead of the World Cup.
With 1,587 runs in his T20 career, Salt has shown quick-strike ability with a strike rate of 166.53 and an average of 37.79 runs per match. Salt was on the England team that won the 2022 T20 World Cup.
De Kock returned from retirement in 2025 and remains in stellar form ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup. In 100 T20 matches, he has scored 2,771 runs, with a strike rate of 140.02.
Further working in his advantage is his familiarity with Indian cricket pitches. In T20 matches against India, the southpaw batsman has scored 614 runs in 16 matches, averaging 47.23.
The opening batsman for the hosts will have the advantage of familiarity for the tournament, playing in friendly confines. In 81 T20 matches, he has scored 2,357 runs, with an impressive strike rate of 126.96.
The 27-year-old became the third fastest Sri Lankan to reach 2,000 T20I runs when he scored 50 runs off 34 balls against Bangladesh in the 2025 Asia Cup on Sept. 13, 2025.
Just like batsmen, bowlers who are in the best form heading into the tournament could be the most dangerous. While Pakistan is known for its fast ballers, leg-spinner Ahmed is that for Pakistan.
He is just two matches removed from a six-wicket performance against Australia on Jan. 31. In his career, the 27-year-old has taken 46 career wickets and is the No. 2-ranked bowler, according to the ICC.
Khan is likely to be regarded as the most successful bowler in T20 with 187 total wickets and a bowling average of just 13.60. The leg-spinner brings different variations to batsmen that make him tough to play on any surface.
On March 3, 2017, Khan delivered the best performance of his career with five wickets taken and just three runs allowed against Ireland.
Another leg spinner, Rashid, has taken 145 career T20 wickets and owns a sparkling 23.93 bowling average. With his ability to read batsmen well, England has trusted him a lot in the middle overs.
On Oct. 23, 2021, Rashid delivered a phenomenal performance by taking four wickets and allowing only two runs against South Africa.
The first fast-bowler on this list, Bumrah’s deadly yorkers make him a tough bowler to face in the crease, as he can bring speed and variation in his bowling. The yorkers become even harder in the final overs when chasing runs.
His career-best performance was a three-wicket, seven-run outing against Afghanistan on June 20, 2020.
Afridi is a player who often comes up big for Pakistan in power play overs or early in the match. He has taken 126 wickets in his career in the T20 format, though he can struggle with consistency. When he is on, he is one of the toughest fast bowlers to face.
His career-best performance was a four-wicket, 22-run performance against Bangladesh on Nov. 6, 2022.
Ayub enters the 2026 T20 World Cup ranked as a top T20 all-rounder, leading with a 290 rating as of early 2026, according to the ICC. He provides the Pakistani side with an explosive opening batsman and a crucial bowler.
The 23-year-old scored 40, 23 and 56, while recording three wickets in a white-wash of Australia for Pakistan cricket in warmup matches ahead of the World Cup.
Pandya delivered a spectacular performance in the 2016 T20 World Cup. With Bangladesh needing two runs off three balls, he successfully defended the total to help India earn the win, when all hope seemed to be gone.
In his T20 career, Pandya has scored 2,029 runs and taken 105 wickets in 128 matches. He can be a dominant force on either side.
Raza, 39, currently sits second behind Ayub as the top T20 all-rounder. Raza provides his side with power in the middle of the batting order, while spinning the ball effectively as a bowler.
The right-handed batsman and spin bowler was born in Pakistan, but his family emigrated to Zimbabwe in 2002. He made his international debut for Zimbabwe in May 2013 and has been a key part of the team since.
Curran was named Player of the Match in the 2022 T20 World Cup final against Pakistan after he took three wickets and allowed 12 runs in his four overs. With Pakistan scoring 137 runs, England was able to chase them down in 19 overs with five wickets in hand.
In his 64 T20 career matches, Curran has scored 450 runs and taken 57 wickets.
The fast bowler can claim wickets, but also light up the scoreboard for West Indies in a hurry. Holder was a key figure of the West Indies squad that won the 2016 T20 World Cup.
Holder has scored 747 runs and taken 97 wickets in 87 career T20 matches, proving he is a force wherever West Indies uses him.