NEW DELHI (AP) — India aims for its third T20 World Cup title as the 2026 tournament, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, kicks off on Saturday.
The defending champions will play their opening match against the U.S. team in Mumbai. Sri Lanka will begin its campaign against Ireland in Colombo on Sunday.
The tournament includes 20 teams split into four groups of five. The group stage will conclude by February 20. The playoffs will start with the Super Eights from February 21 to March 1, followed by the semifinals on March 4 and 5, and the final on March 8.
No host nation has ever won the men’s T20 World Cup, nor has any team won the title three times (with West Indies and England both being two-time champions). India looks to change this history.
India’s Title Defense
India won the first T20 World Cup in 2007 in South Africa and waited 17 years to win again. The team’s comeback happened in 2024 when Rohit Sharma led them to victory over South Africa in the final in Barbados.
Following that win, key players Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja retired from T20 internationals. Now under Suryakumar Yadav, India is striving for another title on home ground.
In the last two years, India has won every T20 series it competed in, including wins against South Africa and Australia overseas and the Asia Cup last year in the UAE.
India is in Group A alongside the United States, Namibia, the Netherlands, and Pakistan. There are uncertainties surrounding the key India-Pakistan match scheduled for February 15 in Colombo, as the Pakistan government has denied permission for the team to play against India following issues over venue changes for Bangladesh.
If Pakistan does not play, India could advance to the playoffs without significant challenges.
Sri Lanka’s Home Advantage
Since the last T20 World Cup in 2024, Sri Lanka has played 32 T20 matches and won about half. At home, its record includes victories over the West Indies but losses to England leading up to this tournament.
However, Sri Lanka has a history of success in major limited-overs tournaments, benefitting from familiar conditions in Colombo and Pallekele.
The 2014 champions are in Group B along with Ireland, Oman, Zimbabwe, and the 2021 champions, Australia. Getting past the group stage is the initial goal, but the real challenge lies ahead in the next round, where they may face Pakistan, New Zealand, and England, against whom they have a poor record since 2024.
Sri Lanka will rely on its spinners, Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana, alongside pace bowler Matheesha Pathirana. Batters Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis will carry much of the batting responsibility.
Between 2009 and 2014, Sri Lanka reached three T20 World Cup finals, winning the last one against India in Dhaka. This victory marked the end of an era for stars like Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena, and Sri Lanka has yet to replicate such success.
The Favorites
Ranked No. 1 in the ICC T20 rankings, India is the clear favorite for the title.
Coach Gautam Gambhir may not have excelled in Tests or One Day Internationals recently, but his strategies in T20 have been largely effective.
In the absence of Sharma and Kohli, Abhishek Sharma has emerged as a crowd favorite with impressive performances. As the No. 1-ranked T20 batter, he is crucial to India’s title hopes.
Analyst and former Australian captain Ricky Ponting noted, “He’s a star who could be a leading run-scorer and player of the tournament.”
Skipper Yadav has also regained form against New Zealand, while Ishan Kishan has added depth to the batting. In bowling, Harshit Rana is expected to shine with his all-round abilities, and mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, also the No. 1 T20 bowler, could pose significant challenges on home turf.
Veterans Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya played key roles in India’s 2024 final victory and will be essential again. This might be Bumrah’s last T20 World Cup.
