West Indies star left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein has admitted that the Indian national cricket team has been dangerous over the years, but he has made it clear that his team is not afraid of them ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 clash in Kolkata on March 1.
Since his debut, Hosein has already played in the 2021 T20 World Cup, 2022 T20 World Cup, and 2024 T20 World Cup. He has 20 wickets in his name in T20 World Cup history.
Akeal Hosein warns India before Super 8 match at Eden Gardens
Akeal Hosein said the current Indian team may not have too many big superstar names compared to the past, but he feels the hunger within the team is very strong. The star spinner feels that the Super 8 encounter will be a complete entertainment package for the fans at Eden Gardens.
Akeal Hosein said on Star Sports ahead of the IND vs WI Super 8 clash: “I think when you look at all the Indian teams, they are dangerous to take on. There are less big names in this team, I would say, but the hunger is probably the same, or it could be even more.”
Hunger is making India dangerous in T20 World Cup 2026: Hossein
He believes that the desire to perform at the World Cup makes every team more dangerous and players want to showcase their talents to the world, making the competition even tougher.
“Guys are trying to stamp their name on international cricket and go out there and show what they can do on the world stage, and there’s no bigger stage than the World Cup. So, I think the hunger is definitely going to be higher, I would say,” Hosein said.
Also read: India in a state of panic? Piyush Chawla made the batsmen tremble before the match against West Indies
To win the World Cup you have to beat everyone – Akeal Hossein
Also, Hosein said that West Indies have a simple mentality, and that is that they must be ready to defeat every opponent to win the World Cup trophy.
Hossein concluded, “But yes, as the coach says, if you have to win the World Cup, you have to beat everybody. So, it’s about getting past the names, getting past what people have done in the past and just looking ahead and dealing with the present and understanding that if you have to win this World Cup, no matter who you are up against, to get that trophy, you have to be victorious.”
faced with #TeamIndia A big challenge, but Akil Hossein is ready to face them!
Who will win this decisive match and make it to the semi-finals?
icc men #T20WorldCup super 8 #INDvWI | Sun, March 1, 6pm pic.twitter.com/9TNAuvcUA7
– Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) 28 February 2026
Akeal Hosein’s T20 World Cup performance
Meanwhile, Akeal Hosein has been one of the key players for the West Indies cricket team in the 2026 T20 World Cup. The left-arm spinner has played a key role in helping the two-time champions reach the Super 8 stage of the tournament.
Hosein has taken 6 wickets in 5 matches so far in the tournament. His best performance came during the Super 8 match against Zimbabwe when he took 3 wickets for just 28 runs in 4 overs. Despite this, he was dropped from the crucial Super 8 clash against South Africa and West Indies lost the game.
Now they will have to defeat India to secure a place in the semi-finals. Many have called for Hosein to be included in the West Indies XI for the match against India, as their team has many left-handers and the spinner’s accuracy and ability to hit the new ball will be crucial for the team.
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