Former Team India captain Sunil Gavaskar made a bold verdict on India’s chances in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, which is scheduled to begin on February 7. The cricketer turned commentator said that only a very bad day on the field can stop the Men in Blue from lifting the trophy home.
India has dominated the ongoing home T20 series against New Zealand. They started the series with a 48-run win in Vadodara by scoring 238 runs in 20 overs. After this, the host team easily chased the target of 209 and 154 runs in the next two matches and took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the T20 series.
It will be a really bad day – Sunil Gavaskar on India’s chances in T20 World Cup 2026
Writing in his column for Sportstar, Sunil Gavaskar shared his views on India’s strength in T20 cricket. The 76-year-old said the format remains unpredictable, as even one strong over can change the course of the match, but India are playing excellent cricket at present.
Gavaskar said, “Of course, in this extremely short format of the game, one good over in any innings can turn the match, so nothing is guaranteed. But the Indian team is playing incredible cricket, and to beat them would be a very bad day at the office.”
India won its second T20 World Cup title in 2024 under the leadership of Rohit Sharma. The team is also trying to create history by becoming the first team to win the T20 World Cup while hosting the tournament. Notably, no team has won three T20 World Cup titles.
Showed why this team should be feared – Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar said a brilliant performance at the start of the match played a key role in India’s spectacular win over New Zealand in Guwahati. He highlighted Hardik Pandya’s sharp catch in the first over as the spark that lifted the team and set the mood for the contest.
Sunil Gavaskar said, “The comprehensive win in Guwahati showed why this team should be feared. It was as complete a performance as one could hope to see. The bowling was excellent and the catching superb, with former captain Hardik Pandya taking a catch that set the standard for the rest of the day.”
India is in strong form before T20 World Cup 2026
India is in strong form before the 2026 T20 World Cup. Captain Suryakumar Yadav has scored 171 runs in three innings against the Black Caps at an average of 171.00 and a strike rate of 201.17, which includes two half-centuries. He scored 82 not out in the second T20I in Raipur.
Abhishek Sharma has also played an important role with the bat. The left-handed batsman has scored 152 runs in three innings at an average of 76.00 and strike rate of 271.42. He has scored two fifties, with his highest score being 84 which came in the opening match of the series in Nagpur.
India will enter the T20 World Cup as defending champions after winning the 2024 edition under Rohit Sharma. The Suryakumar Yadav-led team is aiming to win its third title and become the first team to successfully defend the trophy.
The defending champions have been placed in Group A along with Namibia, Netherlands, Pakistan and USA. India will start its campaign against America on February 7 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
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