India enter the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 as one of the firm favourites, aiming to defend the title they won in 2024 after defeating South Africa in a thrilling final. With the tournament set to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka and featuring 20 teams, expectations around the Men in Blue are understandably high.
Individually, India appear well settled in most departments. In batting, Abhishek Sharma has emerged as a destructive opener, captain Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma continue to be the backbone of the middle order, while Hardik Pandya and Rinku Singh add firepower in the finishing phase. The bowling unit also looks formidable, with Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh leading a strong pace attack, supported by spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy.
In the all-rounders department, Hardik, Axar Patel, and Shivam Dube are all in decent form, providing balance to the side. Several players have also recently recovered from injuries and will be keen to remain fit throughout the tournament. However, despite all these positives, one major concern continues to surround the Indian setup, the opening combination.
