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Suryakumar Yadav-led India’s national cricket team enters the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup with high confidence and Ravi Shastri believes the team can create history.
The former India head coach said the Men in Blue do have a chance to become the first team to defend the T20 World Cup title. India has been in brilliant form since winning the T20 World Cup in 2024.
Ravi Shastri backs India to create history in T20 World Cup 2026
They have not lost a series, have achieved a record of 32 wins and 5 losses, and are currently the number one T20I team in the world, which shows the current strength and strength of this team.
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Shastri believes India will emerge as clear favorites for the 2026 T20 World Cup citing the right balance, excellent current form and a dangerous top order.
Ravi Shastri was quoted as saying by the International Cricket Council: “I think the defending champions are the clear favorites from the start. One-on-one matches, current form, match fitness and the amount of cricket they have played recently all make them clear favourites. Especially when you look at their top order and the form they are in.”
Shastri praises India’s perfectly balanced squad
The former India head coach also praised the selectors for selecting young players and experienced stars for this tournament. He pointed out that many young people will be participating in the World Cup for the first time, which allows them to play freely and without pressure.
At the same time, the team still has experienced players from the 2024 championship team who know how to handle the big moments. Jasprit Bumrah continues to lead the bowling attack while Hardik Pandya is in “excellent” form and is ready to perform well with bat and ball.
The renowned broadcaster also noted that Shivam Dube has also improved a lot and has emerged as a strong middle-order option. Shastri added: “The baggage has been lifted off a lot of players. They are playing in the World Cup for the first time and it is an opportunity for them to express themselves. You get a lot of experience and talent from the team that played in the last World Cup and won it in West Indies.”
Ravi Shastri praises Tilak Varma and power of spin ahead of T20 World Cup 2026
Meanwhile, the Men in Blue await a full recovery from Tilak Varma, with Shastri believing the young left-hander to be a very important player and saying his presence in the top order “will make a difference” as he is a “brilliant player”. Tilak has given India a more balanced batting line-up.
Spin bowling is expected to play a big role in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 and the former India captain believes the defending champions have good coverage in this area. Varun Chakaravarthy, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav have plenty of spin options and plenty of variety.
Shastri noted, “I think spin will play an integral role. India has enough ammunition in terms of spin. There’s Chakravarty, there’s Axar Patel, there’s Kuldeep Yadav. When you think about variety, players in the right positions and balance, India can defend this title.”
Shastri warns even 15 minutes of poor performance will cost India
However, the former India all-rounder also warned that playing at home will bring pressure and feels that how the defending champions deal with the pressure, especially at the start of the match, will decide their fate in the upcoming matches.
Shastri concluded: “When you are defending the title, when you are playing at home, you feel the pressure and it comes from nowhere. In T20 games, you have bad 15 minutes, bad 10 minutes and it can decide the outcome of the game.”
Often, you lose those 10 or 15 minutes because of stress. So, that’s how India handles pressure and that’s how they start the game. If they start well, even if something goes wrong along the way, they have enough batting depth to get out of trouble. “
