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this 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup About to explode India and Sri Lanka From February 7th to March 8th, a total of 20 teams participated in 55 fierce matches. The tournament spans eight iconic venues including Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi and Chennai Indiatogether with Colombo and Kandy Sri Lanka. Defending champions India will take on the United States at the Wankhede Stadium on February 7, while the final will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
T20 World Cup 2026: Ricky Ponting’s final predictions for run-scorer and player of the tournament
Australia’s legendary captain gives huge support ahead of game Ricky Ponting Named opening line Abhishek Sharma He was voted the run scorer and player of the tournament. Ponting, Abhishek’s first IPL coach at Delhi, revealed that he “begged” the team not to trade the youngster a few years ago as he recognized his superstar potential from his first ball. ICC Hall of Fame member thinks Abhishek “Lack of experience” A secret weapon in major ICC events that allows him to play without mental baggage or fear.
“He’s a star. To be honest, I think (the lack of experience) is a real positive. He can be the leading run-scorer and potentially the player of the tournament. That’s how good I think he is. If he does that, it will make India harder to beat. If he doesn’t, then they are as vulnerable as anyone else. So that’s how important I think he is for India in this (T20) World Cup.” Ponting was quoted as saying by the ICC.
With a staggering average of 45.50 and a strike rate of 249.31 in the series against New Zealand, Abhishek was regarded as the “X-factor” by Ponting and if he finds his rhythm in the early stages of the group stage, India will be almost impossible to beat.
“I was his first IPL coach. I think he made his debut in Delhi as a 17-year-old and made an immediate impact. I think he hit his first ball on the bowler’s head with a classic straight bat, four-six overs in a row and kept the stance. And then you can see, as a 17-year-old “The kid, there’s something special. We ended up trading him away from Delhi, but I begged, begged, begged and said, please don’t do it, we’re developing an absolute superstar here, and it turned out that I had high hopes for him.” Ponting concluded.
Suryakumar Kumar leads India to defend T20 World Cup title
under leadership Suryakumar Yadavthe Men in Blue enter the 2026 edition as the defending champions and the world’s number one T20I team. India is in Group A along with arch-rivals Pakistan, Namibia, Netherlands and the United States, and its first match is scheduled to be against the United States at the Wankhede Stadium on February 7.
This team has incredible depth, including seasoned veterans such as Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya Join the explosive ‘next generation’ stars who have dominated the home series leading up to the Cup. With the tournament being co-hosted in India and Sri Lanka, home advantage and familiarity with the subcontinent’s circuits allowed India to become the first team to win back-to-back Men’s T20 World Cup titles.
