"Great opportunity for India": Anil Kumble on Men in Blue's chance of defending T20 World Cup

New Delhi [India], January 27 (ANI): Legendary cricketer and former Indian captain Anil Kumble said that the Suryakumar Yadav-led side has a great chance to defend their title at home during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, starting February 7.
Speaking on JioHotstar's 'Team India's Blueprint for ICC Men's T20 World Cup India & Sri Lanka 2026', JioStar expert Kumble believe that India will definitely qualify for the semi-finals and the Men in Blue have a great chance to defend their title and create history.
"I think when it comes to World Cups, winning back-to-back titles is not easy, especially in the T20 format. No team has been able to defend its title, which presents a great opportunity for India to do so. I certainly believe that the kind of form the team is in and the strength of the playing squad mean India is well-equipped to face any situation. India should certainly qualify for the semi-finals, and from there on, it's anybody's game. On that particular day, how the team performs will eventually matter. But I genuinely believe India has a great chance to win the World Cup and make it a truly special one by winning back-to-back titles."
The defending champions, Team India, are slotted in Group A alongside Namibia, the Netherlands, the USA, and arch-rivals Pakistan. The Men in Blue will play their opening fixture against the USA on February 7, followed by their match against February 12.
India will face arch-rivals Pakistan on February 15, followed by their final group stage fixture against the Netherlands.
Ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, India took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the ongoing five-match T20I series with a rampant win in Guwahati that saw Abhishek Sharma record the second-fastest fifty by an Indian in T20I history.
The Suryakumar Yadav-led side hasn't lost a T20I series since winning the 2024 T20 World Cup and would go into the 2026 edition in fine form.
Team India squad for ICC T20 World Cup 2026:
Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh. (ANI)