T20 World Cup 2026: Can India defend their crown?

India are preparing to defend their T20 World Cup title for the second time. The Men in Blue lifted the silverware in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2007, defeating arch-rivals Pakistan in the final. After a painful 17-year wait, they were crowned the champions again at the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA, overcoming South Africa in a nerve-jangling contest. 

The 2026 T20 World Cup is set to commence on February 7 and will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. While the tournament being played in the familiar climes of the sub-continent will grant India the proverbial home advantage, the hosts will also have to face the added burden of defending their crown in front of their supporters. They will kickstart their campaign against the USA at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on February 7.

India have been one of the more successful teams in the T20 World Cup history, having reached the final thrice and clinched the title twice. Ahead of the upcoming edition, India have enjoyed a sensational run of form in the shortest format from December 2023 to December 2025, having not lost a single bilateral series or multi-nation tournament in the span. 

Rohit Sharma hung up his boots following India’s titular triumph in 2024, with Suryakumar Yadav taking over the mantle of captaincy. Even though Suryakumar’s bat has flattered to deceive over the last 12 months, his leadership and tactical acumen have made India a formidable short-format force.

India have played 51 T20I matches between 2023 and 2025 and won 40 of those, establishing unambiguous dominance in the shortest format, with top-ranked teams such as Australia, South Africa, and England struggling to match India’s might and consistency.

They defeated South Africa 3-1 at home in their most recent T20I assignment and have five more games against New Zealand in the lead-up to the 20-team event.

Indian team record in T20I (2023-25)

India have not lost a single series during the period against any opposition. Between 2023 and 2025, they featured in two multi-nation tournaments – the T20 World Cup 2024 and the Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 – while the remainder were bilateral assignments. 

At the 2024 T20 World Cup, India had an unbeaten run until the final, winning all eight matches. Later, in the Asia Cup, they claimed victory in six of the seven games. In bilateral cricket, India clinched nine of the 10 series they played, with one ending in a draw.

India’s dominance did not have any geographical confines, as they recorded series victories in challenging overseas conditions, including Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Australia, while the remaining were won on home soil. South Africa emerged as India’s most frequent opponent in this phase, with the two teams playing 10 matches, with India winning seven.

With India’s squad largely wearing a similar look as the batch of 2024, they are certainly the prime title contenders come the 2026 iteration. If the team could even mildly replicate the current form and consistency, the other participants would have a tough time stopping them from defending their title.

India’s series record in T20Is (2023-25)