T20 World Cup 2026: India strong and ready, opening slot remains unsettled

Battle ready – that’s how one can sum up the Indian team as they tuned up for title-defence in the T20 World Cup starting in less than two weeks’ time. The way they decimated a well-prepared opposition like the Kiwis, particularly in last two games, to take an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the series shows they are now ticking all the boxes.

Just ponder this: Surya Kumar Yadav’s men have now won nine back-to-back T20I series since the Men in Blue’s World T20 win in 2024 and it won’t be an exaggeration to say that they will be the team to beat in the upcoming showpiece. At a time when Indian cricket is going through a flux after a humiliating Test series defeat at home to the Proteas and a rare ODI reverse to Kiwis, the shortest format is emerging as a face-saver.

True, there is a big difference between a bilateral series and the high pressure environment of a going into a World Cup as hosts and title favourites. It will be unrealistic to expect that the irrepressible Abhishek Sharma will be firing every day, but the welcome augury is that the skipper – a monster in this format not so long back – is striking the ball well again while the two-year break has brought the hunger back in Ishan Kishan. The welcome addition of Rinku Singh, whose easygoing demeanour belies his cricket sense, makes them better-prepared for days when they may be in a spot of bother.

The depth of Indian talent pool in this format is so awesome when one takes into account the names who are missing out despite being blessed with supreme skillsets for T20I – Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer while Tilak Verma missed out first three games due to a medical emergency. No wonder, Kiwi TV pundit Simon Doull said after the Guwahati game: ‘’India have the bench strength to field two teams in the T20 World Cup and both can make the semi-finals.’’

The aura of invincibility around the current bunch is unmistakable. Despite New Zealand beefing up their bowling attack for the T20Is with the return of skipper Mitchell Santner, a proven hand in Indian conditions and fast bowler Matt Henry, India have looked unstoppable in chasing. In the Raipur game, the visitors must have thought they have got a par score at 209 but India raked it up in 15 overs while in Guwahati, the hosts made a mockery of a target of 155 by getting it in 10 overs.

There are still two matches to go in the series and if there is an issue which may crease the forehead of Gautam Gambhir, it could be about the opening partner of Abhishek Sharma. The attempt to pair Abhishek with his good friend Shubman Gill didn’t work and now, there seems to be a confidence crisis in the experienced Sanju Samson after failing to get starts even in a single game. It may be a worthwhile idea to try Ishan up the order as he had been a specialist opener in this format.

Coming in at number three, Ishan may have had one fifty so far – the hurricane 76 off 32 balls in the second game, but he is following the ‘brand’ of cricket which SKY boasted about in the presentation. The two sixes he clobbered in his 28, a combination of confidence and remarkable bat speed, showed here was a man in form who should be fitted into the playing XI even after Tilak comes back. The conundrum about the opening partner may occupy the media space over the next few days.  

Meanwhile, it was a pleasure to see Jasprit Bumrah - Player of the Tournament in last edition in the US and Caribbean - showing why his four-over quota can be so deadly. The delivery which held its line to get opener Tim Seifert was a beauty and not too many would dispute him being chosen the Player of the Match with his figures of 4-0-17-3. The question is whether the team management would dare to hold him back from the powerplay in a demanding stage like the World Cup.

 We will know the answer soon!