Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting believes the Indian Premier League has played a major role in building India’s remarkable T20 powerhouse. The Punjab Kings head coach said that the intensity and pressure of IPL matches prepare Indian players for international cricket.
India recently reinforced their dominance in the format after defeating New Zealand by 96 runs in the final of the T20 World Cup 2026 in Ahmedabad to become the first team in history to successfully defend the title. Ponting said in an interview with The ICC Review India’s success with the white ball over the last few years highlights the strength of the current team.
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“It’s really hard to argue against that. When you look at not just the T20I team, but their white-ball ICC record over the last five or six years, it’s quite remarkable,” Ponting said.
“This is a very, very strong Indian white-ball team, not just a T20 team. Concurrent World Cups, hats off to them,” he added.
Ponting also pointed out that Indian players gain valuable experience through regular high-pressure games in the IPL. The Punjab Kings head coach explained how the scale and competitiveness of the IPL is closely related to international cricket.
“One thing that’s probably overlooked in this current squad is the amount of experience and the amount of cricket that a lot of these guys have played, whether it’s international cricket or even just the IPL,” he said.
“Anyway, IPL games are as big as international games, so this Indian team came well prepared with a lot of balance and a great squad,” he added.
INDIAN CRICKET DOMINANCE
India’s success in white-ball cricket over the past few years has been remarkable.
The men’s team ended a long ICC trophy drought by winning the 2024 T20 World Cup before continuing their strong run by lifting the Champions Trophy in 2025.
India then created history in 2026 by defending the T20 World Cup, becoming the first team ever to defend the title. The triumph was all the more special when it came in front of the home fans in Ahmedabad.
The country’s dominance was not limited to the senior team.
The Indian women’s team lifted the ODI World Cup and secured their first ICC title, while both the men’s and women’s Under-19 teams have also won the World Cup in recent years.
India’s senior men could now reach an even bigger milestone. If they win the 2027 ODI World Cupwould the team complete a historic white ball treble after already winning the Champions Trophy and the T20 World Cup.
Such a feat would be unprecedented in world cricket and further cement India’s reputation as the most dominant white-ball side of the modern era.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
17 March 2026 10:08 IST
