West Indies legend Viv Richards believes India have taken their cricket to another level in the white-ball formats. Richards hailed the dominance of the Indian team following its recent success in global tournaments, notably the triumph in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
India beat New Zealand by 96 runs in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium to lift the trophy. Led by Suryakumar Yadav, India became the first team to defend the T20 World Cup title and also the first host nation to win the tournament. Speaking to PTI, Richards said India’s rise in limited-overs cricket reminded him of West Indies’ dominance.
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“India have taken the game to a different level in my opinion, more so in the limited overs – ODIs, T20s,” Richards said.
“It’s a great gift for the fans because of the love and passion they have for the game itself. I just think the result would be the right result because of that love and passion and the country it’s played in,” he added.
Richards also compared India’s dominance to the success his own West Indies team enjoyed in the early years of limited-overs cricket.
“We won the very first World Cup in 1975 and another in 1979. So cricket has played a huge role in where we are as West Indians. What’s more, people who have been fans of West Indian teams in the past will certainly remember some of the great times we had.”
INDIAN WHITE BALL DOMINANCE
India’s success in the T20 World Cup followed another major global triumph. The team had earlier lifted the ICC Champions Trophy by defeating New Zealand in Dubai.
Their T20 World Cup campaign began with convincing wins in the group stage against the Netherlands National Cricket Team and Namibia National Cricket Team.
India’s momentum was briefly halted at the Super Eight stage when they suffered a heavy 76-run defeat against South Africa’s national cricket team. However, the team rebounded strongly.
The pivotal moment came when Sanju Samson scored an unbeaten 97 against the West Indies cricket team at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata to keep India’s campaign alive.
India then outclassed the England national cricket team in a thrilling semi-final after posting 253 for seven, with Samson’s 89 anchoring the innings.
In the final, India produced one of their most dominant performances of the tournament, amassing 255 for five before beating New Zealand by a wide margin.
With the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup to be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, India now has a chance to achieve another historic milestone by holding all three ICC limited-overs trophies at the same time.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
March 12, 2026 11:06 AM IST
