India’s Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma lift the T20 World Cup trophy. (Getty Images) They were overwhelming favorites going into the tournament – it’s been an amazing run since winning the 2024 edition, playing in familiar home conditions and with almost every player in form. However, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 did not go as expected for defending champions and co-hosts India.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!Reaching the Super Eights was never a problem as the 20-team tournament included several associated countries. But the real challenge was getting past the Super 8 and qualifying for the knockouts. And there India were tested as they were beaten by South Africa in their first Super 8 match.
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After that, it was a must-win situation for India, especially in the final Super 8 clash against West Indies. It took some great individual performances to push the team forward.
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India were not completely in control even in the semi-final against England, despite posting a record 253/7, eventually winning by just seven runs. In the end, riding on another sensational batting display in the summit clash, they defeated New Zealand by a record 96 runs to defend the title.India rewrote T20 World Cup history with the win – becoming the first team to defend the title and the first team to win it at home. They also became the first team to win the tournament three times, adding to triumphs in 2007 and 2024.Despite a not-quite-perfect campaign, the Indian players have somehow clawed their way through to win their third ICC title in a row — T20 World Cup 2024, Champions Trophy 2025 and T20 World Cup 2026. Here’s how Team India’s players fared in this month’s tournament: Suryakumar Yadav (Captain) — 6.5/10The Indian skipper started the campaign with an unbeaten 84 against the USA in the tournament opener as the team struggled at 77/6, but he did not fare well with the bat in the next eight matches, ending up a golden duck in the final.It was a tough campaign even as captain, but especially in the final he kept his wits to lead India home. However, Surya contributed consistently with the bat, finishing with 242 runs – third most in the team – at an average of 30.25 and a strike rate of 136.72.T20 World Cup 2026 Stats:
- M 9 | i 9 | R 242 | HS 84* | 30.25 | SR 136.72 | 1x50s | 10x6s
- Man of the Match – vs USA (84*)
India head coach Gautam Gambhir with captain Suryakumar Yadav. (Photo Credit: BCCI)
Abhishek Sharma (Opener) — 4/10Everything that could go wrong did go wrong for world number one T20I batsman Abhishek Sharma.He started the tournament with a hat trick of ducks. A 55 against Zimbabwe in a must-win Super 8 match gave some hope, but he struggled again against West Indies in the virtual quarter-finals and England in the semi-finals.However, Abhishek repaid his leadership by scoring a quick 52 off 21 balls against New Zealand in the final.T20 World Cup 2026 Stats:
- M 8 | i 8 | R 141 | HS 55 | Ave 17.62 | SR 158.42 | 2x50s | 8x6s
Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson (ANI Photo)
Sanju Samson (Goal Opener) — 9/10Undoubtedly one of the heroes of India’s campaign, Sanju Samson made the difference in the title defence. Samson lost his place in the starting eleven to Ishan Kishan before the tournament.He won just one match in the group stage before getting an opportunity in the Super 8s after India were beaten by South Africa.Samson then made the tournament his own with an unbeaten 97 off 50 balls in the virtual quarter-final against West Indies. This was followed by two identical scores of 89 in the semi-final and final, joining an elite group with Shahid Afridi (2009) and Virat Kohli (2014) to achieve the feat.He ended the campaign as the third-highest player with 321 runs and also hit the most sixes in the tournament — 24 — all in just five innings.T20 World Cup 2026 Stats:
- M 5 | i 5 | R 321 | HS 97* | Average 80.25 | SR 199.37 | 3x50s | 24x6s
- Man of the Match – Vs. West Indies (97*); v England (89)
Ishan Kishan (AP Photo)
Ishan Kishan (wicket opener) — 8/10It was one of the best comeback stories as Ishan Kishan pushed Sanju Samson from the opening slot alongside Abhishek Sharma before the tournament.As Abhishek struggled for runs, it was Ishan who was at the cutting edge, scoring 61 against Namibia and 77 against Pakistan in the group stage.He later lost the opening slot after Samson was promoted to open with India needing to win their last four matches. But he was undeterred as he continued to contribute at No.3, including 39 off 18 against England in the semi-final and 54 off 25 in the final against New Zealand.Ishan finished as India’s second highest run-scorer and fourth overall with 317 runs.T20 World Cup 2026 statistics:
- M 9 | i 9 | R 317 | HS 77 | 35.22 | SR 193.29 | 3x50s | 18x6s
- Man of the Match – vs Pakistan (77)
Hardik Pandya (Getty Images)
Hardik Pandya (Pace all-rounder) — 7/10India’s evergreen X-factor Hardik Pandya had another successful campaign, scoring at a rapid pace, providing crucial breakthroughs and being a live wire in the field.Ranked No. 5 or lower, Hardik scored two fifties and played his part in giving India a good finish. He finished with 217 runs.He secured early breakthroughs with the ball and finished with nine wickets. His all-round performance against Namibia – 52 off 28 balls and 2 for 21 – earned him the Man of the Match award.T20 World Cup 2026 Stats:
- M 9 | i 9 | R 217 | HS 52 | Ave 27.12 | SR 160.74 | 2x50s | 15x6s
- M 9 | i 9 | W 9 | Best 2/16 | Average 31.66 | Econ. 8.90
- Man of the Match – vs Namibia (52 and 2/21); vs. Zimbabwe (50* and 0/21)
Tilak Varma (Dough) — 6/10India’s No.3 batsman Tilak Varma had a below par performance early on and often struggled to get going. The disappointing opening stands before Samson’s promotion didn’t help either.Apart from a 16-ball 25 against the US, his strike rate remained an issue. In the next four innings at No. 3, his strike rate remained below 120, putting pressure on the middle order.However, once Samson moved to the top and Ishan batted at No. 3, Tilak was pushed down the order and found his rhythm. His unbeaten 44 off 16 against Zimbabwe, 27 off 15 against West Indies and 21 off 7 against England in the semi-final helped India reach the final.T20 World Cup 2026 Stats:
- M 9 | i 9 | R 207 | HS 44* | 29.57 | SR 154.47 | 0x50s | 11x6s
Shivam Dube, left, and Tilak Varma (AP Photo)
Shivam Dube (Pace all-rounder) — 7/10Shivam Dube played the role of middle enforcer effectively. He scored consistently with quick runs to give India a strong finish.His 66 off 31 balls against the Netherlands along with figures of 2/35 helped India remain unbeaten in the group stage. Dube was run out three times when attempting quick runs, reflecting his aggressive intent.Although he picked up five wickets with his medium pace, it was his batting that stood out. His unbeaten 26 off just eight balls was instrumental in taking India’s total to 255/5 in the final, well beyond New Zealand’s reach.T20 World Cup 2026 Stats:
- M 9 | i 8 | R 227 | HS 66 | Average 37.83 | SR 166.91 | 1x50s | 17x6s
- M 9 | i 5 | W 5 | Best 2/35 | 29.20 | Econ. 14.12
- Man of the Match – Vs. Netherlands (66 and 2/35)
Axar Patel (Spin all-rounder) — 6.5/10Vice-captain Axar Patel was a live wire in the field, proving the phrase ‘catches win matches’ – especially in the semi-final against England where his fielding efforts broke crucial partnerships.He also picked up important wickets, including three in the final, and finished with 11 wickets in seven games.T20 World Cup 2026 Stats:
- M 7 | i 7 | W 11 | Best 3/27 | Ave 18.63 | Econ. 8.20
Jasprit Bumrah (AP Photo)
jasprit bumrah (Pacer) — 9/10India’s pacer Jasprit Bumrah once again proved why he is head and shoulders above the rest.He picked wickets in almost every match and produced an excellent spell of 3/15 against South Africa as well despite India’s heavy defeat. But his decisive performance came in the final against New Zealand.Defending the massive target, Bumrah produced a sensational spell of 4 for 15 – the best figures by a pacer in a T20 World Cup final.He finished as the tournament’s joint-highest wicket-taker with 14 wickets, alongside Varun Chakaravarthy, while maintaining a superb economy of 6.21.T20 World Cup 2026 Stats:
- M 8 | i 8 | W 14 | Best 4/15 | Ave 12.42 | Econ. 6.21
- Man of the Match – vs New Zealand (4/15)
Varun Chakaravarthy (Mystery spinner) — 5/10The world number one T20I bowler started the tournament strongly, taking nine wickets in the group stage, including 2/17 against Pakistan.However, his form dipped at the Super 8 stage. South Africa bowled him out for 47 runs and struggled to regain control.His toughest match came in the semi-final against England where he conceded a record 64 runs in four overs.After the group stage, he returned figures of five wickets for 225 runs in five games — a stark contrast to his group stage performance of 9 wickets for 62 runs. Still, his early exploits ensured he finished joint-highest with Bumrah with 14 wickets.T20 World Cup 2026 Stats:
- M 9 | i 9 | W 14 | Best 3/7 | 20.50 | Econ. 9.25
Varun Chakravarthy, left, and Captain Suryakumar Yadav (AP Photo)
Arshdeep Singh (Paceer) — 6/10Arshdeep Singh was not at his best. The leading wicket-taker in T20Is for India returned nine wickets from eight innings and finished wicketless in the final.His best figures were 3 for 24 against Zimbabwe, while his most expensive match came against England in a high-scoring semi-final.Overall, it was a decent campaign, albeit overshadowed by Bumrah’s brilliance.T20 World Cup 2026 Stats:
- M 8 | i 8 | W 9 | Best 3/24 | Ave 28.22 | Econ. 8.46
Rinku Singh (Middle Order Batter) – 2/10Indian finisher Rinku Singh had a disappointing campaign and eventually lost his place when Sanju Samson was drafted first.His last appearance was a two-ball duck against South Africa in the first Super 8 match.Rinku finished with just 24 runs from five innings at a strike rate of 82.75 – far less than expected for the finisher’s role.T20 World Cup 2026 Stats:
- M 5 | i 5 | R 24 | HS 11* | Avenue 8:00 | SR 82.75 | 2x6s
Rinku Singh (PTI Photo)
Washington Sundar (Spin all-rounder) — 3/10Washington Sundar played just two matches and remained wicketless in both – 0/36 in four overs against Netherlands and 0/17 in two overs against South Africa.He lost his place after Axar Patel returned to the playing XI.T20 World Cup 2026 Stats:
- M 2 | i 2 | W 0 | Best 0/17 | Econ. 8.83
Kuldeep Yadav (Spinner) — 7/10With Varun Chakaravarthy in charge of the team, Kuldeep Yadav featured in only one match — against Pakistan.He returned figures of 1 for 14 in three overs. Hard to judge his performance from just one outing in a long tournament and it was unfortunate that he didn’t get more opportunities.World T20 2026 Cup Statistics:
- M 1 | i 1 | W 1 | Best 1/14 | Ave 14:00 | Econ. 4.66
Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj (PTI Photo)
Mohammed Siraj (Pacer) — 7/10Mohammed Siraj also played just one match — India’s tournament opener against the USA.He made an immediate impact, returning figures of 3 for 29 in four overs and finishing as the highest wicket-taker in the match.However, Jasprit Bumrah’s return in the next game meant that Siraj had to sit out due to a team combination.T20 World Cup 2026 Stats:
- M 1 | i 1 | W 3 | Best 3/29 | Average 9.67 | Econ. 7.20
