Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav, right, celebrates his half-century with Ishan Kishan during the fifth and final T201 cricket match between India and New Zealand at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on January 31, 2026. (PTI Photo) India enter the T20 World Cup at home with a team that looks poised, dangerous and confident, building on the approach that brought them success in the Caribbean 19 months ago. The team that lifted the title in 2024 under Rohit Sharma found a clear method in the shortest format, led by an attacking intent at the top, and the current group has taken that template forward.Former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta believes the team has moved on from that triumph.“There are a few changes (in the side) but this team has gone to the next level since Rohit inspired his team to this trophy a few years ago. The way they played against New Zealand recently was something special. Unless they have one bad day, which can happen in this format, India should be able to win the trophy again,” Dasgupta said, according to news agency PTI.
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Eight players from the 2024 World Cup winning squad remain part of the Suryakumar Yadav-led squad. With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli no longer in the lineup, India have moved on quickly, with Hardik Pandya continuing to play a key role as the team’s point of balance.Since their last win over South Africa in Barbados, India have added Abhishek Sharma and Varun Chakaravarthy to the squad. Both now sit atop the ICC batting and bowling rankings. Tilak Varma has also become a regular after strong performances in the Asia Cup last year. Shivam Dube, who made his debut in 2024, has since added consistency with both bat and ball.India’s pace attack is led by Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, with Harshit Rana providing cover after recent all-round contributions. Ishan Kishan, picked as a wicket-keeper batsman, has strengthened his position after a strong series against New Zealand and is expected to start the tournament opener against the United States.The recent series win over New Zealand underlined India’s depth, even as Sanju Samson battled for a spot at the top alongside Abhishek Sharma. Since October 2023, India have posted the highest number of 200-plus totals, with 20 such scores, and also lead the strike-rate at six, with one every 10.99 balls.Much of this output has come from Abhishek Sharma, whose strike rate of 194.74 stands out. His approach reshaped Indian power batting.With the first match less than a week away, the top concern of the team management remains the batting order, especially Samson’s form. Kuldeep Yadav may also have a problem with selection if both Bumrah and Arshdeep are included.“It’s sad that Sanju is not in form. And it will also make things a bit more difficult for the Indian side. But it was good to see Tilak play that side game yesterday.”“But the other challenge is, how seriously are you looking at a left-right combination? Yeah. And if Surya is batting at four, then you are looking at top three left-handers (Abhishek, Kishan, Tilak), which I personally think is fine,” Dasgupta said, as quoted by PTI.While India enter the tournament as one of the front-runners, Dasgupta feels the conditions in the later contest could pose problems as the pitch slows down. He pointed to the absence of Kohli, who used to act as a stabilizer when batting became difficult.“Virat played a very, very important role in the last World Cup because of the pitches he played on. So if the pitch does something and you have power players like you, it’s very, very difficult for them to adjust. Because that’s the only way they play.”“But I still think you need someone who can play that holding role. Not necessarily that you have to play that role every game.”“When I look at Tilak and Surya, India have these two guys in this side who can change their game according to the conditions,” Dasgupta added.
