Former South African player AB de Villiers advised Team India to work as a unit during the 2026 T20 World Cup to overcome the huge pressure of playing at home with a lot of expectations. He also cited the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their glory days under MS Dhoni
as an example as well.

However, Team India have been in great form in T20Is, winning 17 out of their last 20 outings since the start of last year as well. India is also the defending champions, having won in the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA without losing a game as well.

Talking about this, AB de Villiers said on his YouTube channel: “The key will be to stick together as a team and counter the pressure through the culture they’ve built. It’s important not to shoot off in different directions and try to win the tournament as individuals. That’s something CSK did back in the day with MS Dhoni, where they found a way to stick together, and no individual ever felt separated from the group.”

“Everything looks hunky-dory for Team India. But it doesn’t work like that in World Cups, especially when playing at home, the pressure will be extra. They are the massive favorites, but World Cups throw all kinds of surprises. They have to counter the pressure of playing at home. That is a daunting thing when you are awake at midnight, and you are playing the following day, you feel that pressure. You see it everywhere on the streets and read about it. It just never leaves your mind,” he further added.

AB de Villiers lauded Team India as an unstoppable force in T20 cricket after their stunning seven-wicket win over New Zealand in the second T20I in Raipur.

“The moral of the story once again is the fact that the depth of Indian cricket is unstoppable right now. I don’t know how teams are going to beat them. From 6/2 to hammer a streetsmart team like New Zealand in 15 overs is absolutely ridiculous,” concluded AB de Villiers.