England opener Philip Salt has openly acknowledged the scale of the challenge India pose heading into the T20 World Cup 2026, admitting that even the best sides will need a slice of luck to overcome the defending champions on home soil. India has been nothing short of dominant in the shortest format since August 2023, going on an extraordinary unbeaten run across bilateral series and multi-nation tournaments.
During this period, India has established itself as the benchmark in T20 cricket, winning 49 of their 63 matches and suffering just three defeats. With momentum firmly on their side, the Men in Blue enter the upcoming World Cup as clear favourites, a reality that hasn’t gone unnoticed by opposition players. Speaking ahead of the tournament, Salt described India as the team to beat and expressed genuine excitement about the prospect of facing them in front of their home crowd.
“I think everyone’s going to need a bit of luck to beat them. They are by far and away the strongest team in the World Cup. I’m really excited by the idea that we get to come up against them in a World Cup in their backyard,” Phil Salt was quoted as saying.
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The England batter also reserved special praise for India’s explosive opener Abhishek Sharma, who has taken T20 cricket by storm since his debut in July 2024. Salt addressed comparisons between the two aggressive batters, highlighting Sharma’s unique approach and fearless shot-making.
“The way he can hit the first ball for six, charge down the wicket, and manipulate both sides of the field is impressive. We’re completely different players. I’ll never be him and he’ll never be me, but I genuinely enjoy watching him bat,” Phil Salt added.
Abhishek Sharma’s numbers underline his impact. He has scored 1,267 runs from 36 T20I innings at an average of 37.26 and a staggering strike rate of 194.92, including two centuries and eight half-centuries. Currently ranked the world’s No.1 T20I batter, Sharma is expected to be central to India’s title defence.
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India will kick off their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign against the USA on February 7. They are placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, Namibia, the Netherlands, and the USA, with expectations sky-high as they chase back-to-back World Cup glory at home.
