Visakhapatnam: India's Suryakumar Yadav gestures as he celebrates the dismissal of New Zealand's Rachin Ravindra during the fourth T20 International match between India and New Zealand at the ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday, January 28, 2026. (Photo: IANS)
New Delhi, February 4 (IANS) Former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni expressed confidence in the Indian team's prospects for the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, highlighting that they possess the right combination of experience, skill, and balance to perform well in a high-pressure tournament.
Dhoni emphasised that the team's strength depends on how well the players handle pressure situations and their clearly defined roles. He noted that players are always in match-ready mode, whether batting or bowling, giving India a crucial edge over competitors.
“It’s one of the most dangerous teams. You know, they would have already started batting or bowling. But what all is needed in a good team? Everything is there. They have the experience. Especially when it comes to this format, the experience is vast. They have played under pressure. Whoever is playing whatever roles they are playing in the team, they have been in that situation for a considerable period of time," Dhoni said at an event.
Although Dhoni remained optimistic, he highlighted dew as a factor that can undermine even the most carefully prepared plans in white-ball cricket. He said that dew can significantly affect playing conditions and make toss decisions crucial, potentially creating unfair advantages in matches.
“What worries me? Again, I hate dew. Dew changes a lot of things. So, even when I was playing, something that really scared me was dew. Where the toss becomes crucial and all of that. If we are playing 10 matches with some of the best teams, we will come out as winners more often than not. If the conditions remain neutral," Dhoni said.
The former Chennai Super Kings captain also highlighted that T20 cricket is unpredictable, where one bad game or a standout performance by the opposition can completely change the outcome.
"The problem is when some of your players have a day off and somebody from the opposition has a brilliant day. And it can happen in the T20 group. So, that’s the time. Whether it happens in the league stage, whether it happens in the knockout stage, that’s where all the praying is needed. You know, nobody should get injured. Whatever roles are given, people should accomplish their roles for the team," the former India captain said.
