India are the favourites to win the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup: Sourav Ganguly

Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has heaped praise on the Indian team, led by Suryakumar Yadav, for the side’s balance across all departments of the game, adding that they are the favourites to defend the title.

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Speaking to the reporters, Ganguly also lauded the Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav, who scored an unbeaten 84-run knock against the United States of America, propelling India to a crucial win in the campaign opener.

"This is a very powerful and strong team with all the balances - bowling, batting, and fielding. As the World Cup goes, they will get better. They are the favourites to win the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup," Ganguly told reporters.

"He (Surya) came in this tournament after scoring a lot of runs. He is a champion T20 player,” he added.

Furthermore, Ganguly also shared his views on the Pakistan government’s decision to boycott the India group stage clash on Sunday, February 15. Meanwhile, Pakistan is all set to play all other games in the campaign. 

"Backing out of a World Cup for what. They are playing in Sri Lanka, in any case. I am surprised of Pakistan backing out. In a World Cup, every point is important,” he stated.

Delving into the details of the match between India and the USA, after being asked to bat first, the Indian team posted 161/9 in 20 overs at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on February 8. Captain Suryakumar was impressive with an unbeaten knock of 84 off 49 deliveries.

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For the USA, Shadley van Schalkwyk (4/29) and Harmeet Singh (2/26) were among the wicket-takers. In the chase, the USA were restricted to 132/8 as they lost the match by 29 runs. For India, Mohammed Siraj (3/29), Axar Patel (2/24), and Arshdeep Singh (2/18) were among the wickets column.

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