The countdown to the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 has begun. Team India will begin their title defence under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav in fifty days, against the USA in Mumbai. Former captain Rohit Sharma, though he is not a part of the squad, will travel across the country as the tournament ambassador. He was the one who led the men in blue to glory last year in the Caribbean and would like to see his successor scripting history by defending the cup, a feat that no country has ever achieved.
In a video released by the International Cricket Council (ICC), Rohit said if there is anything he needs to tell Suryakumar, he will do it on the ground.
“Since I am the ICC ambassador, I will be travelling around (for the games). If there is anything
that I need to tell him, I will probably have a word with him on the ground,” Rohit told ICC.
The World Cup-winning Indian captain underlined the most important factor going into the tournament. Rohit said, India need to focus on having a balanced side, which would look settled on the field.
“He [Surya] has looked after the game quite well in the last one and a half years since he has taken over. He looks quite settled. That is the only thing the team India needs to focus on, how can they have a settled team,” the former captain added.
The Ajit Agarkar-led Indian selection committee will meet at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai on Saturday to pick the squads for next year’s New Zealand T20I series and the subsequent T20 World Cup 2026. Both squads are expected to be identical, with no major inclusions or omissions expected. The meeting will also be attended by India captain Suryakumar Yadav.
Rohit asserted that the team selection is going to be crucial, as he himself attended the meeting ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024.
“The selection is going to be a key part. The 15 guys. I don’t know how they are going to select those 15 guys. It’s going to be so tough for them. Because I remember going into that selection meeting for the [2024 T20] World Cup. It’s pretty tough, there’s a lot of deserving guys who are going to miss out,” Rohit concluded.
