Although India has been regarded as the overwhelming favourites in the T20 World Cup, former West Indies player and cricker expert Ian Bishop has other thoughts.
Speaking on JioStar's 'The Experts' View', West Indies legend Ian Bishop analysed England's T20 team for the tournament, and Bishop reckons the English team is a fear factor in the tournament.
England's victory over Nepal in their opening match of the T20 World Cup 2026 was anything but comfortable. The two-time champions posted a competitive 184/7 at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, thanks to half-centuries from Jacob Bethell (55) and captain Harry Brook (53), plus a quickfire 39* from Will Jacks.
England survived a major scare, with Curran holding his nerve under pressure while the rest of
the attack leaked runs in the death overs. Nepal came within a single big hit of their greatest upset ever.
Despite the narrow escape, England remains a dangerous contender to win the tournament. Their batting depth, explosive hitters like Brook and Jacks, and match-winners like Curran and Liam Dawson give them firepower. In T20 cricket, close wins build resilience. This gritty start signals they're battle-hardened and ready to challenge for the title again.
And Bishop, in the Jiostar programme, revealed his thoughts on the England team.
"We've seen across franchise cricket that experience counts for a lot. And sometimes, we're still trying to work out whether this is an old man's game or a young man's game. England are one of the teams that scare me. I've said Australia scare me, England scare me as well, because they've got so much power," Bishop said.
"Their philosophy, starting with Harry Brook, is very similar, boundary and six-hunting quite often. Jofra Archer will bring some much-needed cutting edge to that England line-up. And the experience you talk about, for example with Adil Rashid, who is still playing very, very well. Jacob Bethell is another one who can throw his name into the mix. They are scoring, utilising areas that traditionally have not yielded runs for many teams, which is part of why they scare me," he added.
