NEW DELHI: As the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup starts on Saturday, with defending champions India, 2009 winner Pakistan and 2012 and 2016 winners taking to the field on the opening day, the co-hosts India begin their campaign with history in sight, chasing feats which have never been achieved before.
India are a popular pick as tournament favourites, coming off scintillating form that has seen them win 48 of their last 56 T20I games dating back to October 2023. And more recently, producing a dominant series win against New Zealand. Most fans will agree co-hosts India are the team to beat. They are the ICC's number one-ranked sides in both white-ball formats and are as familiar with the conditions as anyone.
Take a look at the milestones the Men in Blue will be hoping to conquer in their title defence as the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup gets underway on Saturday across India and Sri Lanka.
1) First team to defend T20 World Cup
India enters the 2026 tournament as the defending champions, having won the 2024 edition—just their second T20 World Cup title after winning the inaugural edition in 2007. The men in blue will become the first team in history to successfully defend the ICC Men's T20 World Cup title if they make it to the final and win the trophy, a feat that no men's team has yet accomplished.