New Delhi: The T20 World Cup 2026 is around the corner as the 20 best teams from around the globe gear up to battle for the prestigious trophy. The tenth edition of the tournament, which is set to be played in India and Sri Lanka, will get underway on Saturday, February 07. Defending champions India will head into the tournament as hot favourites in home conditions.
The no. 1-ranked T20I side in the world at present, Suryakumar Yadav-led India have immense quality in their ranks and will be aiming to become the first team in history to successfully defend their T20 World Cup title. India won the last edition of the tournament in 2024 under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy after beating South Africa in a nail-biting final.
India won the tournament unbeaten, becoming the joint-most successful team in the T20 World Cup with two titles to their name. MS Dhoni led India to their maiden T20 World Cup glory in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2007. Though the Men will Blue start as strong favourites, they are expected to face intense competition from the likes of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, among others.
The build-up to the tournament has been a spicy one, marred by numerous controversies. While Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland after refusing to travel to India, a fresh standoff has erupted between ICC and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after Pakistan announced the decision to boycott the marquee clash against India in the tournament.
The 20-team tournament will kick off on February 07, with defending champions India taking on USA in their opener on the opening day of the tournament. Pakistan will face Netherlands on the same day. All four groups are headlined by some of the prominent teams in the world.
Australia and Sri Lanka are the favourites in Group B, while West Indies and England would fancy their chances against the likes of Italy, Nepal and Scotland in Group C. Group D is the group of death with South Africa, UAE, Afghanistan, Canada and New Zealand competing for the top two spots. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super Eight stage. The top four teams will then book their spots in the semi-finals.
Ahead of the start of the tournament, here is a look at the winners of all editions of the T20 World Cup from the past.
T20 World Cup winners list:
| Year | Winner | Runner-up |
| 2024 | India | South Africa |
| 2022 | England | Pakistan |
| 2021 | Australia | New Zealand |
| 2016 | West Indies | England |
| 2014 | Sri Lanka | India |
| 2012 | West Indies | Sri Lanka |
| 2010 | England | Australia |
| 2009 | Pakistan | Sri Lanka |
| 2007 | India | Pakistan |
Most successful teams in T20 World Cup history:
India, West Indies and England are the joint-most successful teams in the history of the T20 World Cup with two titles apiece. India won their maiden title in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2007, before lifting their second trophy in the last edition of the tournament in 2024. West Indies won their maiden title in 2012 and lifted their second trophy in 2016 after beating England in a memorable final.
England’s maiden T20 World Cup triumph came under former captain Paul Collingwood in 2009, when they defeated Australia in the final at Bridgetown. After their heartbreak against West Indies in 2016, England ended their wait for their second title in 2022 after beating Pakistan in the final. India have a chance to become the most successful team in T20 World Cup history by lifting the title at home this year.