The T20 World Cup 2026 will take place in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.
Twenty teams will be competing in the prestigious tournament, with a total of 55 matches set to be played across eight venues.
India are the defending champions, having defeated South Africa in the 2024 final.
They will be playing at home this time, but the hosts have never won the competition in history.
We look at the three favourites for World Cup success in South Asia.
India
The Men in Blue are regarded as firm favourites, as they boast quality and depth in all departments. They have a gem of a player in Abhishek Sharma who can single-handedly change the course of a match.
India’s strength also lies in their high-quality all-rounders, with Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel capable of winning games with both bat and ball.
Jasprit Bumrah, the Player of the Tournament in 2024, can be relied on to deliver his high-speed yorkers and lethal bouncers once again, as they look to become the first team to win the World Cup on home turf.
Australia
Australia have put together a formidable run before the tournament, winning 17 and losing just seven of their 24 completed matches.
They slumped to a 3-0 series defeat in Pakistan, but several of their key stars were missing.
Australia won their first World Cup title in 2021 and finished as runners-up in 2010. The Aussies will enter the tournament as hot favourites, with the team boasting plenty of quality in their ranks.
Mitchell Marsh will open with Travis Head, while the middle order includes Cameron Green, Maxwell, Tim David and Josh Inglis.
Adam Zampa remains one of the leading white-ball spinners and will be vital for the team.
England
England will enter the competition on a high note after completing a 3-0 clean sweep against Sri Lanka. They needed a boost after a humiliating Ashes, and the series win in Sri Lanka provided just that.
With momentum firmly on their side, England will look to claim their third T20 World Cup title in India. Jofra Archer has recovered from a side strain picked up during the recent Ashes.
Sam Curran is an excellent white-ball cricketer, while they have fine spinners Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson. Their batting line-up is also strong, with Phil Salt, Jos Buttler and Harry Brook in their ranks.
