When the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 schedule, everyone thought that they did a favour by putting India in Group A. The group involved just one marquee fixture, against Pakistan, while the rest of the games were against lesser-known opponents like the USA, Namibia and the Netherlands. However, the Indian team don’t have that luxury after rolling over every opponent in the group stages.
Well, no one can argue that India’s Super Eight teams are easier to face. Initially, as per the pre-seeded rule, India would’ve faced Australia, South Africa and the West Indies in their Super 8 Group 1 fixtures. However, Australia dropped a stinker of a tournament, while Zimbabwe punched above their weight to enter India’s group.
India face stiff challenge at T20 World Cup Super 8s
No team in India’s Super 8 group has lost a match yet. South Africa have won the group of death that involved Afghanistan and New Zealand. The West Indies easily beat England and are looking extremely dangerous. Zimbabwe, meanwhile, cannot be taken lightly.
India are yet to play their best cricket in the tournament. Abhishek Sharma is yet to score a run, with his duck-run extending to three consecutive games. Tilak Varma’s form has been iffy. Suryakumar Yadav hasn’t scored runs at a great pace inside the first 10 overs. Rinku Singh has been inferior against spinners too. Hence, it will be a tough challenge for the Suryakumar Yadav-led side but it will come as a shocker if they lose even a single game in the tournament.
India’s record vs South Africa
| Tournament/Venue | Matches | India Won | South Africa Won | NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 35 | 21 | 13 | 1 |
| In Men’s T20 World Cups | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| In India | 16 | 8 | 7 | 1 |
India’s record vs West Indies
| Tournament/Venue | Matches | India Won | West Indies Won | NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 30 | 19 | 10 | 1 |
| In Men’s T20 World Cups | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| In India | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 |
India’s record vs Zimbabwe
| Tournament/Venue | Matches | India Won | Zimbabwe Won | NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 13 | 10 | 3 | 0 |
| In Men’s T20 World Cups | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| In India | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 – India Super 8 Schedule
| Match | Date | Venue | Local Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| India vs South Africa (43rd Match, Super 8 Group 1) | Feb 22 | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 7:00 PM |
| India vs Zimbabwe (48th Match, Super 8 Group 1) | Feb 26 | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 7:00 PM |
| India vs West Indies (52nd Match, Super 8 Group 1) | Mar 01 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 7:00 PM |
The other Super 8 Group (2) involves England, New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
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