India don’t play Pakistan in bilaterals, as the two teams only meet in multi-nation events, whether that’s in the Asia Cup or in any ICC event. However, whenever the two teams lock horns with each other, former Pakistan cricketers leave no stone unturned in sharing their opinions about India. While some players like Misbah-ul-Haq, Shoaib Akhtar and Salman Butt carry some nuances to their opinions, some cricketers say something extraordinary. Mohammed Amir, apparently, has joined the second lot after his recent remarks.
Amir’s stunning take on India after Abhishek’s ‘slogger’ remark
Mohammed Amir, who took his second retirement in December 2024, was recently in the news following his unusual take on Abhishek Sharma. Amir labelled the world’s no. 1 T20I-ranked batter as a “slogger” and someone who is technically weak. Now, after all the teams have been confirmed, Amir has stated that India won’t be able to make it to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2026.
The 20-team tournament is now reduced to just eight teams, divided into two groups of four. India’s Super 8 group involves South Africa, West Indies and Zimbabwe. All four of these teams are unbeaten in the tournament as of now. Had Zimbabwe not been there, Australia would’ve qualified. Now, Amir feels that it will be South Africa and the West Indies who will qualify for the semi-finals and not India.
While speaking to a show called ‘Haarna Mana Hai’, Amir was asked to name two teams from Super 8 Group 1 that he thinks will qualify. “South Africa and the West Indies,” said Amir. He reasoned that India have endured batting collapses in each of their games in the group stages. He thinks the Proteas and the two-time champs are best equipped to go through.
“If you see their matches, the batting collapsed in all the games, barring the Pakistan contest. The pressure will rise in the Super 8 matches. The way in which South Africa and the West Indies have been playing, they can beat any team.”
Can India really fail to qualify for the semi-finals?
Well, in T20 cricket, anything can happen. But India’s reality have been far more dominating than anything recently. Since the 2023 ODI World Cup, India have won all but one ICC game. They were unbeaten at the 2024 T20 World Cup and also at the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Since the last edition of the T20 World Cup, India have managed to win 37 of their 45 T20Is, maintaining a W/L ratio of 5.833. The second-best team is Pakistan with W/L ratio of 1.428.
India are playing T20 cricket in their own league. Yes, they haven’t been ruthless. Yes, there are players still searching for form. But they have been unbeaten in the tournament so far. Against Pakistan, when the pressure was high, they adapted to the conditions in Colombo. In India, it is extremely difficult for other teams to defeat the Suryakumar Yadav-led side. So far, Abhishek Sharma hasn’t scored a single run. How will oppositions respond when he actually does well?
How will the team bowl at Tilak Varma when he comes good? There are a lot of things that India can improve on but other teams can only pray that India fail. Because if India don’t, there’s no chance for the likes of South Africa, West Indies or Zimbabwe.
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 |
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