‘In every game there’s been someone who stood up’ – Former coach in awe of India’s match-winners at T20 World Cup 2026

Former India coach Ravi Shastri has reckoned that India has found their perfect XI after beating Netherlands in Ahmedabad ahead of the Super Eights in the T20 World Cup 2026.

Shastri opined that the team could go in with the same team in their upcoming matches, including their Super Eight opener in Ahmedabad against South Africa on February 22. The only dilemma, he said, could be the choice between spin all-rounder Washington Sundar and first-choice Axar Patel.

“I think it will be pretty much the same side because you’ve got depth, you’ve got all bases covered, you’ve got options, you need options,” Shastri told The ICC Review.

“When there’s dew around, you need that extra bowling option. Whether it’s a Shivam Dube, whether it’s Hardik (Pandya) bowling his full quota of overs, whether it’s Tilak Varma who might roll his arm for an over or two, you need those options. I don’t think they’ll tinker with the side. I think the team that played in the last game was a good side.

The former coach also lauded the team for putting in the fight each game, with different players putting their hands up and emerging as a match-winner. India enter the Super Eight stage with a perfect 4-0 record with wins over USA, Namibia, Pakistan and Netherlands, but they were challenged in each match in different ways.

While they endured a powerplay collapse against USA in Mumbai, they suffered a post-powerplay slowdown and death-over collapse against Namibia in Delhi. Against Pakistan in Colombo, India once again struggled in the middle phase of the innings, while Netherlands came dangerously close in Ahmedabad in their final-group stage clash.

Suryakumar Yadav’s game-changing blitz saved India’s blushes against USA, while Ishan Kishan’s power-packed half-century, in addition to a disciplined bowling effort, bailed them out against Pakistan. Hardik Pandya’s lower-order hitting was the saviour against Namibia, while a collective bowling effort took the team across the line against Netherlands.

“I think the positive (for India) is that in every game there’s been someone who stood up. It has been Ishan Kishan, sometimes Surya (Suryakumar Yadav) in the first game. Tilak Varma has played his part. He’s got off to starts but I still think the best of him is still to come. I look at it as a positive that Abhishek Sharma has got three zeros. So, save your best for the important periods in the tournament. Teams will be a little worried that he’s not got runs,” said Shastri.

The former India coach also weighed in on India’s upcoming clash against South Africa, naming the two sides as the “strongest” ones in the competition.

“They’ve got depth in batting. India have got depth in batting. I think this is a cracking contest. This is two of the strongest teams, one would say, playing in this tournament, playing this game on the 22nd. Because you’d have to give them that credit because they were World Cup finalists last time around and they’re playing to potential at the moment,” he said.

Shastri also feels that South Africa will have an advantage, having played all but one of their games in Ahmedabad, including two night games against New Zealand and Canada.  

“100 per cent. When you’re familiar with the ground, you’re familiar with the angles, you know which will be the long boundary, which would be the shorter side,” he said.

“So, you know what lengths to bowl and they will come well prepared, as would India. The thing to see is the amount of dew. See, dew can make a lot of difference. Toss can play a crucial role in games like this.”