‘What’s important is to peak at the right time’ – Sourav Ganguly breaks silence on India’s chances in T20 World Cup 2026

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly recently opened up on India’s chances in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. As defending champions and hosts, India enter the tournament as one of the strongest favourites. Ganguly stressed that talent alone is not enough, and peaking at the right moment is what decides major tournaments.

India will host the 2026 T20 World Cup alongside Sri Lanka, with the competition set to begin on February 7. Coming off their title win in the 2024 edition, the Suryakumar Yadav-led team has been in solid form in T20Is, remaining unbeaten in bilateral series since lifting the trophy.

This record has naturally placed the Men in Blue as one of the favourites, and the former India skipper is also backing them. Speaking in a video shared by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), Ganguly stated that success in global tournaments depends not on pre-tournament momentum but on execution during the event itself.

“What’s important in these big tournaments is to peak at the right time and play well during the tournament,” Ganguly said.

India is a very strong team and I think they are at their best at the moment: Ganguly

The veteran went on to praise the squad’s balance, pointing to a strong batting lineup, a spin attack, and a pace unit led by Jasprit Bumrah. According to him, the current Indian team is at its best at the moment, with quality across departments.

“India is a very strong team and I think they are at their best at the moment. The batting, the spin department, the seam bowling led by (Jasprit) Bumrah. So, there is a lot of quality in the side. I know past has got no meaning but, they will peak at the big tournament and I think they will be one of my favourites,” he added.

Notably, star opener Abhishek Sharma currently sits atop the ICC T20I batting rankings, while Varun Chakravarthy leads the bowling charts. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav, who had been out of runs for over a year, got back his rhythm just before the marquee event, finishing as the Player of the Series during the five-match contest between India and New Zealand, with the former winning the tie by a 4-1 margin. Meanwhile, India has been placed in Group A, alongside the USA, Namibia, the Netherlands, and arch-rivals Pakistan.