Ricky Ponting (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

NEW DELHI: Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has praised the India national cricket team after their dominant victory in the T20 World Cup 2026, calling the current Indian side one of the strongest T20 teams ever. India secured their third T20 World Cup title with a convincing 96-run win over the New Zealand national cricket team in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

The win also made India the first team to successfully defend the T20 World Cup.

Ponting praises India’s depth and consistency

Ponting highlighted India’s impressive performances in recent ICC tournaments and their strong record in white-ball cricket. According to him, the team’s combination of talent, experience and depth makes them extremely difficult to beat.“It’s really hard to argue a point against that. If you look at this, not just the T20I team but their white-ball record in ICC events over the last five or six years, it’s quite remarkable,” Ponting said on International Cricket Council’s The ICC Review.“A lot of people probably identified before this tournament started the depth and the strength that this current Indian team had, and also the experience that they have.“This is a very, very strong Indian white-ball team, not just a T20 team. Back-to-back World Cups, hats off to them.”

Experience and IPL influence

The former Australian captain believes the players’ experience from both international cricket and the Indian Premier League has helped them handle pressure situations better.“The one thing that’s probably overlooked with this current team is the amount of experience and the amount of cricket a lot of these guys have played, whether it’s international cricket or even just the IPL,” said Ponting, who is also head coach of Punjab Kings.“The IPL games are every bit as big as international games anyway, so this Indian team came in well primed with great balance and a great squad.”

Learning from a rare defeat

India had suffered a defeat against the South Africa national cricket team during the Super Eight stage, but Ponting felt the loss actually helped the team refocus.“You win 12 matches on the trot, there’s bound to be an off day. And I am glad it’s come early. It might just be the shake-up India needed,” he said. “They would have learned from that experience and won’t take things for granted.”After that loss, India bounced back strongly with powerful batting displays, scoring over 250 runs in three matches, including the semifinal and the final.“Maybe it just allowed them to regroup, get together and talk about the things that are important to them as a team,” Ponting added. “They solidified what they felt was their strongest playing XI and didn’t make many changes at the back end of the tournament.”

India’s Sanju Samson (ANI Photo)

Former India captain and head coach Rahul Dravid, recently honoured with the Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award at the BCCI’s annual awards function, expressed his gratitude for the recognition and reflected on the opportunities he has had throughout his cricketing journey. Speaking to Star Sports, Dravid said, “I’m very grateful for receiving the award. Very grateful for the many opportunities that I’ve received in my life and the opportunities that I’ve got,”.Dravid recalled his career with humility, noting, “I was lucky to have played with some of the greatest cricketers and been lucky to have travelled the world playing for my country. I’ve been lucky to be involved in the game after I retired as well and very humbled by the opportunities the game has given me.”

The former skipper also praised Sanju Samson, who was named Player of the Tournament for his match-winning performances in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. “It was really nice to see Sanju be able to sort of get it all together in those final three games — very important games for India,” Dravid said.He highlighted Samson’s perseverance, saying, “For a long time, Sanju has been in and out of the team. He has performed well, he also has had some tough times. It was just really good to see someone like him who’s worked pretty hard.”Dravid added, “It’s really nice to see when it all comes together and the success that he did at such a critical and important phase for Indian cricket.”Samson’s tournament was nothing short of extraordinary. Playing just five matches after being drafted into the side following India’s loss to South Africa, the 31-year-old scored 321 runs, producing three consecutive half-centuries at key stages. He smashed an unbeaten 97 against the West Indies in the virtual quarter-final, followed by scores of 89 in both the semi-final against England and the final against New Zealand.The wicketkeeper-batter set multiple records, hitting 24 sixes — the most in a single T20 World Cup edition — and registering 89 in the final, the highest individual score in a T20 World Cup final, surpassing Marlon Samuels’ 85* in 2016 and Kane Williamson’s 85 in 2021. His 321-run tally also became the highest by an Indian in a single T20 World Cup, overtaking Virat Kohli’s 319 runs in 2014.

NEW DELHI: Big tournaments often reveal the finer aspects of leadership, and former Australia captain Ricky Ponting observed plenty of that in the way India navigated their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign under skipper Suryakumar Yadav.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!India entered the tournament as favourites, carrying high expectations while also dealing with form concerns within the squad. The captain himself endured a difficult campaign with the bat. Apart from a rescue knock of 84* off 49 balls in the opener against USA, Yadav scored 158 runs across the remaining eight innings. Despite that, he guided the team to peak at the most crucial moments.

Ponting believes the true measure of captaincy often lies behind closed doors.“It’s about a lot more than what they do off the field, the things that people don’t see and how they interact with their players,” Ponting said as per the ICC website.The Australian great also pointed out that leading a side becomes even tougher when a captain’s personal form dips, something Yadav experienced during the tournament.“He didn’t have a great time himself as a player, but still he’s standing at the end holding up a World Cup trophy,” Ponting noted. “I know, as a former captain, when you’re not batting at your absolute best, captaincy can become really difficult. And when you are batting well, captaincy can become really easy.”Ponting also highlighted how Yadav managed players under pressure, especially those struggling with form and confidence.“It would have been really interesting to see how Surya has interacted with Abhishek (Sharma) and Sanju (Samson) over the last few weeks. That’s where the real stories will come out on true leadership,” he added.Abhishek Sharma, the ICC No. 1-ranked T20I batter, had a turbulent run during the tournament. He registered three consecutive ducks, followed by low scores of 15, 10 and 9, and managed only one fifty before the final. However, on the biggest stage of the tournament, he found his form again, smashing 52 off 21 balls and recording the fastest fifty of the 2026 edition in just 18 deliveries.“You don’t have to worry about the staples, it’s more the guys on the fringe and the younger guys going up and down with their emotions and battling with their form, the ones you have to spend the most time with,” he noted.A key tournament decision came at the top of the order when Sanju Samson was given renewed backing. His first opportunity came early in the campaign as cover for Sharma, but he was dropped again before being recalled for a crucial fixture against Zimbabwe. Samson seized the opportunity and turned it into a dominant run.A blistering 97* in a virtual knockout against West Indies sparked his surge. He followed it up with scores of 89 (42) in the semifinal against England and 89 (46) in the final against New Zealand. In just five innings, Samson amassed 321 runs — the most by an Indian in a single T20 World Cup.Ponting emphasised the importance of India’s faith in the wicketkeeper-batter.“For India to stick with him at the top there, that was a big call to make. A big decision, but one that worked out really well in the end,” he said. “If you get the backing of the coaching staff and the captain, then that’s all you need… Just a pat on the back or an arm around the shoulder to say, ‘we’re sticking with you, we believe in you.”“When you’ve got the quality that Sanju’s got, and the confidence of the captain and coach behind you, that’s when great things can happen,” he concluded.

Suryakumar Yadav (AFP Photo)

NEW DELHI: India’s T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav marked a special milestone as he completed five years in international cricket. His journey with the national team began on March 14, 2022, when he made his debut against England at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Coincidentally, it was the same venue where he recently led India to their historic third ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title after defeating New Zealand earlier this week.“5 years ago, a dream turned into reality. Wearing the India jersey is a feeling I can still never fully put into words. Here’s to many more memories that we’re going to create, for team India,” he wrote on X.

Suryakumar’s path to the international stage was far from straightforward. Unlike many cricketers who break through at a young age, he spent several years proving his credentials in domestic cricket and the Indian Premier League before finally earning a call-up to the national side. Once he got the opportunity, he made sure to make an immediate and lasting impact.One of the standout moments of his career came during the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the United States and the West Indies. As an important member of the squad, he played a key role in helping India end their long wait for a global ICC title.Since his debut, the Mumbai-born batter has emerged as one of the most destructive players in the shortest format. In 113 T20 Internationals, he has amassed 3,272 runs at an average of 36.35 while striking at an impressive rate of 162.94, numbers that reflect the flair and unpredictability he brings whenever he walks out to bat.His tally includes four centuries and 25 half-centuries. Among them, his explosive 117 against England in Nottingham on July 10, 2022, remains one of the most memorable innings of his career, reinforcing his reputation as an innovative and fearless T20 batter.Apart from his batting exploits, Suryakumar has also developed into a dependable leader for India in the format. In 52 T20 Internationals as captain, he has led the team to 40 wins while suffering only eight defeats, underlining the confident and attacking approach he brings to the role.

Abhishek Sharma (ICC Photo)

NEW DELHI: India’s star opener Abhishek Sharma found himself at the centre of heavy criticism during the T20 World Cup 2026. The left-hander endured a disastrous start to the tournament, failing to open his account in the first three matches as he registered three consecutive ducks.In the lead-up to the final, Abhishek managed just 89 runs in seven matches, including those three ducks in the group stage. He briefly returned among the runs but scored only 15 against South Africa in the fourth match. He then rediscovered his touch with a quickfire 55 against Zimbabwe in the fifth game. However, his form dipped again as he could only manage 10 against West Indies and nine in the semifinal against England.

Despite the inconsistent run, the team management continued to back him, with coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav showing full faith in the young opener.In the final, Abhishek turned the heat on the New Zealand bowlers, smashing an 18-ball fifty as India piled up a massive 255/5. India then restricted New Zealand to 159 to successfully defend their T20 World Cup title.Former Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin was full of praise for Abhishek, playfully calling him a “rascal”.“I’m a huge fan of Abhishek, and there was a lot of talk about his position throughout the tournament. Got a few ducks in a row in the pool games, and all of a sudden, you think he is under pressure, but there are the guys you want in the big moments, because they are rascals and they walk into the fire. That is what Abhishek does, he puts pressure on the opposition, and the way that he went out in that final set up the game,” the former wicketkeeper said on the Willow Talk Cricket Podcast.Haddin also praised New Zealand for reaching yet another final but pointed out their repeated struggles at the last hurdle.“New Zealand have done a good job again to get to a final. I thought New Zealand were really red hot for the final. The way Finn Allen and Tim Seifert were batting. I thought they were in one of those tournament modes where everything is going their way. But the last hurdle [they failed to cross]. The classier team won, didn’t it?” he added.Abhishek finished the tournament with 141 runs at a strike rate of 158.42.

NEW DELHI: India all-rounder Shivam Dube went viral on social media after sharing an emotional moment with his father following India’s victory at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. In a heartfelt Instagram post, Dube shared pictures and a video of himself placing his winner’s medal around his father’s neck. His father, wearing an India jersey, appeared visibly proud as he held the medal. Dube captioned the post, “The real hero of my life,” which quickly resonated with fans online.

Dube played an important role in India’s title-winning campaign, especially in the final against the New Zealand national cricket team, where he smashed 26 runs off just eight balls. Throughout the tournament, he contributed with both bat and ball as India secured their third T20 World Cup title.After the celebrations, Dube had an unusual journey home. Unlike most international cricketers who travel by chartered or business-class flights, he had to take a 3rd AC train from Ahmedabad to Mumbai because all flights were fully booked. Speaking about the experience, he explained that he had tried to arrange flights for himself and his family but couldn’t find any seats.“There were no flights available, so I decided to take an early morning train from Ahmedabad to Mumbai. We could have gone by road, but the train was quicker,” Dube told The Indian Express.To avoid attention at the station, he disguised himself with a cap, mask and full-sleeved T-shirt. He also planned his timing carefully to avoid crowds. “I told my wife I would wait in the car until five minutes before the train’s departure, then rush to board,” Dube added.Soon after reaching Mumbai, he celebrated the historic win with his family, sharing the special moment with the man he calls his biggest inspiration.