Former IPL winner picks top four for T20 World Cup 2026; predicts India-Australia final

Former Indian pacer Lakshmipathy Balaji picked his top four contenders for the upcoming 2026 T20 World Cup, starting on February 7 (via Star Sports' Instagram handle). The tournament will be played in India and Sri Lanka, and Balaji believes both co-hosts should qualify for the final four.

He picked Australia and South Africa to be the other two likely to qualify for the top four, while mentioning Afghanistan as a fringe contender. Balaji also had no hesitation in predicting an India-Australia final in a repeat of the summit clash from the 2023 ODI World Cup.

The Men in Yellow stunned a large gathering of Indian fans on that day, winning their sixth 50-over World Cup. The teams have never met in a T20 World Cup final despite combining for three titles between them.

India emerged victorious in the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 and clinched their second title in the latest edition in 2024. Meanwhile, the Aussies won their first and only T20 World Cup trophy in the UAE in 2021.

A victory in the upcoming edition for India will make them the first-ever side to win three T20 World Cups.

Team India have announced their 2026 T20 World Cup 15-member squad

Team India announced their 15-member squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup on Saturday, December 20. Suryakumar Yadav will lead the side with Axar Patel acting as his deputy.

While most of the squad was along expected lines, the selectors sprung a couple of last-minute surprises. Vice-captain Shubman Gill was excluded from the roster due to his poor batting form since returning to the T20I setup in the Asia Cup earlier in the year.

Wicketkeeper batter Jitesh Sharma was another surprising exclusion, considering he had played India's seven T20Is and done very little wrong. The Men in Blue have gone with the in-form Ishan Kishan as their reserve wicketkeeper behind Sanju Samson.

India have been in sparkling T20I form this year, winning 16 out of their 19 completed outings. They will begin their 2026 T20 World Cup campaign against the USA in Mumbai on February 7.

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Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran