T20 World Cup 2026: Suryakumar Yadav and Co's aura, invincibility and 'nazar'

TimesofIndia.com in Mumbai: India lost Harshit Rana on the eve of the T20 World Cup opener against the USA. There is uncertainty around Washington Sundar's participation, but even with 13 players from the original squad, India carry an aura of invincibility. They are the team to beat and it would take an unreal effort to stop Suryakumar Yadav and Co in the multi-nation tournament, which gets underway on February 7.

“Nazar (evil eye) is real” is a trending social media caption these days, but the yesteryear generation would have opted for the silver lining even in unsettling times. “Buri bala tal gayi (danger has been averted)” is the popular comforting catchphrase, and both coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Surya will seek comfort from those words. Whatever could have gone wrong has gone wrong, and now it is time to let the cricket take over.



India need nine good games to become the first team to win a T20 World Cup on home soil and defend the title. For that to happen, they need to keep doing what they have successfully managed since Gambhir and Surya combined before the away series versus Sri Lanka in 2024. Personnel changed, some individual performances - including Surya's - remained inconsistent, and there were injury concerns too. The outcome, however, did not change because the coach-captain duo are yet to lose a bilateral series in the format.

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They won the Asia Cup in September; bossed oppositions like Australia, South Africa and New Zealand; and consistently found a different match-winner in various situations. The way India played and approached the format underwent a drastic transformation, putting the hosts in a formidable position to defend the T20 World Cup title. But this is a home World Cup and, borrowing from the jingle of a popular cellular network, “wherever you go, expectations follow.”

The guard manning the lift will continue with reminders, and the pan shops have found a new relevant topic to debate. Surya has featured in four World Cups for the country, but the pressure of leading the team for the first time and living up to expectations tests even the strongest characters. The Indian captain is well aware of what is in store for the next month or so.

“I think when you're playing at home, there is always added pressure. I'm not running away from that fact. To be honest, there will be nerves. There will be pressure. But if you see the positive side of it, there will be a lot of cheer around. You're playing on home soil, you know there are people backing you. Talking about expectations, definitely the way we've played in the last one or two years, people must be expecting the same way.

“And we will try giving them more reasons. To stay on top, to play the same brand of cricket. There are so many people coming to watch in the stadiums. I've told my boys the same thing. Thirty to thirty-five thousand people coming, so many people watching at home. Let's give them a good time. Let's give them entertainment,” said Surya on the eve of India’s match against the USA.

Surya further added that the dressing room is very upbeat at the moment and reminded the group of the opportunity before them.

“See, the atmosphere is good. The mood in the camp is really nice, very positive. Most important is that people are enjoying what's happening around as a group. That's what I want from them because I have shared a few 2024 T20 World Cup experiences and instances with them. That taste, they should feel that taste. The mood in the camp is very happy, very relaxed and very excited for the World Cup. I told them there are very few people who get an opportunity to represent India, that too on home soil. So it's a great opportunity. Just enjoy it and cherish it,” he added.

Surya will surely have added motivation ahead of the USA game as he walks out as captain of the 2026 T20 World Cup at a ground (Wankhede Stadium) where he rose to prominence and became the beloved “bhau” of the corridors. In his own words, with motivation comes responsibility, and the 35-year-old seems ready to embrace the challenge.

“Playing on home soil is always exciting. I felt that when we played the ODI World Cup in 2023. Crowd coming in numbers, people having a chat around when you are travelling at the airport. It's a good thing, it gives you motivation all the time. But at the same time, it brings a lot of responsibility. You are getting to lead such a wonderful side, that too in India, on home soil, starting at Wankhede. The boys are very excited to take the field tomorrow, and I am sure there will be a lot of excitement,” the Indian captain explained.

Back among the runs, Surya himself is a relieved man and now needs to sustain the momentum for the next few weeks. The opposition is not the strongest in the group (USA, Pakistan, Netherlands, Namibia) as the real challenge awaits in the Super 8 fixtures, which could well feature South Africa, West Indies and Australia. The co-hosts, however, will not be taking any game, team or player for granted.

“All the games we play from tomorrow will be important. Even the warm-up game was important for us to set the tone for the World Cup. In this format, you just require two good batters on a given day or one or two good bowlers to make a difference. So you have to be switched on all the time, in every game. We've seen it before during the T20 World Cup or any tournament that teams have troubled stronger sides. So we'll have to bring our A game,” said Surya.


The auditions are done, the playing XI plans are firmed up, and it now seems to boil down to 'India vs nazar' to figure out who comes out on top. One bad phase is enough to derail an entire campaign, but this remains too strong a setup not to start as hot favourites. Both Surya and Gambhir are deeply religious and wear their culture on their sleeves, and hanging some green chillies intertwined with a lemon on every kit bag would not be a bad idea.

A gentle reminder from the yesteryear generation: “Nazar is real.”


Get the latest ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 updates, including the full schedule, teams, live scores, points table, and key series stats such as top run-scorers and wicket-takers.