Looking ahead to 2026 – Who could win the next T20 World Cup

Who could win the next T20 World Cup

The latest edition of the T20 World Cup concluded just a few days back with India lifting the trophy, and following it up with a celebratory rally in Mumbai with thousands of fans turning up on streets.

Today we take a look at the future and discuss who could win the next T20 World Cup.

The ICC T20 World Cup, featuring a fast-paced, 20-over format, brings together the world’s top cricketing nations. The tournament has been hosted across various continents, from South Africa to Australia. It’s renowned for thrilling matches and unexpected outcomes, highlighting the explosive nature of T20 cricket. The event not only crowns the world champion but also showcases emerging talents and innovative strategies in the shortest format of the game.

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T20 World Cup History

Check out the winners of the previous editions of the T20 World Cup.

EditionWinnerRunners-upHosts
2007IndiaPakistan South Africa
2009Pakistan Sri LankaEngland
2010EnglandAustraliaWest Indies
2012West IndiesSri LankaSri Lanka
2014Sri LankaIndiaBangladesh 
2016West IndiesEnglandIndia
2021AustraliaNew ZealandUAE, Oman 
2022EnglandPakistan Australia
2024IndiaSouth AfricaWest Indies, USA 

As of 2024, nine editions of the ICC T20 World Cup have been played, featuring a total of 24 teams. Only three nations—West Indies, England, and India—have won the tournament more than once, each securing two titles.

The inaugural tournament in 2007 took place in South Africa, with India defeating Pakistan in the final at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. The 2009 edition was hosted by England and saw Pakistan, the previous runner-up, triumph over Sri Lanka in the final at Lord’s.

In 2010, the tournament was held in the West Indies, where England clinched their first international title by defeating Australia in the final at Kensington Oval in Barbados. The 2012 edition marked the first time the tournament was held in Asia, with Sri Lanka as the host. The West Indies emerged victorious, beating Sri Lanka in the final to win their first major trophy since the 2004 Champions Trophy.

The 2014 ICC World Twenty20, hosted by Bangladesh, saw Sri Lanka defeat India in the final, making Sri Lanka the first team to appear in three finals. The 2016 tournament, hosted by India, ended with the West Indies defeating England to claim their second title.

The seventh edition in 2021 was hosted by the UAE, where Australia emerged as the winner by defeating New Zealand. England claimed their second title in the 2022 final held in Australia, beating Pakistan. They became the first men’s team to simultaneously hold both limited-overs World Cups (T20 and ODI).


What happened in T20 World Cup 2024

The T20 World Cup 2024 was one of a kind as it delivered numerous unforgettable moments throughout the tournament, which was hosted in the United States and the West Indies. This was the biggest edition of the competition with 20 teams participating in it.

India, Australia, England, West Indies, South Africa, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and the USA were the eight teams to advance through to the Super Eight stage. India and Afghanistan from Group 1, while South Africa and England from Group 2 made it to the semifinals.

In the first semi-final, South Africa defeated Afghanistan by nine wickets after bowling out the opponents for just 56 with Marco Jansen and Tabraiz Shamsi taking three wickets each. In the second semi-final, India posted 171 for 7 in a rain-affected innings, with captain Rohit Sharma contributing 57 off 39 balls. During the chase, England faltered, managing only 103 runs in 16.4 overs, with India’s Kuldeep Yadav claiming 3/19 in 4 overs.

The final saw India opt to bat first but found themselves in trouble with three wickets inside the powerplay. However, Virat Kohli made 76 runs off 49 while Axar Patel scored 47 off 31 to help India post 176/7.

In their chase, South Africa lost two early wickets but were revived by Quinton de Kock and Tristan Stubbs, who took the score to 106. Heinrich Klaasen then smashed the fastest fifty in a World Cup final, including 24 runs off one over by Axar Patel. South Africa needed 30 runs from 30 balls with six wickets in hand, but tight bowling from Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya snatched the game for India by 7 runs.


Who could win the next T20 World Cup?

The next edition of the tournament that is the T20 World Cup 2026 is set to be hosted in India and Sri Lanka. It will have the same number of teams and the same format as the recently concluded edition. The T20 World Cup is 19 months away and a lot will change during this time, making it hard to predict the winner. However, the early betting market has India as heavy favourites.

India will be strong favourites due to their bench strength and the familiar conditions. They will have a similar looking bowling attack with the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Arshdeep Singh. In the batting department, they will have Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav. You can back India to win the T20 World Cup 2026 at odds of 2.50 on Parimatch.

South Africa suffered a big heartbreak in the final of the recently concluded tournament and they will have some new players in the next edition. In batting, they will have Heinrich Klaasen, Tristan Stubbs and Aiden Markram while the bowling attack could pretty much be the same with Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj. South Africa have 5.50 odds of winning the next T20 World Cup on Parimatch.

Australia, who could not reach the semifinals in this year’s T20 World Cup, will have huge changes to their squad in the next edition. Their senior pace trio is unlikely to be there, Nathan Ellis and Spencer Johnson being potential main seamers. The batting unit could have Travis Head, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Tim David and Cameron Green. You can bet on Australia to win at odds of 5.50.

England, the champions of the 2022 edition, were knocked out in the semi-finals in the latest T20 World Cup. They will have the likes of Phil Salt, Will Jacks, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone and Jos Buttler in the batting department for the next T20 World Cup. With Adil Rashid likely to be done by then, their bowling will largely depend on Jofra Archer. England have 6.50 odds on Parimatch to win the T20 World Cup.

Looking at the potential squads of the top contenders and the conditions where the competition will be hosted, we believe India will win the T20 World Cup 2026.

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