‘This team is really hungry’: Smriti Mandhana on India’s T20 World Cup 2026 push as squad departs for England
Smriti Mandhana highlights team hunger, batting depth, and preparation ahead of the England tour and World Cup campaign starting June 12.
The previous edition of the Men’s T20 World Cup was hosted in the West Indies and the USA in 2024, where India emerged as champions, ending their 13-year-long ICC title wait in the format.
Players of team India pose with the tropy after India won the ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup Final match against South Africa at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday, June 29, 2024. (Photo: IANS)
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 is set to begin on February 7 and will run until March 8, with India and Sri Lanka co-hosting the marquee tournament. A total of 20 teams will compete across eight venues, including five in India and three in Sri Lanka, as the world’s best sides battle for the biggest prize in the format.
The previous edition of the Men’s T20 World Cup was hosted in the West Indies and the USA in 2024, where India emerged champions, ending their 13-year-long ICC title wait in the format. India became the first team in history to win the T20 World Cup without losing a single match throughout the tournament.
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Ahead of the main event, teams will undergo final preparations through warm-up matches, giving players a chance to adjust to local conditions and allowing captains to finalise their combinations. The tournament will begin with the group stage, where each team plays four matches, and the top two sides from each group progress to the Super 8 round. From there, the best teams will move into the knockouts, the semi-finals and the final, as the race for the trophy intensifies.
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Group A: India, Pakistan, USA, Netherlands, Namibia
Group B: Australia, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Zimbabwe, Oman
Group C: England, West Indies, Nepal, Italy, Scotland
Group D: New Zealand, South Africa, Afghanistan, Canada, UAE
Also Read: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 tickets: Phase 3 sales open – how and where to buy
India venues
Ahmedabad – Narendra Modi Stadium
Chennai – MA Chidambaram Stadium
Delhi – Arun Jaitley Stadium
Kolkata – Eden Gardens
Mumbai – Wankhede Stadium
Sri Lanka venues
Colombo – R Premadasa Stadium
Colombo – SSC Cricket Ground
Kandy – Pallekele Cricket Stadium
Key Dates
Sat, Feb 7
Sun, Feb 8
Mon, Feb 9
Tue, Feb 10
Wed, Feb 11
Thu, Feb 12
Fri, Feb 13
Sat, Feb 14
Sun, Feb 15
Mon, Feb 16
Tue, Feb 17
Wed, Feb 18
Thu, Feb 19
Fri, Feb 20
Super Eight Stage
Sat, Feb 21
Sun, Feb 22
Mon, Feb 23
Tue, Feb 24
Wed, Feb 25
Thu, Feb 26
Fri, Feb 27
Sat, Feb 28
Sun, Mar 1
Knockouts
Wed, Mar 4
Thu, Mar 5
Sun, Mar 8
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