T20 World Cup: MS Dhoni flags key hurdle for ‘most dangerous team’ India

Former India captain and batting great MS Dhoni has highlighted the challenges and strengths of Team India ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup, which will be hosted in India and co-hosted by Sri Lanka.

Speaking at an event, Dhoni said the Men in Blue are “one of the most dangerous teams” but flagged the dew factor as a crucial element that could influence matches.

The World Cup, being co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, is set to begin on February 7, with finals scheduled for March 8.


Speaking on the event, whose video is available on Jatin Sapru’s official YouTube channel, Dhoni said, “It is one of the most dangerous teams. They have already started batting or bowling. But what all is needed in a good team? Everything. They have the experience, especially when it comes to this format. The experience is vast. They have played under pressure. Whoever is playing, whatever roles they are playing in the team, they have been in that situation for a considerable period of time. What worries me, again, I hate dew. Dew changes a lot of things. So, even when I was playing, something that really scares me was the dew, where toss becomes crucial and all of that.”

Dhoni, affectionately called ‘Thala’ by millions of fans, has a decorated leadership record, having won the inaugural 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy for India. He has also led Chennai Super Kings to five IPL titles and two Champions League T20 trophies.

On the current team, Dhoni noted the calm leadership of captain Suryakumar Yadav, saying the players have been allowed freedom to express themselves. India has been in strong form, winning 31 of their last 41 T20Is, with six losses and two no results or ties.

Defending the T20 World Cup on home soil would make India the first team to win the tournament three times, cementing the side’s legacy alongside historic teams like the West Indies of the 1970s-80s and Australia in the 2000s.

India full squad for T20 World Cup

Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh.

India’s Group Stage Schedule – ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026

Date	Match	Venue	Time (IST)
7 Feb 2026	India vs USA	Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai	7:00 PM
12 Feb 2026	India vs Namibia	Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi	7:00 PM
15 Feb 2026	India vs Pakistan	Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo	7:00 PM
18 Feb 2026	India vs Netherlands	Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad	7:00 PM