Looking ahead to 2026: Can the big stars, from India’s cricket teams to Lionel Messi and D Gukesh, defend their crowns?

West Indies, Australia… India?

In the last three men’s ICC events, India have been head and shoulders above the chasing pack. While they won two tournaments, staying unbeaten, their only loss in the 2023 home World Cup came in the final. In a month, they will gear up for another World Cup at home, this one in the T20 format. No team has ever before defended the title.

While it speaks about the magnitude of the challenge, India also has a chance to do what no Indian side has done before. For a team that is spoken about as the best, they haven’t won two successive World Cups. With a dominant squad on paper, India have a golden opportunity in their hands to match what West Indies did in the 1970s, and Australia did in the 2000s. Getting to do it at home would make it all the more special.

Building on history

Even in the immediate aftermath of India finally breaking the barrier to win the ICC Women’s World Cup, Harmanpreet Kaur’s perspective didn’t leave her. She said this should just be the start, not a one-off: India must make this a habit now.

The 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup starting in England from 12 June, would be the first opportunity to show the world if India can convert the magical triumph in Navi Mumbai into the foundation of a cricketing dynasty. It gives India the perfect chance, in conditions where they actually have fared well recently, to go from strength to strength. But mind you, after being dethroned from both their thrones in white-ball cricket. Australia would be gunning for it just as hard, if not more.