India T20 World Cup History from 2007 to 2024: Stats, records, milestones, and more

India are a powerhouse in international cricket and there is no tournament without them being considered favourites to win. They are home to world's richest and biggest franchise cricket league, but when measuring success in ICC events, India is not at the forefront. 

To date, the Men in Blue have won a total of five major tournaments, with just one triumph in the shortest format. Under the leadership of MS Dhoni, India won the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 and clinched their third ICC trophy. They tasted glory after a wait of seventeen long years, as Rohit Sharma led his troops brilliantly to taste the triumph. 

With the 2026 T20 World Cup set to begin on February 7, the Suryakumar Yadav-led side will look to defend their title. 

Let's take a look at India's T20 World Cup history

T20 World Cup 2007 in South Africa

India were one of the 12 teams that participated in the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup, which took place in South Africa. The Indian team, led by MS Dhoni, was filled with youngsters and no one thought that they would script history in the Rainbow Nation.

India's campaign opener was scheduled against Scotland but was abandoned without toss. Their next game was against arch-rivals Pakistan, which turned out to be a thriller and entered the history books as the winner had to be decided through a Bowl-Out after the match ended in a tie. The Bowl-Out ended in India's favour as they beat Pakistan 3-0. 

India lost their next game against New Zealand but went on to win three consecutive games, including the semi-final against Australia. In the final, the Men in Blue defeated Pakistan by five runs in a last-over thriller and clinched the maiden T20 World Cup title. Gautam Gambhir was the best batter for India with 227 runs, while RP Singh’s five wickets was the best effort by an Indian bowler. 

T20 World Cup 2009 in England

MS Dhoni and his team came out with the aim of retaining the title, but had to face an early exit in England. India started their campaign with a 25-run win over Bangladesh but suffered three successive defeats against West Indies, England and South Africa, resulting in their failure to qualify for the semi-finals.

After losing to England by three runs in the Super Eight round at Lord’s, Dhoni apologised to the Indian fans for their dismal show. All-rounder Yuvraj Singh shone with the bat for India with 153 runs while spinner Pragyan Ojha and left-arm pacer Zaheer Khan took seven wickets each.

T20 World Cup 2010 in West Indies 

India started their campaign in 2010 World Cup with two impressive wins against Afghanistan and South Africa. But they had a terrible time in the Super 8s, losing all three of their matches. For the second time in a row, the Men in Blue failed to qualify for the semi-finals. All-rounder Suresh Raina was India's top scorer with 219 runs while left-arm pacer Ashish Nehra shone with the ball with 10 wickets.

T20 World Cup 2012 in Sri Lanka 

West Indies won their first T20 World Cup in 2012 by defeating the hosts Sri Lanka in the final. Meanwhile, India were unfortunate not to qualify for the knockout stage. They won four of their five league matches, including a dominant 90-run victory over defending champions England.

Also Read: England’s T20 World Cup history from 2007-2024: Stats, Records milestones, and more

However, they failed to qualify for the semi-finals as they had a poor Net Run Rate (NRR) than Australia and Pakistan. Virat Kohli was India's top scorer with 185 runs while right-arm pacer Lakshmipathy Balaji topped the list with nine wickets.  

T20 World Cup 2014 in Bangladesh

India came very close to winning their second title in the shorter format of the game, but suffered a heartbreaking six-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka in the final. MS Dhoni and Co. dominated the entire tournament with five straight wins, including the second semi-final against South Africa.

Virat Kohli, who won Player of the Series, led the batting unit in the final with an unbeaten 77 runs, but India ended up scoring 130 in the first innings. Sri Lanka chased down the target in 17.5 overs to win their only T20 WC title. Kohli became the top scorer in the tournament with 319 runs while Ravichandran Ashwin was India's leading wicket taker with 11 wickets.

Also Read: Sri Lanka T20 World Cup History from 2007 to 2024: Stats, records, milestones, and more

T20 World Cup 2016 in India 

Another great chance for the Men in Blue to get their hands on the World Cup as the tournament was held on their home soil. India were riding on a seven-match winning streak before the tournament but started their campaign with a 47-run loss to New Zealand.

However, they won three games in a row and qualified for the playoffs, only to get floored by West Indies. For the third successive time, Virat Kohli topped India’s leading run-scorer chart (273 runs). Ashish Nehra and all-rounder Hardik Pandya were the leading wicket-takers for India, with five scalps each.

T20 World Cup 2021 in UAE 

In view of the COVID-19 situation in the country, the BCCI has informed the ICC about the decision to shift the World Cup from India to the UAE. Team India had a miserable outing in the seventh edition as they failed to qualify for the knockouts. Their opening match was against arch-rivals Pakistan, but the Men in Green made the much-hyped match one-sided with a 10-wicket win.

In the league stage, India won three matches and lost two, both by huge margins. Keeper-batter KL Rahul was India's top scorer with 194 runs while Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja shone with the ball with seven wickets apiece. 

T20 World Cup 2022, Australia

Team India, under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, stood strong and qualified for the semi-finals this time. However, they suffered a humiliating 10-wicket loss to defending champions England in the crucial clash.

The event will always be remembered for Virat Kohli’s iconic match-winning knock against Pakistan. The former India captain single-handedly led India to an incredible four-wicket win from an improbable situation with an unbeaten 82 at the MCG. Kohli finished the tournament as the leading run-scorer with 296 runs, while left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh shone with 10 wickets.  

T20 World Cup 2024, West Indies & USA

The streets will remember the Men in Blue's run at the 2024 edition of the global event as one of the best in the history of Indian cricket. The Rohit Sharma-led side started with a win against Ireland, and then carried the momentum through other group-stage fixtures against the USA and Pakistan to confirm their spot in the Super Eights.

In the Super Eights, too, the side remained unbeaten to see themselves through to the semi-finals. Playing the penultimate clash against England, the Indians registered a clinical win. The last challenge was to face the Proteas in the grand finale, where the Rohit Sharma-led side lifted the trophy, courtesy a brilliant knock by Virat Kohli (76) and excellent spells with the ball from Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya.

India squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup

Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Axar Patel (vice-captain), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Tilak Varma, Abhishek Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, and Mohammed Siraj