T20 World Cup 2026: 'India are the strongest team, need luck to beat them' - Phil Salt's honest assessment of Suryakumar Yadav and Co.

Star England opener Phil Salt admitted that defending champions India are the strongest team in the upcoming edition of the T20 World Cup. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) stalwart said that other teams will need luck when they come up against the Men in Blue.

India won the previous T20 World Cup in 2024 under Rohit Sharma's captaincy and Rahul Dravid's coaching. After the marquee event, Suryakumar Yadav replaced Rohit, while Gautam Gambhir came in for Dravid. Since then, India have not lost a T20I series.

They recently bagged the five-match T20I series against the Kiwis, having won the first three games before losing the fourth. The fifth and final clash will be held on Saturday, January 31.

“I think everyone’s going to need a bit of luck to beat them. I think they are by far and away the strongest team in the World Cup. I am really excited by the idea that we get to come up against them in a World Cup in their backyard,” Salt was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.

Salt also heaped praise on in-form India batter Abhishek Sharma and spoke about the comparisons that have been drawn between the two, noting that both players possess their own distinct strengths and approaches to the game.

“The fact that he can hit the first ball for a six like that, the way he runs down the wicket, fights that line from really straight to get it over the off side, but then also hits a ball wide to him over the leg side — it is completely different. I am never going to be him. He’s never going to be me. But I do enjoy watching him bat,” he added.

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Salt is currently in Sri Lanka, where he will be playing a three-match T20I series against Dasun Shanaka's men. The highly-anticipated first T20I will be held at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Friday, January 30.