All eyes were on Harmanpreet Kaur’s team India as they started their T20 World Cup 2026 journey with a high-profile group-stage clash against Pakistan.
However, ahead of the much-anticipated encounter, the BCCI shared a special video in which members of India’s senior men’s cricket team extended their support and best wishes to the Women in Blue.
Former India captain Rohit Sharma praised the women’s team for their consistent performances over the past few years. He acknowledged that they have come close to achieving success in T20 cricket on several occasions and expressed hope that this could finally be the tournament where they go all the way and lift the trophy.
Gautam Gambhir also conveyed his encouragement, saying that representing the country on the global stage is a privilege earned by only a few athletes. He backed the team to make the nation’s 140 crore people proud with their performances.
India’s ODI and Test captain Shubman Gill reminded the squad of their past achievements and expressed confidence that they are capable of repeating those successes once again. T20I captain Shreyas Iyer, meanwhile, urged the players to approach the tournament with confidence, fearlessness and a winning mindset.
Rohit Sharma said, “They have been playing really good cricket for the last few years now. I know in T20 cricket, they have come pretty close. This time around, I want them to go all the way.”
Head coach of Indian men’s cricket team, Gautam Gambhir said, “I’m sure you are going to make 140 Crore Indians proud. Not many get the opportunity to represent the country on the world stage.”
Here is the video:
https://x.com/BCCI/status/2066033147096314304
Click to watch this video directly on X
India entered the competition with the goal of adding a T20 World Cup title to the ODI World Cup crown they won last year. They also carry a dominant 13-3 head-to-head record against Pakistan, giving them added confidence ahead of the opening match.
The Indian women’s team did not let their fans down as they defeated the arch-rivals by 64 runs in the match played on Sunday at Edgbaston, Birmingham. While Smriti Mandhana performed superbly with bat, Deepti Sharma dazzled with ball and took 5 wickets for 10 runs which helped her in winning the Player of the Match award as well.
All the best to India’s women team and hopefully they will lift the trophy this time!
