Former South Africa star and cricket legend AB de Villiers recently gave his prediction for the four semi-finalists at the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, slated to begin from February 7. AB gave his verdict in a video on his YouTube channel.
Interestingly, his list featured two teams that have won the title twice before – India and England alongside New Zealand and South Africa, who are yet to win their maiden title. Notably, New Zealand and South Africa are placed in Group D, touted to be the most difficult group which also features Afghanistan as dark horse with Canada and UAE.
The most notable omission in De Villiers’ list was Australia, who are one of the toughest opponents in an ICC event. Meanwhile, he named the Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian side as the team to beat in the tournament.
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The Men in Blue will already be shouldering responsibility as they head into the ICC event as the defending champions. They also have a chance to become the first side to win the title three times as well as the only team to successfully defend the title.
Add to that, AB feels the pressure of playing in front of the home crowd can take a toll on the Indian superstars.
“They already have incredible depth and most players seem to be in form now. It’s really looking good for them. But with that comes the added pressure as there’s more expectation from the fans and the public. It’s adding to that pressure that they’ll play at home,” added De Villiers in his video.
India have been placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, Namibia, Netherland, USA. They will begin their tournament against American side on February 7 followed by Namibia on February 12, before the high-octane clash against Pakistan on February 15 and play their final group-stage game against the Netherlands on February 18.
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