Exclusive | Rahul Dravid on T20 World Cup: India favourites but need ‘bit of luck’

Defending champions India are favourites to win the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, but the team needs a "bit of luck" in the semi-final and final, batting legend Rahul Dravid said on Tuesday (January 27).

In an exclusive chat with The Federal, Dravid, who coached the Indian team to T20 World Cup glory in 2024, feels there won’t be any pressure on the Suryakumar Yadav-led side while playing the global event at home.

Dravid on luck factor

“They are really playing good cricket. The team is performing really well. India start as favourites, but it is T20 cricket, right? On the day, sometimes, any team can beat you. I expect India to be there pushing in the semi-final and the final, and hopefully, they have a bit of luck. We will all be rooting for them. We are all behind them,” Dravid told The Federal in Bengaluru on the sidelines of the launch of the book ‘The Rise of the HITMAN – The Rohit Sharma Story’ by senior journalist R Kaushik.

Also read: Pakistan's T20 World Cup participation: Final call by February 2, says PCB

When asked whether India would be under pressure playing at home, Dravid said, “I don’t think so.”

India's opening game

The 20-team T20 World Cup 2026 runs from February 7 to March 8. India open their campaign against USA on the inaugural day at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The hosts are in Group A along with Pakistan, Namibia, USA and the Netherlands.

Ahead of the T20 World Cup, there has been controversy after Bangladesh refused to travel to India due to security reasons. The International Cricket Council refused the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) request to shift their matches to Sri Lanka.

Also read: T20 World Cup row: 'Sad day for cricket, loss for Bangladesh players' | Interview

With the BCB sticking to its stand of not travelling to India following ICC’s ultimatum, the sport’s world governing body replaced Bangladesh with Scotland.