Former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar reckons Team India is peaking at the right time in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. After a shaky start against the USA in their tournament’s opener, the Men in Blue registered comprehensive wins against Namibia and Pakistan.
While India registered a convincing 93-run win against Namibia at Delhi, they clinched a 61-run win against arch-rivals Pakistan. Ishan Kishan has been India’s best batter thus far, scoring 158 runs in three games in the ongoing T20I showpiece.
Suryakumar Yadav has also led from the front whereas the bowling unit has come up with a collective effort.
Sanjay Bangar said on ESPN Cricinfo, “India has now picked up momentum. It seems that, looking at how the first match went, then the second, and in my opinion the third match as well, India played in a very impressive manner. In a tough situation, on a difficult pitch, they posted a good score. They batted well against quality spinners, which had been a concern earlier because in the first two matches wickets fell against spin. But when you face 18 overs of spin on that kind of surface and still manage to bat so well, and then dismiss the opposition cheaply, I think the Indian team is peaking at just the right time.”
Bangar said the home team will enjoy batting at Ahmedabad, which is known to be a batting paradise. India has posted more than 230 runs in their last two T20Is at the venue.
He added, “The Indian batsmen will enjoy batting here because the conditions are very good for batting. So far, the Indian team has batted first in all their matches. As far as I think, it’s possible they might have to chase in this match. But if they do have to chase, I’m not expecting such a big score to be chased. So, it will be another match where the team will want to play good cricket and maintain their consistency.”
The former RCB coach said there could be a change in India’s playing XI combination in the dead-rubber contest against the Dutch.
“There might be a slight change in the combination because the Indian team has shown that they are open to playing a third seamer as well. In the first match, they played Arshdeep and also Siraj. Then Bumrah returned. When Kuldeep was to be played, Arshdeep had to sit out. That was a condition-based call.”
Bangar reckons Arshdeep Singh will likely replace Kuldeep Yadav in the final XI.
“So I think when the Indian team plays in Ahmedabad, they could add a pace bowling option, and Arshdeep will likely come in place of Kuldeep. Siraj was essentially a backup for Jasprit Bumrah, and he has performed well. The team’s bench strength is good, so no one will mind because in a World Cup-type competition, the team combination matters more than how many matches a player has played,” he added.
India will take on the Netherlands at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, on Wednesday.
