Overview:
India have been dominant in limited-overs cricket, but their performance in the five-day format has been underwhelming. They now find themselves in sixth position in the ongoing World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle.
Kapil Dev is backing India as a top contender for the T20 World Cup 2026, highlighting their strength in the shortest format. While ordinary days are inevitable, he urges the team to stay focused and not be discouraged.
According to the former Indian captain, cricket should be assessed based on a team’s achievements in the longest format. He feels that Tests and One-Day Internationals are still the most reliable indicators of a team’s development, despite the growing popularity of T20 cricket.
“I believe there are two perspectives on this. In T20 cricket, there’s no doubt our team is among the best, though everyone can have a bad day. However, when we talk about cricket, Test cricket is the real foundation of the game. One-day cricket shouldn’t be overlooked either. While T20 is exciting, Test cricket is the core of the sport, and we should focus more on it, alongside one-day cricket,” Kapil said, as quoted by Sportstar.
India have been dominant in limited-overs cricket, but their performance in the five-day format has been underwhelming. They now find themselves in sixth position in the ongoing World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle.
In contrast, India’s performances in the white-ball formats have been exceptional, with back-to-back victories in the 2025 Champions Trophy and Asia Cup, as well as winning the 2024 T20 World Cup. They will enter the 2026 edition as defending champions. With the World Cup around the corner, they will defend their title. Kapil’s comments have made fans wonder if India can bring the same level of form to Test cricket.