Not South Africa! Graeme Smith reveals his pick to win the 2026 T20 World Cup

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 will be an important tenth edition of the tournament, co-organized by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8. A total of 20 countries will compete in 55 exciting matches, following the successful format of the 2024 edition with a group stage, Super 8s and knockouts. The tournament will be spread across eight iconic venues, including the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

This edition also marks a historic debut for Italy, highlighting the growing global footprint of the T20 format as it approaches its participation in the 2028 Olympic Games. Fans are eagerly awaiting the final, which will take place on March 8, possibly at the world’s largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad.

“You can never write them off”: Graeme Smith names his favorite team to win the 2026 T20 World Cup

Speaking in Durban on January 10, 2026, South African legend Graeme Smith named India as the main favorite for the upcoming World Cup, despite the team going through a period of structural change. Smith emphasized that the combination of home conditions and raw talent makes India an automatic candidate for the last four. He described the current state of the team under head coach Gautam Gambhir as a fascinating watch:

“With the talent that India has, you can never write them off. It’s a home World Cup. And it seems like an interesting transition phase in Indian cricket, you know, between Gautam (Gambhir) and senior players and, you know, who’s next and how that transition happens. And it seems to be in an interesting place. So it’ll be good to see how things go. But certainly from a talent perspective, India, if they’re not in the last four, I’ll be very surprised.” Smith was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

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Smith reveals his latest T20 World Cup dream

While acknowledging India’s prowess, Smith admitted that his heart remains with the Proteas, especially after their narrow seven-point loss to India in the 2024 final. He expressed a strong belief in South Africa’The current group of the side, especially their ability to deal with subcontinental spin, which will be the determining factor in matches in India and Sri Lanka. Smith candidly shared his hopes for a rematch in the finals:

“Obviously I would like us to beat India in the final (laughs). I think like Shukri [Conrad] and the team can get their combinations right, I think there’s a real chance the team can do very well. And you know, I think there is enough quality there in that middle class to play spin too, especially in India. So let’s hope that a good World Cup is just around the corner.” Smit concluded.

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