What worries MS Dhoni as India eye T20 World Cup title defence?
MS Dhoni’s biggest concern ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 is dew, which he believes can swing matches and make the toss crucial. India suffered the same fate in 2021 and he warned that even strong teams can suffer if conditions turn unfavourable.
India head into the T20 World Cup 2026 as one of the leading favourites, backed not only by reputation but by a run of explosive performances in the shortest format. With scoring rates soaring and totals of 250 no longer unthinkable, India’s batting has overwhelmed opponents, and the hosts are expected to stick to the same aggressive blueprint when the tournament begins on February 7.
However, despite the abundance of positives, former captain MS Dhoni has sounded a note of caution. The legendary skipper believes external conditions, particularly dew, could play a decisive role in matches. He warned that if India have an off day with the bat, heavy dew later in the game could significantly tilt the contest.
Notably, during the 2021 T20 World Cup, India suffered due to dew and was eliminated early from the competition. As the tournament approaches, he admitted that the prospect of dew influencing outcomes remains his biggest concern, even for a team as strong as India.
“What worries me, again, I hate dew. Dew changes a lot of things. Even when I was playing, something that really scared me was dew, where the toss becomes crucial and all of that. If we are playing ten matches against some of the best teams, we will come out as winners more often than not, if the conditions are neutral and all of that,” Dhoni said in an event.
“The problem is when some of your players have a day off and somebody from the opposition has a brilliant day, and it can happen in T20 cricket. So that's the time - whether in the league stage or the knockout stage, that's where all the praying is needed. You know, nobody should get injured. Whatever roles are given, people should accomplish their roles for the team. And if that's the case, I don't want to jinx it, but it's one of the most dangerous teams,” he added.
Why India won’t be bothered?
In the fifth T20I against New Zealand and the warm-up clash against South Africa, the Suryakumar Yadav-led side opted to bat first and wreaked havoc in the middle. The goal will be to continue with the same template as the batting unit is filled with power-hitters.