ICC T20 World Cup 2026: Pakistan or Australia? Suryakumar Yadav wants to beat THIS team in the final

Suryakumar Yadav was present at the Mumbai event where ICC T20 World Cup 2026 schedule was announced.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday, November 25, announced the complete schedule for ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in an event in Mumbai. Indian Cricket Team T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav was also present in the ceremony and revealed the team he would want to face in the final of the tournament.

T20 World Cup 2026 is the next ICC event that will enthral global cricket fans. The tournament will commence on February 7 next year and witness the final on March 8. A total of 20 teams will battle for the title in the tournament, which will be hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

Suryakumar is the current T20I captain of India and would lead the Men in Blue in the tournament. India are defending champions of the ICC T20 World Cup, having demolished South Africa in the final of the previous edition in 2024.

Suryakumar Yadav wants to face Australia in ICC T20 World Cup 2026

In the Mumbai event where ICC T20 World Cup schedule was unveiled on Tuesday, sports presenter Jatin Sapru asked Suryakumar which team he would like to face in the final of ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The right-handed batsman said he would like India to clash with Australia at Narendra Modi International Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad.

“Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. Australia. Definitely,” he was quoted as saying on Jio Hotstar.

Notably, Yadav indirectly pointed towards India’s defeat against Australia in the final of ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. The Rohit Sharma & Co. were unbeaten in the league stage and red-hot favourites to win the title. However, Australia defeated them in front of home fans in the summit clash with a match-winning century by Travis Head.

I want India to be in the finals: Rohit Sharma

The encounter took place on November 19 (2023) and the date is still considered an unlucky day in Indian cricket by many fans. Yadav was also part of the Indian team in the clash.

When former India captain Rohit Sharma was asked the same question, he said he would love India to crush any team in the final of the tournament.

“Obviously, I want India to be in the finals. I can’t really put my finger on another team and say this or that. What has happened in the past has happened. I know Surya said it with a lot of passion and a heavy heart – Australia coming there and beating them in the same stadium,” Rohit said.

“But I think India playing the final against any team, and India coming out on top, is what I would love to see. I’m not sure what others want, but I don’t really care about the opposition, to be honest. I just prefer India to be there, and then let’s see what happens,” he added.

Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma was named as brand ambassador for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 during the event. He is gearing up for the ODI series against South Africa, which will commence on November 30 and consist of three matches. On the other hand, Suryakumar will captain India in the T20I series against the Proteas, scheduled to begin on December 9 in Cuttack.

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