India and Pakistan feature in Group A along with Namibia, USA, and Netherlands.
With only 10 days remaining for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, India batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has criticized the team groupings for the showpiece tournament.
Not the one to mince his words, Gavaskar highlighted that India and Pakistan feature in an easy Group A along with Namibia, USA, and Netherlands, ensuring easier qualification to the next round.
Gavaskar also suggested that the arch-rivals have once again been slotted together to guarantee a high-profile clash.
“As always in recent World Cups, India and Pakistan are not only placed in the same group to ensure at least one clash between the traditional rivals, but are also invariably put in a fairly easy group to qualify for the next round. So the real battle could well start from the following stage of the tournament," Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.
During the 2024 edition of T20 World Cup, the Men in Blue ended an 11-year ICC title drought while Pakistan faced a humiliating group-stage exit after losing to India and USA.
According to Gavaskar, the USA team could pose an even bigger challenge this time around.
“We saw the USA beat Pakistan in the last edition of the ICC T20 World Cup when they were co-hosts with the West Indies. They have since improved with experience and by rubbing shoulders with some of the best players in the world in Major League Cricket," wrote Gavaskar.
“The best part of these leagues is that they help to get rid of the awe factor that players from emerging countries often feel towards some of the big names in the game. Sharing dressing rooms with them, seeing how they prepare, and how they deal with failure are things that cannot be taught in any university. That first-hand experience is what helps to drive their individual games forward," he remarked.