India will co-host the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026
India have won twice in the last nine editions of the T20 World Cup
MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma led India in these nine editions
The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 is all set to commence from February 7. The 10th edition of the T20 World Cup will be hosted jointly by India and Sri Lanka. This is the first time India will be hosts of the event after 2016. They are also the defending champions and as a result, will be a strong favourite for the event.
In the last nine editions of the T20 World Cup, India have won the title twice. They were the inaugural winners in 2007. Since then, they have made it to the semi-final and the final a few times, but each time, they were unable to touch the title until 2024, when the ice broke and India emerged victorious yet again.
In the nine editions, three captains have led India in the T20 World Cup: MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. In this article, we will see how they fared when they led India in the T20 mega-event.
MS Dhoni
India won their first ICC T20 World Cup in 2007, and it was also the inaugural edition of the event. Dhoni was the captain and he led India to a memorable victory. India defeated Pakistan by 5 runs in the final to lift the title. Dhoni's captaincy in the competition was much appreciated; his decision to bowl Joginder Sharma in the last over of the final ended up being a masterstroke.
Dhoni also led India in ICC T20 World Cups in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016 as well. In 2009, India suffered a Super Eight exit. They defeated Bangladesh and Ireland in the group stages, but lost to West Indies, England, and South Africa in the Super Eight and crashed out of the competition.
The result repeated in 2010, when India got eliminated from the Super Eight stage yet again. They defeated Afghanistan and South Africa in the group stages but lost against Australia, West Indies, and Sri Lanka.
Results didn't change in 2012. Another Super Eight exit awaited them, but this time, it was more due to the poor fortunes than performance. India won four of the five matches they played but the loss against Australia heavily damaged their net run rate. Eventually, despite defeating South Africa in the last Super Eight game by 1 run, they were knocked out.
In 2014, India dominated their way to the final but suffered a heart-breaking defeat against Sri Lanka in the final. Batting first, Yuvraj Singh struggled to accelerate at the death and India finished with 130/4. Sri Lanka chased it down with 6 wickets and 13 balls to spare. A fantastic tournament from Virat Kohli went in vain.
In 2016, Virat Kohli was in terrific form and MS Dhoni's India were favourites to win at home. Despite that, they suffered a 7-wicket defeat in the semi-final against West Indies. West Indies chased down India's score of 192 rather comfortably at Wankhede Stadium under heavy dew.
Matches: 33
Wins: 21
Losses: 11
Win-Loss Ratio: 1.91
Win Percentage: 64.06%
Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli captained India in only one edition of the T20 World Cup. It was in 2021. In that particular edition, India produced one of their worst performances in the competition and got knocked out of the group stages after losing to Pakistan and New Zealand. Although they later defeated Afghanistan, Namibia and Scotland, it was not enough for them to qualify.
Matches: 5
Wins: 3
Losses: 2
Win-Loss Ratio: 1.50
Win Percentage: 60.00%
Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma led India for the first time in an ICC competition in 2022, when India played the ICC T20 World Cup. After a poor last edition, Rohit and coach Rahul Dravid went through a new set of preparations. India did better in the group stages, making it to the semi-finals this time. But in the semi-final, they were demolished by England. Alex Hales and Jos Buttler chased down India's score of 168 in just 16 overs, without losing any wicket. With the defeat, India bowed out of the competition.
India's fate finally changed in 2024, under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma only. This time, the same coach-captain combo implemented their strategies well and India didn't lose a single match in the entire competition. They defeated England in the semifinal and then edged past South Africa in the final in a nail-biting thriller. Rohit batted well in the competition as well and his captaincy skills were acknowledged by his teammates after the title victory.
Matches: 14
Wins: 12
Losses: 2
Win-Loss Ratio: 6.00
Win Percentage: 85.71
