Is this India’s best World Cup winning team?
India have now won three T20 World Cups... but which team is the best?
India secured their third ICC Men's T20 World Cup title on Sunday night with a commanding victory over New Zealand, a performance that has prompted the question as to whether this is the greatest India side ever to lift the trophy.
The 2026 side successfully defended their 2024 title, becoming the first nation in history to achieve this feat, after a dominant 96-run victory over New Zealand in front of their home fans in Ahmedabad.
Whilst India fans across the globe still celebrate their country's achievement, let’s take a look at their two previous World Cup wins and how the teams match up to this year’s squad.
India win inaugural tournament in 2007
In what was the first ever ICC T20 World Cup, India won the trophy after beating arch rivals Pakistan in the final.
Captained by legend MS Dhoni whose famous unbroken 18-ball 33 in the final steered India to a dramatic victory. At the top of the order, Gautam Gambhir was also impressive throughout, consistently giving India strong starts that allowed the middle order to capitalise, particularly in crucial knockout matches.
The team also relied heavily on all-round contributions from Irfan Pathan, who performed well with his swing bowling and added quick runs lower down the order. Joginder Sharma became the hero of the final in the last over, holding his nerve to secure the trophy.
Experienced bowlers like Zaheer Khan and spinners such as RP Singh controlled the middle overs and picked up crucial wickets, ensuring India had balance throughout their squad.
How the teams match up?
Nobody will argue that the 2007 squad was led by a more legendary figure in Dhoni, but throughout the squad this year’s team provided much better numbers.
Player of the Tournament Sanju Samson finished third for the most runs of the competition on 321, that’s 94 more runs than Gambhir who was India’s top scorer in 2007. Samson’s achievements this year become even more incredible when you take into account that he missed the first five games of the tournament.
Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and spinner Varun Chakravarthy were ruthless for India in this year’s tournament, each finishing as the tournaments leading wicket-takers with 14 apiece. In comparison, Singh led India’s bowling in 2007 with 12 wickets, ranking sixth overall in that edition.
India become World Champions again in 2024
After nearly two decades of waiting India were again crowned T20 World Cup Champions after beating South Africa to claim the title.
The squad included eight players who also competed in this year’s tournament, making it more challenging to determine which team is stronger.
Rohit Sharma led the side and had an incredible tournament with the bat, his experience in limited-overs cricket was crucial in guiding the team through high-pressure situations, including the knockout stages and the final.
Opener Ishan Kishan and middle-order batter Abhishek Sharma provided quickfire innings at crucial moments. Kishan’s aggressive starts in the powerplays set the tone for India, while Sharma's finishing ability added depth and security in the lower middle order.
The 2024 India side was further strengthened by the inclusion of cricket icon Virat Kohli. While he didn’t have a standout tournament with the bat, his mere presence contributed significantly to the team’s overall success.
Arshdeep Singh and Bumrah were India’s most lethal bowlers, the pair played a key role throughout the tournament and especially in the final against South Africa.
How the teams match up?
Sharma led by example finishing second in the tournament’s most runs charts on 257, after lifting the trophy with his country he decided to retire from the T20 format making him a legendary figure.
Samson’s 2026 performance saw him amass 55 more runs than Sharma did in 2024. Now 31, Samson had been part of India’s 2024 squad but didn’t feature in any matches, truly coming into his own and hitting his prime in this year’s tournament.
In 2024, Bumrah and A. Singh, India’s leading wicket-takers, claimed a combined 32 wickets, while in 2026, Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy teamed up for a total of 28 wickets, highlighting perhaps more consistent performances of India’s top bowlers in 2024.
Another factor that might lead some fans to favor India’s 2024 World Cup-winning side over the current squad is their unbeaten run throughout the tournament, in contrast to 2026, when India suffered a defeat to South Africa during the Super 8 stage.
