'One bad day can undo everything' - Rahul Dravid on India's dream for title defense at T20 World Cup 2026

Former Indian cricketer Rahul Dravid has tagged India as clear favourites ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to be played across February and March. Dravid was India's head coach during their title-winning run at the event in 2024, where the Men in Blue tasted glory for the second time, after winning the inaugural edition in 2007.

Dravid, who recently appeared at an event for 'The Rise of Hitman: The Rohit Sharma Story', has shown a great leap of faith in the Indian side for their title defence; however, he has also noted how the shortest format of the game is filled with uncertainties. Dravid further added that just one single day of lapses can act as a heartbreaking scenario for the Suryakumar Yadav-led team.

“They clearly start as favourites, and they will make it to the semi-finals, but as I have learned to my bitter disappointment, it’s about the better team on the day. Anybody can play a good knock and upset you. Irrespective of how strong the Indian team is, one bad day in the office can undo everything,” stated Dravid during a book launch in Bengaluru, as quoted by India Today.

The former India batter, who played only one T20I for the country, also commented on the team's transition to getting significantly better at white-ball cricket over the past few years. He commended Rohit Sharma, the former India captain, for taking charge and leading by example while focusing more on the team's goals rather than his personal numbers. 

“There was a feeling that we were slightly behind in white-ball cricket and needed to push the envelope a little more. Run rates were going up, risk-taking was increasing, and we needed to adapt to that reality. What was brilliant was that Rohit took the lead immediately. He took responsibility for setting the tempo himself, rather than asking others to do it. When your leader stands up and says, ‘I will do this, even if it comes at the cost of my average or my personal numbers,’ it becomes much easier to pass that message through the team,” he added.

India are coming into the mega event with some sensational form. They are yet to lose a T20I series since August 2023. The Men in Blue have dominated through both batting and bowling. They are currently involved in a five-match series against New Zealand and have already taken an unassailable lead after three matches. Many cricket pundits have also tipped India to go all the way in the upcoming global event.