Rohit Sharma: Favorites Don't Win Matches!

Team India's former captain, Rohit Sharma, has cautioned his teammates against viewing themselves as favorites ahead of their high-profile T20 World Cup 2026 match against Pakistan. The highly anticipated encounter is scheduled for February 15, 2026, at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Sharma stressed that in the unpredictable world of T20 cricket, past records and rankings hold no significance once the game begins.

Speaking at a recent event, Sharma elaborated that the perception of being favorites is a "funny" concept in modern international cricket. With extensive exposure to T20 formats, all teams are now highly competitive. He firmly stated that matches are not guaranteed two-point victories and that teams must perform well on the day to succeed.

Sharma further explained that current form, team reputation, or historical head-to-head records do not assure victory. He reiterated that the crucial factor is execution on the match day, as any team possesses the capability to defeat another in the T20 format. India has historically held an advantage over Pakistan in World Cups, with their last defeat in 2021 and subsequent wins in their recent T20I meetings.