Gavaskar gushes over India’s depth ahead of T20 World Cup

Stating that India are not taking anything for granted and are seriously preparing to defend their T20 World Cup title, legendary Sunil Gavaskar said that the ongoing T20I series against New Zealand should be seen as an early warm-up.

Gavaskar underlined India’s depth as the home side took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series with an eye-catching eight-wicket win in Guwahati on Sunday (January 25, 2026).

While speaking on JioHoststar show, Gavaskar said, “This series is like an appetizer; the main course starts from February 7.”

“After winning the series, the focus is now to defend the World Cup title. These players are well prepared.”

“Some of them haven’t even had a chance to bat, so they are working on distance striking, timing, rhythm, bat flow and collection. It shows the focus of the team; they are not taking the World Cup for granted and they are not taking anything for granted.”

Gavaskar said India’s depth and self-belief is evident in the way they comfortably win matches even without contributions from the lower order.

“India has full confidence. The fact that players like Rinku Singh and Hardik Pandya got the turn and didn’t even have to bat in two games and India still won comfortably shows the kind of caliber this team has,” he said.

The 76-year-old added that the current batting mentality is perfectly suited to the shortest format.

“In a 20-over game, if a batsman tells himself he has five or seven overs, he can try to score runs off almost any ball. It doesn’t always have to be a boundary or a six, it could be a few runs, but the aim is to make sure every ball counts.”

“That belief is evident. Even with a small stumble, this team knows it can recover, regroup and continue marching toward victory.”

Gavaskar also praised Abhishek Sharma for his explosive half-century in Guwahati, which resulted in just 14 deliveries and was the second fastest by an Indian in T20I cricket, drawing comparisons with Yuvraj Singh.

“I think such a record is very, very difficult to break. Reaching fifty in just two overs is extremely difficult. But Abhishek Sharma has shown in the last few matches that he is capable of doing it,” he said.

“He made 50 in 14 deliveries in this match and 16 in the other and so he keeps coming close. I think the happiest person will be Yuvraj Singh. Make no mistake about it, his record was taken by someone he mentored,” added Gavaskar.

On skipper Suryakumar Yadav’s form ahead of the World Cup, Gavaskar said that the shootout in Raipur came at the right time.

“His knock in Raipur the other day gave him exactly the confidence he needed. He was out of form; he was running short,” he said.

“He bats very well at the net. He has no difficulty there; he hits the ball cleanly and all over the ground. That wasn’t working for him in matches. Sometimes, all it takes is a little luck to get going.”

“He didn’t even need luck this time. These innings were exactly what he needed,” Gavaskar said, adding that the shots played were a clear sign of renewed confidence.

India will begin its title defense with a match against the USA in Mumbai on February 7.