Can India's Fab 8 Script T20 World Cup History?

India will aim to become to first team to defend the T20 World Cup when the 10th edition of the mega-event kicks off on February 7.

With a power-packed batting line-up and an experienced bowling attack, Suryakumar Yadav-led India start off as favourites in their home World Cup.

While India banked on the experience of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to clinch the title two years ago, the team for this World Cup brims with young exciting talents like Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh and Harshit Rana.

Eight players from this squad featured in India's triumph in June 2024 in the West Indies and United States.

Suryakumar, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh and Shivam Dube all played key roles in India's World Cup win, while Sanju Samson didn't get a single game.

How these players have fared since T20 World Cup 2024

Suryakumar Yadav

Captain Suryakumar staged a remarkable turnaround to rediscover his batting form just in time for the T20 World Cup.

SKY struggled to find his form in the last two years even though India had done well under his captaincy.

The New Zealand T20I series was a major turning point as the skipper finished as the highest run-getter, smashing 242 runs in five matches at a blistering strike rate of 196.74, with three fifties.

Before that, SKY went through the worse phase of his India career. Between the T20 World Cup in 2024 and the New Zealand series last month, Suryakumar managed just 480 runs in 32 matches, averaging 18.46, at a strike rate of 143.28, with just two fifties.

2025 would prove to be a big disappointment for SKY, rated as one of the leading batters in T20 cricket, as he would tally only 218 runs in 21 matches, at a strike rate of 123.16 without a single fifty.

But as he revealed that a few days break after the South Africa T20I series in December was important in his revival.

Even though he struggled for India last year, he excelled for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025 last year, amassing 717 runs in 16 matches at a strike rate of 167.91, with five fifties.

He did well with the bat in the last T20 World Cup in 2024, with two fifties and vital cameos against Australia and England.

With SKY back in form, India's batting unit looks quite menacing.

While his form is back, SKY will definitely face the weight of expectations in captaincy as nothing short of a title win will satisfy home fans.

Suryakumar's showing in T20 World Cup 2024:

Suryakumar Yadav's recent form (last 5 matches):
63
8
57 not out
82 not out
32

Hardik Pandya

Hardik will be one of India's key players at the T20 World Cup, with his ability to win matches with both bat and ball.

This will be the all-rounder's fifth T20 World Cup, having featured in the last four editions.

The 32 year old has been a major contributor with both bat and ball for India in T20s -- the only format he plays actively at the international level.

Hardik has plenty of experience of not only T20 Internationals but also in the IPL.

He played a big hand in India's T20 World Cup triumph, stroking 144 runs at a strike rate of 151.57 batting mainly down the order, while delivering crucial breakthroughs with the ball to pick up 11 wickets in eight games, including a match-turning spell of 3/20 in the final against South Africa in Barbados.

Hardik has featured in 25 T20Is since the last World Cup, smashing 535 runs at a strike rate of 151.98 with three fifties, while picking up 18 wickets.

He made a big impact for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025, with his 224 runs in 15 games coming at a strike rate of 163.50, along with taking 14 wickets.

He has been in good form lately, taking four wickets in the New Zealand series, while scoring a quickfire 42 from 17 balls in the fifth T20I to power India to a 46 run victory.

Hardik Pandya's showing in T20 World Cup 2024:

Batting

Bowling

Pandya's recent form (Last 5 T20Is):
42 and 0/15
2
2/23
1/25
25 and 1/20

Axar Patel

Axar played a vital role in the big games for India in T20 World Cup 2024.

He played a crucial innings of 47 from 31 balls to rescue India after a top order collapse partnering Virat Kohli, who made 76, in a 72-run stand for the fourth wicket.

Axar's 20 from 18 balls was an important knock in a low-scoring game against Pakistan.

He starred with the ball in the semi-finals against England, taking 3/23, to finish with nine wickets from eight games at an economy rate of 7.86.

Injury restricted the 32 year old to just two games in the New Zealand series, where he took four wickets, including 3/33 in four overs in a high-scoring fifth T20I in Thiruvananthapuram.

Axar Patel's showing in T20 World Cup 2024:

Batting

Bowling

Axar's recent form (Last 5 T20Is):
3/33
5 and 1/42
21 and 1/27
23 and 2/7
21 not out and 2/20

Jasprit Bumrah

Bumrah will once again be India's big hope with the ball in the T20 World Cup.

The world's leading pacer across formats, Bumrah boasts of an excellent record in T20 Internationals with 107 wickets from 87 matches at an economy rate of 6.54.

He was instrumental in India's stunning comeback in the T20 World Cup final against South Africa when India clinched victory from the jaws of defeat.

He bowled the 16th and 18th over, conceding just six runs while picking up Marco Jansen's wicket. Overall, he claimed 15 wickets in 29.4 overs bowled in the World Cup at an incredible strike rate of 4.18.

Bumrah struggled on the batting-friendly pitches in the series against New Zealand, taking four wickets at an economy rate of 9.46.

India will be delighted that Bumrah looks at the peak of his fitness going into the World Cup as his bowling could decide their fate.

Jasprit Bumrah's bowling performance in T20 World Cup 2024:

Jasprit Bumrah's recent form (last 5 matches):
0/58
1/38
3/17
0/29
2/17

Arshdeep Singh

Arshdeep also starred with the ball for India in T20 World Cup 2024.

Not only did he strike with the big wicket of the experienced Quinton de Kock in the 13th over, he kept his cool to concede just four runs in the crucial 19th over, registering splendid figures of 2/20 in four overs in a big final.

He was the joint highest wicket-taker in the T20 World Cup with 17 wickets from eight matches at an economy rate of 7.16.

The left-arm pacer also did well in the recent series against New Zealand, with eight wickets from four matches even though he went for more 10 per over on batting-friendly wickets.

Arshdeep has become an indispensable part of the Indian team, with his ability to bowl at any stage of the innings just like his senior colleague Bumrah.

Arshdeep Singh's bowling performance in T20 World Cup 2024:

Arshdeep Singh's recent form (last 5 matches):
5/51
2/33
0/53
1/31
3/63

Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep went for a lot of runs against New Zealand in both the ODIs and T20Is, but expect him to make an impact in the World Cup.

The left-arm spinner managed just four wickets in three T20Is against the Kiwis with an economy rate of 9.63.

However, he did well with the ball in 2025 to claim 21 wickets in 10 matches at an economy rate of just above seven, including the Asia Cup last year where he finished as the top wicket-taker with 17 wicket in seven games with a match-turning spell of 4/30 in the final against Pakistan.

In the last T20 World Cup, Kuldeep came up with another crucial spell of 3/19 in four overs in the semi-final against England, while he starred with 2/24 against Australia in a high-scoring contest.

Kuldeep Yadav's bowling performance in T20 World Cup 2024

Kuldeep Yadav's recent form (last 5 matches):
2/39
0/32
2/35
2/12
2/45

Shivam Dube

The Indian team management has entrusted Dube with not only playing quickfire cameos lower down the order but also playing the role of a partnership breaker in the middle overs.

Left-hander Dube is lethal against spinners and no ground is big enough when he gets going.

In T20 World Cup 2024, he scored 133 runs in eight games at a strike rate of 114.66, including key knocks of 27 from 16 balls against South Africa in the final, 28 from 22 balls against Australia and 34 from 24 balls against Bangladesh.

Although he didn't take a single wicket in the previous World Cup, his bowling has come by leaps and bounds in the last two years, taking three wickets in three matches that he bowled against New Zealand.

With the bat though Dube made a big impact, smashing 117 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 248.93, including an incredible knock of 65 from 23 balls, laced with seven sixes and three fours.

Shivam Dube's batting performance in T20 World Cup 2024:

Shivam Dube's recent form (last 5 matches):
7 not out
65
0/24
36 not out and 1/7
9 and 2/28

Sanju Samson

Sanju didn't play a single game in the T20 World Cup last time, with India preferring to go with Rishabh Pant as their wicketkeeper-batter.

Samson could once again warm the benches in this World Cup as a poor batting performance against New Zealand has left his place in doubt.

He managed just 46 runs in the five match series against New Zealand at an average of 9.20, with scores of 10, 6, 0, 24 and 6.

Since scoring an unbeaten century (109 not out) against South Africa in Johannesburg in November 2024, Samson has managed just one fifty in 16 innings in T20 Internationals.

Sanju Samson's recent form (last 5 matches): 6
24
0
6
10