Captains Day | ICC T20 World Cup 2026 | Namibia, USA, India, South Africa, Canada | Suryakumar Yadav

Описание: Video Courtesy: ICC

Captains’ Carnival sets tone for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026
5 February, 2026

Captains from the participating teams come together in Mumbai and Colombo for the Captains’ Carnival and addressed the media

The captains of the participating teams in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 gathered for a Captains’ Carnival on Thursday. Held in Mumbai and Colombo simultaneously, it offered an early glimpse into the excitement surrounding the 10th edition of the tournament.

As anticipation builds for the marquee tournament, the unique dual-venue format brought all 20 team captains together to share their excitement, preparations, expectations and views on the tournament’s competitive depth. The event also offered valuable insights into team readiness and the high-intensity competition expected in the lead-up to the competition.

Captains Suryakumar Yadav (India), Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), Dilpreet Bajwa (Canada), Harry Brook (England), Wayne Madsen (Italy), Gerhard Erasmus (Namibia), Rohit Paudel (Nepal), Mitchell Santner (New Zealand), Richie Berrington (Scotland), Aiden Markram (South Africa), Monank Patel (USA) and Shai Hope (West Indies) attended the event in Mumbai with Mohammad Nadeem filling in for Jatinder Singh (Oman).

Dasun Shanaka (Sri Lanka), Mitchell Marsh (Australia), Paul Stirling (Ireland), Scott Edwards (Netherlands), Salman Ali Agha (Pakistan), Muhammad Waseem (UAE) and Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe) took part in Colombo.

The high-energy event saw captains engage in fast-paced cricket challenges and interactive experiences alongside digital creators. Blending competition, entertainment and media engagement, the Captains’ Carnival offered a fresh and immersive preview of the personalities, rivalries and competitive intensity set to define the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, before concluding with dedicated press conferences at both venues.

Co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 will be played from 7 February to 8 March, featuring 20 teams and 55 matches in what promises to be a month of incredible cricket.

The tournament begins on 7 February in Colombo with Pakistan taking on the Netherlands, before attention shifts to Kolkata for the clash between the West Indies and Scotland that same afternoon. The opening day will conclude with an encounter between India and the USA in Mumbai, setting the stage for an action-packed competition.

Matches will be played across eight venues in India and Sri Lanka, including Narendra Modi Stadium (Ahmedabad), MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chennai), Arun Jaitley Stadium (New Delhi), Wankhede Stadium (Mumbai), Eden Gardens (Kolkata), R. Premadasa Stadium (Colombo), Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground (Colombo) and Pallekele International Cricket Stadium (Kandy).

Tickets for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 are still on sale, with affordable pricing starting at INR 100 in India and LKR 1,000 in Sri Lanka. Tickets are available through the official ticketing platform at https://tickets.cricketworldcup.com/

Captains media briefing | ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 | Namibia, USA, India, South Africa, Canada
5 February, 2026
[Reporter:]

My question is to the Indian captain, Surya. Is this one of the most stronger teams that you see? India is the favorites. Does that put a pressure of expectations and a bit of pressure? Home team, everybody is expecting they're going to win the tournament. Does that put a pressure of expectations on the team?

[Suryakumar Yadav:]

I think the way we've been playing, it looks like that. But on a given day, when you play a game, you have to bring your A game on. You have to play good cricket. But there are definitely good 19 teams in the competition, and I'm sure every game will be very important.

[Reporter:]

And how keen are you to get your form back?

[Suryakumar Yadav:]

I had said the same thing sitting here - I remember, I'm not out of form, out of runs. But yeah, it's always good to be back amongst the runs, that too before a big tournament.

[Reporter:]

Surya, everything is going well. But former captain, MS Dhoni, also said that one thing scares him - dew. Rest everyone else says everything is going well. You've played recent matches with New Zealand. How big of a factor is dew, especially if it's an important match.