“Not India” – Gavaskar Tips South Africa and England As Stronger Contenders for T20 World Cup 2026

Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has named South Africa and England as his picks to win the T20 World Cup 2026, praising their depth and versatility. Both teams have already secured semifinal spots after strong Super 8 performances.

Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has placed South Africa and England ahead of India as his two favorites to win the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The former India captain highlighted England’s versatility in both batting and bowling, while praising South Africa’s dominant run in the tournament so far.

Both teams have already qualified for the semifinals from their respective Super 8 groups. South Africa registered emphatic wins over India by 76 runs and the West Indies by nine wickets to progress from Group 1. England advanced from Group 2 after defeating Sri Lanka by 51 runs and Pakistan by two wickets.

Gavaskar’s assessment of England and South Africa

Speaking on India Today, Gavaskar cautioned against reading too much into England’s batting collapse against Pakistan in Pallekele. He noted that modern batting often relies on finishing games with big hits, which can create tense finishes. “England might have had a close victory, but that again is down to the modern tendency to try and finish the game off with a six,” Gavaskar said.

He added that England’s strength lies in their balanced attack. “They’ve got the bowlers who can bowl spin as well as quick. They’ve got a very good bowling attack and the batting also, they’ve got a fair bit of depth over there. So I think England and South Africa are the two teams to watch out for,” Gavaskar explained.

South Africa will face Zimbabwe in their final Super 8 match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on March 1. England, meanwhile, will take on New Zealand in Colombo on February 27.

England finished second in Group C with six points from four matches, winning three and losing one. Their only defeat came against the West Indies at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. They also survived a scare against Nepal, edging home by four runs, before securing wins over Scotland and Italy to reach the Super 8s.

South Africa topped Group D with four wins in four matches. They beat Canada by 57 runs in Ahmedabad, overcame Afghanistan in a dramatic second Super Over at the same venue, defeated New Zealand by seven wickets, and sealed victory over the United Arab Emirates by six wickets in Delhi.