Thursday (February 26) was a good day for India in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. South Africa defeated the West Indies by nine wickets, alleviating concerns about India's net run rate. India then defeated Zimbabwe by 72 runs to maintain its position in the semi-final race. Now, India will have to defeat the West Indies to secure a place in the semi-finals. The match between these two teams is scheduled for March 1 at the Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata.

While all Indian fans and former cricketers are hopeful that Team India will once again win the T20 World Cup, Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has a different opinion. Gavaskar doesn't point to India, but rather to two other teams that have already qualified for the semifinals.

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Sunil Gavaskar has described South Africa, which has qualified for the semi-finals from Group X, and England, which has secured a place in the final four from Group Y, as strong title contenders. Under Aiden Markram’s captaincy, the Proteas remain unbeaten in the tournament, having defeated India by 76 runs and the West Indies by 9 wickets in the Super 8. England, after losing one group stage match, rebounded with a 51-run win over Sri Lanka and a 2-wicket victory against Pakistan in the Super 8.

Sunil Gavaskar picks England and South Africa as favourites

During a discussion on India Today, Sunil Gavaskar picked England and South Africa as the two favorites to win the T20 World Cup. Gavaskar also said that England may have lost some wickets quickly in the middle against Pakistan, but that it's not a cause for concern.

The Indian legend praised the English team, saying:

"For me, the two favorites are South Africa and England. 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. Otherwise, the England win would have been a very, very easy win against Pakistan."

"England, because 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," he added.

England and South Africa still have one match each remaining in the Super 8 round of the T20 World Cup 2026. England will face New Zealand on 27 February, while South Africa will take on Zimbabwe on 1 March.