The result made India the first men’s side to successfully defend the tournament title while also claiming the trophy on home soil.

The comprehensive win capped another strong campaign in ICC white-ball tournaments for India. Their recent run of performances across global competitions has attracted attention from former players and analysts.

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting believes the consistency displayed by the current Indian side across ICC tournaments highlights the strength and depth within the squad. On the ICC review, when asked if the current Indian group is the strongest ever assembled in T20I cricket, Ponting said,

“It’s really hard to argue a point against that. If you look at this, not just the T20I team but their white-ball record in ICC events over the last five or six years, it’s quite remarkable. A lot of people probably identified before this tournament started the depth and the strength that this current Indian team had, and also the experience that they have.”

Ponting highlights experience and white-ball consistency behind India’s ICC success

Ponting described the title defence as the result of a squad that has gradually developed into one of the most consistent white-ball teams in international cricket. For several years India have maintained a strong record across ICC competitions. The team remained unbeaten in major events following the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup and the 2025 ICC Men’s Champions Trophy, before their run was halted by South Africa during the Super Eight stage of the 2026 tournament. Ponting added,

“This is a very, very strong Indian white-ball team, not just a T20 team. Back-to-back World Cups, hats off to them."

He also pointed to the extensive match exposure of Indian players, both internationally and in domestic franchise cricket, as a factor that strengthens their performances in high-pressure tournaments. He said,

“The one thing that’s probably overlooked with this current team is the amount of experience and the amount of cricket a lot of these guys have played, whether it’s international cricket or even just the IPL. The IPL games are every bit as big as international games anyway, so this Indian team came in well primed with great balance and a great squad.”

Mid-tournament defeat followed by strong finish and high totals in knockout matches

India’s campaign was not entirely without setbacks. During the Super Eight stage in Ahmedabad, South Africa defeated them by 76 runs. Ponting suggested that the loss may have helped the team reassess its approach during the tournament. He said,

“You win 12 matches on the trot, there’s bound to be an off day. And I am glad it’s come early. It might just be the shake-up India needed. They would have learned from that experience and won’t take things for granted.”

After that result, India responded with strong batting displays, posting totals of more than 250 runs in three of their final four matches, including both the semi-final and the final. He added,

“Maybe it just allowed them to regroup, get together, and talk about the things that are important to them as a team. They solidified what they felt was their strongest playing XI and didn’t make many changes at the back end of the tournament.”