The race to the knockout stage of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 is heating up as the Super 8 round begins. With top teams battling for semifinal spots, several former Indian cricketers have shared their predictions for the final four. One thing is clear — almost everyone believes India will make it through. But opinions are divided when it comes to Pakistan’s chances.
The Super 8 stage starts with an important clash between New Zealand national cricket team and the Pakistan national cricket team in Colombo. England and Sri Lanka are also in the same group, making the competition very tight. In the other Super 8 group are India, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and the West Indies.
Former players like Cheteshwar Pujara, Mohammad Kaif, Varun Aaron, Sanjay Bangar and Saba Karim have given their expert opinions. Even Yuzvendra Chahal, who is still active in international cricket, has joined the discussion.
Across the board, India has emerged as the strongest pick among the experts. Almost every former cricketer has backed the India national cricket team to reach the semifinals from their group.
Most experts also supported South Africa as the second team from India’s group. Pujara, Kaif, Bangar, Karim, and Chahal all believe South Africa have enough strength to qualify alongside India.
However, Varun Aaron has taken a different view. He believes the West Indies could upset South Africa and grab the second semifinal spot from the group. Aaron’s prediction stands out because it goes against the majority opinion.
Zimbabwe, despite an impressive earlier performance, has not received much backing from the experts. None of the former Indian cricketers picked them to reach the semifinals. This puts extra pressure on the African side to prove the doubters wrong in the Super 8 stage.
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The biggest talking point from the predictions is Pakistan’s fate. While India is a common pick, Pakistan has divided expert opinion.
Only Varun Aaron and Sanjay Bangar have backed Pakistan to reach the semifinals. Both believe the team, led by Salman Ali Agha, has the quality to go deep in the tournament.
One major factor working in Pakistan’s favour is the venue. The team will play all its Super 8 matches at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The pitches there are known to be slow and low, conditions that usually help strong spin bowling attacks.
Pakistan’s spin unit, including performers like Usman Tariq, has impressed so far. Experts who support Pakistan believe these bowlers could trouble top batting line-ups if conditions remain helpful.
On the other hand, several experts are not fully convinced. Chahal, Pujara, Kaif, and Karim have all left Pakistan out of their semifinal picks. Instead, many of them have shown more faith in England and New Zealand from the same group.
Sri Lanka has received limited backing as well. Only Pujara and Bangar believe the island nation can reach the semifinals. This is somewhat surprising because Sri Lanka, along with Zimbabwe, had earlier knocked out Australia in the group stage.
Here is how the former cricketers have predicted the semifinalists:
Yuzvendra Chahal: India, South Africa, England, New Zealand
Cheteshwar Pujara: India, South Africa, Sri Lanka, New Zealand
Mohammad Kaif: India, South Africa, England, New Zealand
Varun Aaron: India, West Indies, England, Pakistan
Sanjay Bangar: India, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Pakistan
Saba Karim: India, South Africa, England, Sri Lanka
The list clearly shows India is the only team picked by every expert. South Africa is also a popular choice, though not unanimous. The biggest uncertainty surrounds Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies.
As the Super 8 matches begin, all eyes will be on whether these predictions come true. Fans are especially excited about the possibility of another India vs Pakistan knockout clash, which would be one of the biggest matches of the tournament.
For now, the experts have spoken — but in T20 cricket, surprises are always just one match away.
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