New Delhi: The T20 World Cup 2026 has already delivered plenty of excitement, with Zimbabwe pulling off one of the tournament’s biggest upsets by defeating Australia in the early stages.
This result prompted former Indian batting legend Virender Sehwag to highlight a striking historical coincidence that points strongly toward Team India lifting the trophy.
Sehwag pointed out that this match is not the first time Zimbabwe has beaten Australia in a World Cup match — and on the two previous occasions, India went on to claim the title.
The pattern began in the 1983 ODI World Cup, when Zimbabwe stunned Australia. That same year, under Kapil Dev’s captaincy, India won their maiden World Cup triumph.
The coincidence repeated in the inaugural 2007 T20 World Cup, where Zimbabwe again defeated Australia. India, led by MS Dhoni, emerged as champions in that groundbreaking edition.
Now, with Zimbabwe’s victory over Australia in the 2026 T20 World Cup, Sehwag shared this intriguing pattern on social media, effectively predicting that Team India will become champions once more.
India enters this tournament as defending champions after their dominant performance in 2024 under Rohit Sharma. So far in 2026, they have started strongly, securing convincing wins against the USA (by 29 runs) and Namibia (by 93 runs). Their next challenge is a high-stakes clash against Pakistan on February 15.
Whether this historical “jinx” holds true remains to be seen, but Sehwag’s observation has sparked optimism among fans. The team boasts exceptional depth, form, and balance — making them serious contenders to defend the title on home soil (co-hosted with Sri Lanka).