Former India captain Rohit Sharma has issued a strong warning ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 clash against Pakistan. He said past records and rankings hold little value in T20 cricket.
India will face Pakistan in their Group A match on February 15 at the R. Premadasa Stadium. India enter the contest as defending champions.
Despite India’s dominant record, Rohit believes history will not decide the result. He stressed that every team today has enough experience to win matches.
Speaking at an event in Dubai, Rohit said he does not believe in the concept of favourites. According to him, teams cannot walk into games expecting easy points.
He said only the performance on the given day matters in T20 cricket. A strong side can still lose if it fails to execute its plans properly.
India have lost only once to Pakistan in ICC World Cups. That defeat came during the 2021 T20 World Cup in Dubai, when India went down by 10 wickets.
Since then, India have beaten Pakistan in five consecutive T20I meetings. These include matches in the Asia Cup and the 2022 and 2024 T20 World Cups.
Still, Rohit’s message is clear. India must remain focused and avoid taking Pakistan lightly in this high pressure encounter.
Rohit Sharma speaking about T20 cricket️ pic.twitter.com/ZOcrQBKQep
— ⁴⁵ (@rushiii_12) February 11, 2026
