Is 2026 Following the Script of Indias 2007 Triumph?

India is now standing inches close to the semi-final stage of the T20 World Cup 2026. However, the team seems to be following the same script which took place back in 2007. With the next game against West Indies being a virtual knockout, it remains to be seen how India progresses.

All eyes are now set on Sunday, as in the last clash of the Super Eight. What makes this game more intense is the fact that it is a virtual knockout for both teams. The winner gets to the semi-final stages, while the loser gets knocked out. This became possible due to the results of two games favouring India.

West Indies suffered a defeat to South Africa and India won the game against Zimbabwe by a massive margin. With both teams now at 2 points each, it remains to be seen which one of them progresses to the next stage. However, the clash between India and Zimbabwe allowed the fans to notice a similar script like that of the T20 World Cup 2007.

T20 World Cup 2007

The inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup was won by the Indian team, as they defeated Pakistan in the final clash. However, the team also faced a tough time in the Super Eight stages.

India vs New Zealand: Super Eight

India shared its Super Eight group with New Zealand, South Africa, and England. Their first clash was against the Kiwis. New Zealand was batting first in this game, and the team started to dominate the Indian bowlers. Harbhajan and Yuvraj were able to tackle the top order batsmen with ease, but Brendon McCullum stood constantly.

McCullum scored 45 runs off 34 balls, and he also received the support from Craig McMilan, who scored 44 runs. Jacob Oram played a finishing role, as he scored 35 runs off 15 balls. New Zealand finished their innings being all out at 190, as Harbhajan Singh and RP Singh took 2 wickets each.

Pic Source: ESPNcricinfo

For India, the chase started well and seemed easy to win. Sehwag scored 40 and Gambhir scored 51, after which the Indian batting line-up struggled. The match went till the very last over, as Sreesanth tried his best to finish the game. But India fell short by 10 runs, starting the Super Eight stages with a loss.

India vs England: Super Eight

India had its do or die game against England, which they had to win, in order to remain in the semi-final race. India batted first and this is the game where history was created. Gautam Gambhir (58) and Virender Sehwag (68) gave a blistering start to the Indian team.

Pic Source: ESPNcricinfo

This was followed by a brilliant knock of Yuvraj Singh, who scored 58 runs off 16 balls. This also included six sixes against Stuart Broad, the first in the history of the game. India posted a massive total of 218 runs for the loss of 4 wickets, a target which was impossible to chase.

England's batting line-up gave its best but they only managed to put up 200 runs for the loss of 6 wickets. Vikram Solanki (43) and Kevin Pietersen (39) were the top scorers for the team. By winning this game, India went on to defeat South Africa, and later won against Australia in the semi-final stages.

T20 World Cup 2026

In the T20 World Cup 2026, India started off the group stages with consecutive wins. But they suffered a loss in the first Super Eight clash, similar to what happened in 2007. In the very next game, they posted 200+ runs while batting first, similar to what happened in the game against England.

India vs South Africa: Super Eight

South Africa was batting first in this game, as India received a strong start. Arshdeep and Bumrah put the Proteas at the score of 20/3. But then, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, and Tristan Stubbs caused some troubles. Miller went on to score his half-century, while Brevis and Stubbs remained in their 40s.

Pic Source: ESPNcricinfo

South Africa posted 187 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in their innings. The Indian batting line-up had a bad time in the chase, as Shivam Dube stood as the lone warrior. When no other batter crossed the 20-run mark, he scored 42 runs off 37 balls. India started off the Super Eight stages with a 76-run loss.

India vs Zimbabwe: Super Eight

In the next clash against Zimbabwe, which was a do or die game, . India was batting first, and the top order batsmen did their job well by giving a strong start. Samson (24) and Kishan (38) were able to dominate with Abhishek Sharma, who brought his maiden T20 World Cup half-century.

Suryakumar Yadav also played a crucial knock of 33 runs from 13 balls. Later Hardik Pandya scored 50 off 23, and Tilak Varma finished at 44 from 16 to help India reach 256/4. This was a massive target set by the Indian team for Zimbabwe to achieve.

Only Brian Bennett remained the lone warrior for Zimbabwe in this game. He scored 97 runs off 52 balls, and also received slight support from Sikandar Raza, who scored 31 runs. India comfortably won the game by 72 runs, which now makes the match against the West Indies, a .