![MS Dhoni led Team India in 2009 T20 World Cup [Source: AFP]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1767615221360_ms_dhonI_stuart_broad(1).jpg?type=hq)
MS Dhoni led Team India in 2009 T20 World Cup [Source: AFP]
When Team India lifted the inaugural ICC Men’s T20 World Cup back in 2007 in South Africa, it marked the dawn of a fearless new era in Indian cricket under the leadership of MS Dhoni. However, it took the Indian cricket team another 17 years to re-create that moment, doing so at the winner’s podium of the 2024 edition at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown in June 2024 with Rohit Sharma at the helm.
As Team India braces itself for a stern title-defense at home and in Sri Lanka in the upcoming 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, here is a look back at how their previous attempt of defending the top T20I crown unraveled in unexpected fashion.
Revisiting India’s haunted T20 World Cup title-defense
In the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 in South Africa, Team India arrived with a fresh group and a new captain, and collectively held the least T20I experience in the world at the time. Coupled with an ODI World Cup debacle earlier that same year and the absence of senior pros like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Zaheer Khan; all odds appeared firmly stacked against India heading into the tournament.
Yet, what followed was a stunning reversal of expectations, as a young MS Dhoni, with match-defining support from embattled Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh and backed by fearless youngsters like S Sreesanth, Rohit Sharma, RP Singh, Joginder Sharma; combined to script India’s dream run with wins over then T20-heavyweights Australia, England, South Africa and eventually against arch-rivals Pakistan in the final to lift the coveted crown.
Now the undisputed champions of the world, Team India’s campaign crashed and burned a couple of years later under the same captain in England, tasting unwanted defeats against West Indies, England and South Africa in three successive games.
2009 T20 World Cup: Star-studded MS Dhoni and co. start strong
The underdogs of 2007 entered the 2009 edition in England as clear frontrunners, boasting a squad packed with some of the biggest T20 superstars of the time, further strengthened by the experience of a month-long IPL 2009 season.
As it turned out, Team India, under MS Dhoni, justified that “frontrunner” billing with a comprehensive 25-run routing of Bangladesh in Nottingham to stamp early authority in Group A. Wily left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha played the starring role with the ball with figures of 4-21 to restrict Bangladesh to 155-8 in their chase of 181. 2007 heroes Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma and Yuvraj Singh also demonstrated their batting pedigree with crafty first-innings runs.
About four days later, the Indian team demolished Ireland at the same venue by eight wickets, with seasoned paceman Zaheer Khan bagging the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his four-fer before Rohit Sharma slapped a calculated half-century.
Super Eights: Cracks emerge beneath dominance
The momentum built in Group A began to wobble once Team India entered the Super Eights, where a bruising Group E encounter against West Indies at Lord’s in London subtly exposed flaws beneath the early dominance.
Batting first, Team India garnered just 153-7, with in-form Yuvraj Singh himself compiling 67 of those runs from just 43 balls, with all others accumulating just 86 runs from the remaining 77 deliveries. Bowlers, barring the Pathan brothers, largely remained ineffective as Dwayne Bravo helped West Indies pull off a stunning penultimate-over heist.
The match against hosts England a couple of days later unfolded a similar tale, with Team India falling three runs short in a chase of 154 despite Yusuf Pathan’s cracking cameo and Harbhajan Singh’s tight three-fer.
If Team India at least remained in contention in their tight finishes against West Indies and England; a crushing defeat in a low-scoring cracker against South Africa in Nottingham further widened the gap between promise and performance as the ‘Men in Blue’ capped their T20 World Cup title-defence in 2009 with three straight defeats in the Super Eights, a stage that mattered the most!
Lessons to be learned for India before 2026 T20 World Cup
Under Suryakumar Yadav, Team India once again finds itself navigating the territory of defending champions ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup. If history has proven anything, early dominance or star power offers no guarantee at any ICC showpiece event, even if the present Indian team is riding a strong run of bilateral success over the last couple of years.
For India, the challenge in 2026 will be to ensure the same winning momentum while maintaining the same flair they have been carrying since June 2024.
Team India, placed in Group A, will commence their 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup campaign with a match against Netherlands in Mumbai on February 7.
 (1).jpg?type=mq "Asian Cricket in Jeopardy")
.jpg?type=mq "Joe Root in the Pantheon")
