India's T20I Series vs Australia Is the Start of the Actual Preparation for the T20 World Cup

The India vs Australia T20I series begins on October 29 and shall continue till November 8. Suryakumar Yadav’s Men in Blue will play the Aussies Down Under in five matches. After India lost the ODI series 2-1, this is a shot at revenge. This will also mark the actual preparation of the defending champions for the T20 World Cup in 2026.

India Face True T20I Challenge vs Australia

Yes, India played the Asia Cup and won it a month ago but the quality of the opposition was not exactly worth writing home about. Yes, Sri Lanka forced them into a Super Over but still they won and while Oman challenged them, India were the clear winners. Pakistan did put them under pressure in the final but the Indians fought back. Commendable but the fact is that those opponents did not have what it took to deliver the final blow. Australia, followed by South Africa and New Zealand do have that killer instinct.

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India’s Preparation for the T20 World Cup 2026

India will first play a five-match series vs Australia followed by two of the same against South Africa and New Zealand. In other words, there are 15 T20Is via bilaterals that Suryakumar’s boys will play before the T20 World Cup. That too against the top contenders. It all begins with the 1st T20I in Canberra.

India’s Brilliant T20I Form in Recent Days

The Men in Blue have won their last nine T20Is on the trot. They have been in superb form in the last couple of years with a success rate of nearly 90%. But now it is time to face some top class quality opposition in their own den and they will need to up their game. Since becoming T20I world champions, India have won 23 out of 26 matches. Now that is just amazing. But all that does not matter now. The series in Australia is the start of a long road in being ready for a tournament that they really want to win.

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History Favours India Down Under

If India win the T20 World Cup next year, they will be the first to win three titles. But for that, victories against the likes of Australia are needed. Having said that, history is in India’s favour when it comes to T20I series on Australian soil. They have never lost a T20I bilateral series with two wins and two draws. India’s best performance was the 3-0 whitewash MS Dhoni’s men inflicted in 2016. The last time they played a T20I series in Australia, it was under Virat Kohli in 2020 and they won 2-1.

Who Will Win India vs Australia T20I Series?

Will Suryakumar’s side triumph over possibly one of the strongest sides in the format and that too on their own turf? Not impossible but very difficult. How they do here could go a long way in determining their success or failure in the T20 World Cup. Which team will be the last one standing on November 8? We shall know in due time.