Less than two years on from their T20 World Cup triumph in the West Indies, India are bidding to defend the title and once again prove themselves to be the best international team in the shortest format.
That defence will take place on home soil over the next month and, although they are co-hosting with Sri Lanka, only a deep run from Pakistan would see any of the semi-finals or final switched from India.
The Men in Blue have an incredible 86% win rate in T20 cricket over the past two years, winning 33 and losing only six of their matches since lifting the trophy last time around. Check out our betting tips for the match, as well as
T20 World Cup betting offers & free bets
With the T20 World Cup beginning this weekend, now is a perfect time to sign up to some of the UK’s best betting sites to take advantage of their sign-up offers.
There will be 55 matches in total across the T20 World Cup, and multiple matches taking place every day, so there is a lot of sport for you to use your free bets on below. Have a look at some of the best sign up offers currently available at UK betting sites, with Betfred giving you £50 in free bets and BetMGM giving you £40 in free bets.
| Best Betting Sites UK | T20 World Cup Betting Offers |
| Betfred | £50 in free bets when you bet £10 |
| BetMGM | Bet £10 get £40 in free bets |
| Betrino | Bet £25 get £50 free bet |
| Virgin Bet | Bet £10 get £30 in free bets |
| Hot Streak | Get up to £50 cashback |
T20 World Cup betting offers & free bets – Key T&Cs:
- Betfred: 18+. New customers only. Register, deposit with Debit Card, and place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get 3 x £10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 x £10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility exclusions & T&Cs Apply. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. Full T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org
- BetMGM: New cust. Deposit £10+ in 7 days & bet on sports. Min odds apply. Reward = 4 x £10 Free Bets (2 x £10 Bet Builders & 2 x £10 Sports bet). Valid 7 days. Free bets not valid on e-sports & non UK/IE horse racing. 18+. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org
- Betrino: New Players Only. Min £25 qualifying bets, stake not returned. Free bet – one-time stake of £50, min odds 1.5, stake not returned. 1X wager the winnings. Wager from real balance first. Wager calculated on bonus bets only. Max conversion: £200. Free bets and Bonuses are valid for 7 days. Limited to 1 sport & 5 casino brand/s within the network Withdrawal requests void all active/pending bonuses. Excluded Skrill and Neteller deposits. Full Terms apply. 18+. GambleAware.org
- Virgin Bet: *New members only. £10+ bet on sports (ex. virtuals) at 1.5 min odds, settled within 14 days. Free Bets: accepted in 7 days, valid 7 days; £20 use on sportsbook, £10 on Bet Builder. Stake not returned. T&Cs + deposit exclusions apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org. 18+. Members only.Use Free Bet on any Bet Builder market for the selected football match by kick-off (EVS min odds). Free Bet: login & accept via pop-up, max 1/ Member. Free Bet varies from £1 – £20 per Member. Stakes not returned T&Cs apply. Full T&Cs Apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org. 18+.
- Hot Streak: New sportsbook customers only. 50% of net sports losses refunded in cash (max £50) on day of registration. Min £10 net loss required. Settled bets only. Refund within 72 hrs. One offer per customer. 18+. T&Cs apply. Full T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org
T20 World Cup 2026 Betting Tips
Challenging India for their crown are a select group of teams with batting lineups storing enough to live with India’s awesome power – England, Australia and South Africa.
Each of those nations have talented individuals poised to make their mark in a tournament played in conditions expected to favour high‑quality spin, powerplay aggression and nerveless execution in the death overs.
- India to win the tournament @ 5/4
- Ibrahim Zadran to be top batter @ 33/1
- Sam Curran to be the top bowler @ 25/1
India can back up Caribbean crown
Three of India’s biggest white-ball stars called time on their international T20 careers after their victory in Bridgetown two summers ago, making way for a new wave of fresh talent.
The bad news for the rest of the world is that the likes of Abishek Sharma, Harshit Rana and Tilak Varna already look ready to deliver on the biggest stage.
Sharma and Varma are currently the first and fourth-ranked batters in T20 internationals while spinner Varun Chakaravarthy, who returned to the India side after three years in the wilderness late in 2024, has risen to the top of the ICC bowling rankings.
This India side are proven winners on all surfaces, in all conditions and against every team they have faced in the last two years.
The co-hosts enter the tournament with a settled top order blending experience and explosiveness, a world‑class spin attack suited to home conditions and multiple all‑rounders offering balance and flexibility.
Jasprit Bumrah leads a deep seam group capable of exploiting new‑ball swing and delivering at the death.
They should waltz through their opening group and have the momentum to handle more difficult tests in the Super 8s.
India have also shed their former reputation as a team that fell short in semi-finals and finals, winning the last two ICC tournaments after letting the 50-over World Cup slip through their hands in 2023.
With no clear challenger matching their depth, adaptability and familiarity with conditions, India look well‑positioned to finally lift another global trophy.
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In-form Zadran may be one to watch
The top five highest run scorers at the last T20 World Cup were all openers. That trend is unlikely to change In India, where the wickets tend to get slower as the game wears on.
Afghanistan reached the semi-finals two years ago and both of their opening batters made plenty of runs.
The Afghan Atalans have stuck by the majority of the side that made that breakthrough and still have the capacity to put some big scores on the board.
They posted two scores of 180+ in their most recent 2-1 series victory over the West Indies in Dubai with Ibrahim Zadran hitting 137 runs across his three innings.
The right-hander was the fifth-highest run scorer at the last T20 World Cup and could make hay again in a pretty weak Group D with only the South African attack to worry about.
New Zealand are not what they once were in this format, having recently lost 4-1 to India, 1-0 to England and 2-0 to Australia, while Zadran could really go big against minnows Canada and United Arab Emirates.
He comes into the tournament in good form, his temperament is proven, and he has a technique suited to finding the boundary against both pace and spin.
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Curran’s qualities give him wicket-taking edge
At a generous price, Sam Curran is one of the most appealing top bowler selections on the board.
The all‑rounder’s batting is arguably more important to England right now, but he takes wickets when he gets it right with the ball too.
Curran’s ability to swing the new ball, his left-arm angle and clever pace variation means he is often used at key moments – like the final over of the powerplay or at the death.
These situations can prove expensive, but also offer greater wicket-taking opportunities because batters are intent on hitting over the top.
Curran was Player of the Tournament in the 2022 edition, where he took 13 wickets – only two fewer than top bowler Wanindu Hasaranga.
The Sri Lankan also topped the charts for wickets in the 2021 T20 World Cup, but has recently faced hot competition for his place in the team.
England’s group-stage schedule also includes several sides vulnerable to left‑arm swing and cutters – precisely the qualities which Curran delivers.
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