Mahendra Singh Dhoni feels India are “one of the most dangerous teams” at the 2026 T20 World Cup.

The defending champions open their campaign against USA in Mumbai on Saturday.

“What all is needed in a good team, everything is there,” Dhoni said at an event. “They have the experience, especially when it comes to this format, the experience is vast. They have played under pressure. Whoever is playing whatever roles they are playing in the team, they have been in that situation for a considerable period of time.”

But Dhoni is wary of the dew, which can tilt the balance in favour of the chasing team during a night game at this time of the year.

“What worries me, again, I hate dew,” he said. “Dew changes a lot of things. Even when I was playing, something that really scared me was dew, where the toss becomes crucial and all of that.”

Dhoni also warned the hosts of the unpredictability surrounding the format.

“If we are playing 10 matches against some of the best teams, we will come out as winners more often than not, if the conditions are neutral and all of that.

“The problem is when some of your players have a day off and somebody from the opposition has a brilliant day, and it can happen in T20 cricket. So that’s the time... whether in the league stage or the knockout stage, that’s where all the praying is
needed. You know, nobody should get injured. Whatever roles are given, people
should accomplish their roles for the team. And if that’s the case, I don’t want to jinx it, but it’s one of the most dangerous teams.”

Ro-Ko must decide

The two-time World Cup-winning captain has thrown his weight behind seniors Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

“Why not, why somebody should not play the World Cup?” Dhoni said.

“For me, age is not a criteria, performance, fitness these are criteria. I always feel nobody should be told anything. But things should be clear that everyone will be treated the same way.

“When I made my debut I was 24, nobody told me anything and now when I am playing for India for 10 years, 20 years or whatever, nobody needs to come and tell me about my age,” he said.

“Whether Rohit or Virat or other names that will come up in next five years... whether they can or cannot play the next World Cup, it’s not for us to decide, it’s for them to decide. If they keep playing well, if they have the urge to do well for the country, then why not,” he said.

“You can’t get experienced people. You can’t get a 20-year-old who is experienced unless it’s a Sachin Tendulkar! You know you get experience at that age only if you start playing when you’re 16 or 17.

“If you’re calling 20 games and 25 games as experience, then they are not experienced because you need people to be under the pump in the job that they are doing.

“...I have to play 80 games, 85 games to experience that and then to know how to
tame my heart, how to tame my emotion, how to handle the pressure. So I feel
the right combination of experience and youthfulness is very important.”