New Delhi, Feb 6 (NationPress) As the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup launches this Saturday, defending champions India will take the field alongside 2009 winner Pakistan and the 2012 and 2016 champions. The co-hosts, India, embark on their journey with remarkable history in focus, aiming for achievements that have never been realized before.

India is widely regarded as the tournament favourites, riding high on impressive form that has seen them win 48 out of their last 56 T20I matches since October 2023. Recently, they demonstrated their prowess with a commanding series victory against New Zealand. Most fans concur that India, co-hosts of the tournament, are the team to beat. They hold the ICC's top ranking in both white-ball formats and are well-acquainted with the playing conditions.

Let’s delve into the milestones the Men in Blue are eager to achieve as the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup commences on Saturday across India and Sri Lanka.

1) First team to defend the T20 World Cup

Entering the 2026 tournament as the defending champions, India clinched the 2024 edition, marking their second T20 World Cup title after their inaugural win in 2007. If they reach the final and secure the trophy, they will become the first team in history to successfully defend the ICC Men's T20 World Cup title—an achievement no men's team has accomplished yet.

India made history in 2024 by winning all eight of their matches, going undefeated throughout the tournament, and becoming the first team to lift the T20 World Cup without facing a loss. The Men in Blue are now determined to maintain their title, a feat that has eluded past champions in the shortest format.

2) First men's team to win the T20 World Cup at home

Since the inaugural ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2007 held in South Africa, six different teams have claimed the prestigious trophy. The West Indies, England, and current champions India are the only teams to have won the title twice, while Pakistan, Australia, and Sri Lanka have each lifted the trophy once.

To date, no host nation has ever won the Men's T20 World Cup. The previous editions held in South Africa (2007), England (2009), West Indies (2010), Sri Lanka (2012), Bangladesh (2014), India (2016), UAE & Oman (2021), Australia (2022), and USA & West Indies (2024) have seen winners from outside the host nation.

In this 10th edition, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, the Men in Blue aim to break this trend.

Notably, in November, the Indian women's team captured the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 title as hosts at the Dr DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, marking their first-ever World Cup triumph.

3) Indian men and women simultaneously holding T20 World Cup titles

If India secures the coveted trophy on March 8, it will mark a historic moment as both the men's and women's teams will hold the T20 World Cup title simultaneously for the first time in Indian cricket history.

The Indian women's team triumphed over South Africa by 52 runs to claim the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 title at the Dr DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai last November, achieving their first-ever World Cup title.

In 2016, the West Indies made history as the first team to hold both the men's and women's T20 titles at the same time.

4) First team to win three T20 World titles

India became the third team to clinch the men's T20 World Cup for a second time, previously winning the inaugural edition in 2007. The West Indies, who won their first title in 2012, became the first to secure multiple titles by reclaiming the trophy in 2016, while England won in 2010 and 2022.

In 2026, the Men in Blue are targeting the unprecedented record of becoming the first team to secure three T20 World Cup trophies, a milestone that has yet to be achieved.

5) Most match wins in a single edition of the T20 World Cup

In 2024, India created history by becoming the first team to win the men's T20 World Cup without losing a single match throughout the tournament. They achieved eight victories, with one match washed out against Canada.

India's eight consecutive wins in completed matches tie for the longest winning streak for any team in the men's T20 World Cup. Australia achieved eight consecutive wins across the 2022 and 2024 tournaments, while South Africa had an eight-match winning streak before their defeat in the 2024 final.

In the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, 20 teams will compete over 55 matches. India is scheduled for nine games, including the potential final. If they remain unbeaten throughout the tournament, India will solidify their dominance in the shortest format by becoming the team with the most match wins in a single edition of the T20 World Cup.