T20 World Cup Salaam Cricket Live: India can only lose on its own, no team can beat them, says Chahal

"It doesn't affect me much if trolling is me, but if you link your someone's name with me it hurts me. I don't pay much heed to it."

"It doesn't affect me much. I want to play for five-six more years for India. I will continue playing until being in the field makes me happy. The day I stop feeling, I will retire from cricket."

"The pressure is always high during World Cup. Several players have tasted victory in the previous edition as well. India can only lose on its own, no other team has the ability to beat them."

"We felt that Heinrich Klaasen would finish the match in 12 balls in T20 World Cup 2024 final. When Hardik dismissed him, we knew we have a chance. Winning that World Cup is the best feeling of my life. The entire nation must've cried after that win. Siraj had already started crying when South Africa required 30 runs off 30 balls. Players cried even during 2019 World Cup semi final."

"Tilak Varma and Abhishek Sharma have brought fearless mindset to the team. Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya will make huge difference. Bumrah is the world number one bowler Hardik's all-round skills makes him irreplaceble"

"Players have to go, no one can play all their life. The team looks in good rhythm and the lack of experience isn't showing in their performance. Hardik, Bumrah and Suryakumar are all full of experience."

"Captaincy doesn't make much of a difference. Players only need to focus on themselves and their skills and contributing to the team."

"I will bring Kuldeep Yadav in playing XI. India can play three spinners in T20 World Cup on some wickets. Only make Kuldeep play if you plan to play him long term. You can play three spinners against Pakistan."

"Shivam Dube is India's unsung hero. He's doing his job silently and consistently performing with bat and ball."

"Virat and Rohit will definitely play the ODI World Cup 2027. They've been performing well. Even if the ODI are six months later, they will continue practising and stay in touch with the game. Their experience is of utmost importance to the team."

"Kapil Dev was the better captain, because he sowed the seeds of India's 1985 World Championship of Cricket. He showed the team how the 50-over cricket is played"

Sometimes you can get a bit complacent or take an easy route to reach the knockout phase. And that’s why, because you have a captain like Suryakumar Yadav, he can guide the batters on what to do. For example, if you have Axar Patel ready to bat at No. 6 or 7, and Shivam Dube ready at 7, the openers or the No. 3 batter might sometimes think, “There’s someone waiting below; it’s a 20-over match, we can take risks.”

Most people will still enter T20 matches one or two players will do the job. Don’t just rely on them—watch and play instead. The point is, don’t get too comfortable thinking, “Oh, I have a long batting order in the first three or four overs, I can do anything.” You shouldn’t get complacent because of that.

Otherwise, I don’t think it will be a problem. Even in matches against tough teams like Namibia, it will be good for the Indian team if the games are close and competitive. What I want is for these matches to be meaningful victories, not easy wins—so everyone gets practice, everyone understands their roles, and the team tunes up properly for the knockout matches.

"Today’s young batters play with immense confidence. We recently saw this against Afghanistan in a 50-over match—Afghanistan scored 310, and India chased it down in just 41 overs. At one stage, it looked like they could finish it in 35 overs. This kind of belief among young players makes you feel that even 300 or 350 runs are achievable now."

"When you see even Under-19 players performing like this, it’s clear that the future of Indian cricket is extremely bright." 

You’ve seen how smart Suryakumar Yadav is as a captain. The way he gave Rinku Singh two overs that day, and Rinku picked up a wicket immediately, shows his sharp judgement. A captain always thinks ahead—who to bowl in the 19th and 20th overs, from which end, considering the wind, boundary sizes, and the opposition’s batters at No. 5, 6 and 7, whether they’re right- or left-handers.

Suryakumar’s decision-making is consistently sharp. He brings in Arshdeep, Bumrah or even Hardik at the right moments. The fact that his own batting form is improving is a very positive sign for India. When a captain is scoring runs and taking wickets, it boosts confidence and helps in making tough decisions—like whether to persist with a bowler having an off day or make a change.

The runs Suryakumar scored against New Zealand are a huge positive for India. When you’re not scoring, you hesitate while taking risks, which can affect decision-making. But with confidence, those doubts disappear.

"Not really. When you’re playing regularly, you don’t think about who’s at the other end. A batter’s mindset is to focus only on the ball. The only thing that matters is whether you trust your partner’s judgment—whether you can rely on them for quick singles and decisive running between the wickets. If that trust is there, it doesn’t matter who your partner is."

It won’t be an issue. You may see a slight change in the batting order. If in the first three matches our top four batters play all 20 overs, then players coming in at No. 6 or 7 won’t really get a chance. In that case, for practice, you can send them at No. 3 or No. 4. I feel there could be a bit of experimentation, especially around the match on the 22nd.

If qualification is already sealed by then, you can also give Jasprit Bumrah a bit of rest. Even though he bowls only four overs, keeping him fresh is important. With so many options and alternatives available, there’s really no need to worry.

You might see minor changes in the batting order and occasional tweaks in bowling too. For example, you may not give Hardik Pandya the ball, but instead give Shivam Dube three or even four overs.

If Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma open together, both being left-handers, it could create serious problems for opposition bowlers and captains. If both start hitting from the start in the powerplay, it puts immense pressure on the opposition. Shivam Dube is also an option.

Sanju Samson, if in form, would have been an automatic pick—there’s no doubt about his quality. But when form and luck aren’t on your side, it’s only fair that the player in better form gets the opportunity. That’s why Ishan Kishan would be preferred. Team management may also feel tempted to go aggressive right from the start.

Replacing players like them is never easy. But when you look at the replacements—Abhishek Sharma stepping in for Rohit, Ishan Kishan potentially batting at No. 3 in place of Kohli, and Axar Patel filling Jadeja’s role—they may not be like-for-like, but they are more than adequate replacements based on recent performances.

Fans will definitely miss those three legends, but I don’t think the team will feel the gap as much because the youngsters have largely filled those holes.

"From what we’ve seen, other teams have their own issues. Australia lack proper preparation, with several players struggling with injuries. Pakistan remain unpredictable—either fully on song or completely off it. England, meanwhile, could prove dangerous." 

Sunil Gavaskar is our next guest after Madan Lal, Atul Wassan and Chetan Sharma talked about the India-Pakistan boycott row.