Cricket predictions for 2026

[Gollum]

Now that year is coming to an end, give some predictions for the next year. 

 

Schedule available here https://www.cricschedule.com/ftp.php

 

Here are mine:

 

1. India vs RSA T20 WC final in Ahmedabad with India beating them again. Samson will play an important part in the campaign, Abhishek to struggle, Hardik player of the tournament and Chakri MOTM in the final. 

 

2. IPL to be won by Punjab, finally !!! Shreyas Iyer will return to T20I team, and also be given ODI captaincy. 

 

3. India gets blanked 0-2 in Lanka, GG loses his test coaching job, we then whitewash NZ in NZ 2-0 under a new coach, Jaiswal to have a banger of a series in extremely tough batting conditions, score an ATG knock in a crucial innings. 

 

4. RSA vs Aus is going to be the blockbuster of the year with Bavuma owning Cummins again, RSA to just edge it 2-1.

 

5. NZ draw the 3 test series in Eng, but then Eng deliver a generational phainta to Pooks in the following series. Baz out of the picture, Eng shed their Bazball approach partially and play with more common sense. 

 

6. Jaiswal, Rachin will bounce back in style after an underwhelming 2025. Gill will struggle in all formats, and also lose ODI captaincy. 

 

7. BD and WI, both will draw or beat Pooks in their home test series

 

8. NZ to push Aus in the 4 test series, will either draw the series or lose narrowly.

 

9. Root, Smith will show a sudden, steep decline. 

 

10. One of Kohli/Rohit to announce retirement by end of the year, GG will be confirmed as head coach for 27 WC but with more curbs on him. Expect lots of drama with GG in the thick of it. 

 

11. Aus to win Women's T20 WC beating RSA in the final, India to crash out in SF. But our women will do very well in the tests, drawing in Optus and winning in Lord's.

Edited December 24, 2025 by Gollum

[Lone Wolf]

India to crash out of WT20 SF.. probably against Aus.  Tilak to have a great WT20,  Abhishek after dominating group stages & Super 8 to have a bad day in the KO.

 

SA v Aus final

 

SRH to win the IPL.. final against MI or KKR

 

NZ loses to England.. 

 

Pooks to win 1 test in England. 2-1 win for Poms.  Shan Masood to have a good series as a batter.  Wins 2 tosses off the three.

 

 

India to draw 1-1 in SL.   Galle test loss confirmed.  Kamindu Mendis special

India will win in Colombo or Pallekelle.

Jaiswal to have a good series.  Pant to struggle.

 

Gill will score in losing cause in Galle test.

 

Pooks to win 2-0 in BD.  Masood to won both tosses.  Close test in Mirpur but an inns defeat to Kanglus in Chattogram.

 

WI to win 2-0 vs Pooks.  Close tests.

Shamar Joseph and Alzaari Joseph to wreck them.

 

Aus to win 2-1 in SA.  Ending Bavuma's generational run.

 

NZ to win 1 test in Australia.

 

NZ loses a home test match to India at home after 17 years.  India wins in Christchurch.. losses heavily in basin Reserve Wellington.

 

India wins T20 series.. but loses ODI series in NZ.

 

A farewell ODI this year for Rohit.. maybe Jadeja too gets dropped 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 24, 2025 by Lone Wolf

[Gollum]

Forgot that we will have cricket in the Asian Games in Japan, international status attached to those games. Should win two golds there, cricket must pull its weight to help us finish 4th. 

 

Lot of these other big events in 2026, apart from the usual cricket/tennis/football/F1/NBA etc. we will also have Asian Games, CWG (albeit reduced format), Hockey WC, FIFA WC, Gukesh's world championship title defence (candidates in Cyprus in Mar-Apr with Pragg as one of the 8 players), Chess Olympiad. Cricket schedule is light but a year to look forward to for other Indian sports/games. 

Edited December 24, 2025 by Gollum

[Gollum]

14 minutes ago, Lone Wolf said:

India to crash out of WT20 SF.. probably against Aus.  Tilak to have a great WT20,  Abhishek after dominating group stages & Super 8 to have a bad day in the KO.

Boss, I think with pre-decided seedings, India, RSA, Aus are set to be in the same group in Super 8s. 

 

If nothing funny happens in the first round, the Super 8s will shape up like this:

 

Ind, RSA, Aus, WI in group 1

 

Eng, NZ, Pak, SL in group 2

 

Quote

Prior to the tournament, the ICC announced the eight seeded teams for the Super 8 stage based on their T20I rankings ahead of the tournament. After advancing from the group stage, the teams would be placed in predetermined positions in the Super 8 stage, irrespective of their position in the group stage. If an unseeded team qualified at the expense of a seeded team, it would take the position of the corresponding seeded team that failed to qualify from their group

 

[Bigg Brother]

India won't win wt20 2026.

[Lone Wolf]

1 hour ago, Gollum said:

Boss, I think with pre-decided seedings, India, RSA, Aus are set to be in the same group in Super 8s

Replace Aus with NZ then.  Finn Allen and Seifert to smoke us in Wankhede probably.

Chapman to slog a few against Chakri.

Though Abhishek has a good match up against Kiwi bowling style.  Ultra aggression works against them

 

If we make it out of Semis we are winning this thing.

Edited December 24, 2025 by Lone Wolf

[G_B_]

2 hours ago, Gollum said:

Now that year is coming to an end, give some predictions for the next year. 

 

Schedule available here https://www.cricschedule.com/ftp.php

 

Here are mine:

 

1. India vs RSA T20 WC final in Ahmedabad with India beating them again. Samson will play an important part in the campaign, Abhishek to struggle, Hardik player of the tournament and Chakri MOTM in the final. 

 

2. IPL to be won by Punjab, finally !!! Shreyas Iyer will return to T20I team, and also be given ODI captaincy. 

 

3. India gets blanked 0-2 in Lanka, GG loses his test coaching job, we then whitewash NZ in NZ 2-0 under a new coach, Jaiswal to have a banger of a series in extremely tough batting conditions, score an ATG knock in a crucial innings. 

 

4. RSA vs Aus is going to be the blockbuster of the year with Bavuma owning Cummins again, RSA to just edge it 2-1.

 

5. NZ draw the 3 test series in Eng, but then Eng deliver a generational phainta to Pooks in the following series. Baz out of the picture, Eng shed their Bazball approach partially and play with more common sense. 

 

6. Jaiswal, Rachin will bounce back in style after an underwhelming 2025. Gill will struggle in all formats, and also lose ODI captaincy. 

 

7. BD and WI, both will draw or beat Pooks in their home test series

 

8. NZ to push Aus in the 4 test series, will either draw the series or lose narrowly.

 

9. Root, Smith will show a sudden, steep decline. 

 

10. One of Kohli/Rohit to announce retirement by end of the year, GG will be confirmed as head coach for 27 WC but with more curbs on him. Expect lots of drama with GG in the thick of it. 

 

11. Aus to win Women's T20 WC beating RSA in the final, India to crash out in SF. But our women will do very well in the tests, drawing in Optus and winning in Lord's.

 

This seems very plausible.

 

 

[Lone Wolf]

2 hours ago, Gollum said:

Forgot that we will have cricket in the Asian Games in Japan, international status attached to those games. Should win two golds there, cricket must pull its weight to help us finish 4th. 

 

BCCI was clashing postponed BD tour with Asian Games.

 

Don't think BD tour is happening anytime sooner though.

Should send a decent side to Asian Games not like Emerging cup teams.

 

Pooks will field close to full strength squad so Will BD.

 

 

[Gollum]

1 hour ago, Lone Wolf said:

Replace Aus with NZ then.  Finn Allen and Seifert to smoke us in Wankhede probably.

Chapman to slog a few against Chakri.

Though Abhishek has a good match up against Kiwi bowling style.  Ultra aggression works against them

 

If we make it out of Semis we are winning this thing.

If we meet Aussies in another final in Ahmedabad, psychologically we will be at a disadvantage. Aus also find new gears the deeper they go. 

 

Always best to remove the Aus threat before KOs. Ind, RSA should look to dump them out in Super 8s itself. 

[Gollum]

10 minutes ago, Lone Wolf said:

BCCI was clashing postponed BD tour with Asian Games.

 

Don't think BD tour is happening anytime sooner though.

Should send a decent side to Asian Games not like Emerging cup teams.

 

Pooks will field close to full strength squad so Will BD.

 

 

Yeah treat Asian Games at par with Asia Cup and Olympics at par with WC. 

[Lone Wolf]

1 minute ago, Gollum said:

If we meet Aussies in another final in Ahmedabad, psychologically we will be at a disadvantage. Aus also find new gears the deeper they go. 

 

Always best to remove the Aus threat before KOs. Ind, RSA should look to dump them out in Super 8s itself. 

Aus look too good to be knocked out before Top 4 in Indian conditions.

 

If they land in Group 2 which will have most of the games in SL then something can happen.

But as you said it's unlikely 

 

 

[Gollum]

Just now, Lone Wolf said:

Aus look too good to be knocked out before Top 4 in Indian conditions.

 

If they land in Group 2 which will have most of the games in SL then something can happen.

But as you said it's unlikely 

If they qualify, they will be in our group. Doesn't matter if they finish 1st or 2nd. 

[Stan AF]

Don't care about anything else, but we have to win the T20 WC at any costs.

 

No if's, no buts. Have to win.

 

This is the time to build an Indian T20 Dynasty and cement our legacy.

 

 

Edited December 24, 2025 by Stan AF