T20 World Cup 2026's 'Stupidest Team' Named By England Great, It Lost Only One Match. There's A Big India Connection

The T20 World Cup 2026 had several great performances. While India were the winners, New Zealand showed the world their prowess as a solid T20I side with the way they dismantled South Africa in the semi-final. Zimbabwe were truly the surprise package as they outplayed Australia to enter the Super 8. Even the losing semi-finalists, South Africa and England, were among the most consistent teams until they were knocked out.

But former England captain Michael Vaughan found what he called the "stupidest team" of the T20 World Cup. His hilarious reason was that because South Africa beat West Indies in Super 8, India got a great chance to qualify for the semi-finals despite being under pressure.

"I tell you, who I think is the stupidest team of the tournament? South Africa. Because if South Africa had allowed the West Indies to beat them in the Super 8s, India would have been knocked out. I'm just saying - if they had cleared them out, the juggernaut that was coming would have stopped," Vaughan said on the Stick to Cricket podcast, as quoted by The Indian Express.

"By winning that game, they allowed the juggernaut to go on. India then beat Zimbabwe, then the West Indies in a kind of quarterfinal, and then England. South Africa had to play Zimbabwe next, and they even rested three players for that match."

Vaughan earlier termed India the best white-ball side in the world. "India are the best T20 team by a good distance. Plus the best 50-over team by a good distance. They will take some stopping in white-ball cricket. They have taken the game to a different level."

Vaughan also picked Jasprit Bumrah as his Player of the Tournament, while noting: "But you can get them in Test cricket."

Sanju Samson, for his three crucial fifties in the virtual quarterfinal against the West Indies, the semifinal against England and the final, was adjudged the Player of the Tournament.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team South Africa Cricket Team New Zealand Cricket Team T20 World Cup 2026 Michael Vaughan Cricket