Team India’s rise as the undisputed world champion, with its unparalleled dominance on the field, is being overshadowed by the BCCI’s power plays and the encroachment of hyper-nationalist politics into cricket.

In my January 2023 editorial, I had lamented that the Indian cricket team’s performance fell far short of its staggering advantages: the world’s wealthiest cricket board, the largest talent pool, and by far the most passionate fan base—one that translates into multimillion-dollar endorsements for its top players. Even with all this going for it, India’s international ranking was down to third among barely a dozen legacy teams. Despite the capital, manpower, and frenzied following of the Indian Premier League (IPL), India had not won a T20 World Cup since 2007.

I had argued then that, given this vast disparity in resources, there was no reason why the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) could not cultivate two or even three deep squads capable of consistently dominating the global stage.

Voilà! In just three short years, Team India has done exactly that. They entered the 2026 T20 World Cup on a 19-match unbeaten streak across all International Cricket Council (ICC) events—and then lifted the trophy with only a single loss in eight games. That culminates in an unprecedented 26–1 record—total domination by any metric.

A Team Without Parallel

Global icons have acknowledged this supremacy. Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting described the current T20 squad as “the strongest ever assembled.” Matthew Hayden, the power-hitter turned commentator, declared India “almost impossible” to beat in high-stakes matches. New Zealand captain Kane Williamson, after losing to India in the 2023 World Cup, called them the “best team in the world… all playing their best cricket.” That year, India emerged as a powerhouse. Now, with its latest World Cup win this March, its overwhelming stature in international cricket is undeniable.

This winning streak is not merely the result of the raw talent of a few; it reflects a highly structured ecosystem. From school and district levels to the Ranji Trophy and the IPL, India has built a continuous talent funnel. This system has moved beyond the “small elite” model of a bygone era. The financial windfall of producing champions has further incentivized a new level of professionalism across the entire chain of selectors, coaches, and administrators.

In a nation often criticized for bureaucratic inertia, Indian cricket has reached a refreshing meritocracy where no player is an “untouchable” fixture. A widely shared India Today analysis of Ajit Agarkar’s selection panel during the 2026 T20 World Cup praised their “bold calls,” noting they first strongly backed Shubman Gill—and then dropped him when the team combination required more power-hitting. This is the same Gill who had seemingly sealed his spot with stellar performances in recent bilateral tournaments.

If a batsman of Gill’s caliber can be dropped, it is a clear indication that India’s batting lineup is the deepest the game has ever seen. Not even Australia in the heyday of Gilchrist, Hayden, and Ponting, nor the West Indies of the 2010s with Gayle, Samuels, Pollard, and Sammy, quite matches the depth of this Indian batting order. What distinguishes this lineup is a fusion of IPL-honed game awareness, a team-first mindset over personal milestones, a relentless intent to attack from the first delivery, and the ability of even the eighth batsman to completely turn around the narrative of a game when needed.

On the bowling front, consider a squad where a spinner as lethal as Kuldeep Yadav is not assured of a place in the XI, and where Jasprit Bumrah stands as the undisputed master of modern pace. Bumrah’s greatness lies not only in natural skill but in the spot-on calibrated variations— from searing yorkers to deceptive slower balls—delivered with surgical precision.

Pride—and a Shadow

As someone who grew up playing cricket in the 70s and 80s—passionately following the Indian team when it was more often the underdog—this era fills me with immense pride and joy. Alas, if only Indian cricket were solely about the brilliance displayed on the field.

What casts a dark shadow over this golden age is what is happening off the field. No one likes smug, conceited winners—and yet that is increasingly how the BCCI and the country’s political establishment are coming across. Fueled by revenue from a billion fans, the BCCI has made it a habit of flexing its finan- cial muscle to dictate venues, schedules, and rules. Worse, it is using cricket as an instrument of state- craft and allowing geopolitical tensions to erode the spirit of the game.

Team India’s refusal to shake hands with Pakistani players at the recent World Cup was especially unfortunate. If the gesture was truly a matter of principle or national pride, then why participate in the match at all? To be seduced by the massive commercial windfall of an India-Pakistan encounter, only to then reject basic sporting courtesy, smacks of hypocrisy.

The ICC recently declined Bangladesh’s request to move its matches to Sri Lanka over security concerns stemming from political tensions with India. Yet, just last year, India was granted neutral venues for its matches in Pakistan, citing similar security fears. Granting such accommodations when it suits India’s interests, while denying them to others, suggests that the ICC is compromised in its deference to the BCCI’s outsized influence. Such blatant double standards are not surprising, considering that the ICC is now headed by Jay Shah, the former Secretary of the BCCI. Additionally, he is the son of Amit Shah, India’s powerful Minister of Home Affairs. In a culture where such filial ties cannot be brushed aside as inconsequential, the ICC Chairman’s personal ties to India’s right-wing ruling party only add to the already simmering resentment of BCCI’s “strong-arm” tactics.

When Politics Clouds the Game

The brilliance on the field—Suryakumar Yadav’s audacious 360-degree strokeplay; Sanju Samson’s sublime composure, control, and pacing; Axar Patel’s stupendous diving catches; and Varun Chakravarthy’s crafty carrom balls—is tarnished when players are compelled to let hyper-nationalism corrupt the sport.

Writing for Al Jazeera, award-winning journalist Andrew Fidel Fernando noted: “Other boards have allowed India’s will to prevail to such an extent that its motives now need not be merely economic; they can be nakedly political. And cricket is being eaten alive in this dark intersection between money and politics.”

What a shame that the power shenanigans of India’s cricket establishment are stealing the thunder from a generation of players who have finally emerged as the true masters of the game.

Parthiv N. Parekh is the editor-in-chief of Khabar. We welcome your comments at editor@khabar.com.