 "In a rare admittance, Pakistan legends have hailed Team India and its growing dominance. Images: PTI/Tamasha Sports/X")
India’s record-breaking T20 World Cup 2026 victory has resulted in Pakistani cricketers admitting that the Men in Blue are miles ahead of the Pakistan cricket team, not just now, but have been ahead of them for a long while. One of the biggest endorsements of how strong the Indian side were and is came from former captain Shahid Afridi, legendary batter Javed Miandad and former all-rounder Imad Wasim.
The 2026 T20 World Cup victory is the third time India have won the ICC event, the most for any team . Suryakumar Yadav and Co also became the first team to defend the T20 World Cup trophy and to win it at home. In the same tournament, Pakistan could not even get out of the group stage under the captaincy of Salman Ali Agha.
‘India are bigger than us Pakistan’
Imad Wasim, who played a starring role in Pakistan’s victory in the Champions Trophy 2017 win over India, paid a glowing tribute to Team India. The former all-rounder Imad said that India won the T20 World Cup after playing on different types of pitches, and it was time for the Pakistani cricket fraternity to accept that India are way ahead of them.
“We always hear people saying that umpires favour India or that they prepare spin-friendly pitches, but you have to agree that in this tournament, the pitches were very well balanced. Sometimes, the conditions were even against India, but they still managed to deliver a dominating performance,” Imad Wasim said on a Pakistani TV channel.
“So, we should not always nitpick or claim that India are looking for an escape route. As a cricketing nation, we have to praise them for their performance and accept the fact that in terms of cricket, they are bigger than us (Pakistan) and many other teams,” he added.
Former Pakistan Test captain and legendary batter Javed Miandad said that India have a well-rounded team with players who are “result-driven.”
“Their team (India) is now reaping the benefits of a strong process-driven cricket structure,” Miandad said.
“If you look at the talent they are producing now, it is because of their strong structure. They are not short on batters, spinners or fast bowlers and their young players are result-driven and have game awareness,” he added. “We had this environment in our dressing room once and we won frequently.”
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View AllAfridi recalls Pakistan ‘shivering’ against India
One of the most popular Pakistan cricketers, Shahid Afridi, recalled how India have been one of the best sides for a long time, and how Pakistani batters were shivering against India during their 2011 World Cup semi-finals.
“I remember in 2011, when we were playing the semi-finals against India in Chandigarh. We started very well. Mohammad Hafeez and Kamran Akmal scored 90 runs. We didn’t have any wickets at that time. And even as a captain sitting relaxed, thinking we will win. The first wicket fell. After that, the way the crowd picked up the Indian team and how they fought, some of my batters were shivering,” Afridi said on Samaa TV.
“As a leader and captain, I was watching Hafeez getting out. And then our players struggled on every ball. Because there was so much noise behind them. We went under immense pressure”.