T20 WC 2026: Rashid Khan dismisses home advantage, cites IPL experience

Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan, England skipper Harry Brook, and West Indies captain Shai Hope shared their insights on team strategies, mindset, and challenges as the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 edges closer, during the Captain's media briefing in Colombo on Thursday, according to ICC.

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Rashid Khan on Home Advantage and Strategy

Speaking on the perceived home advantage for teams familiar with subcontinental conditions, Rashid Khan was measured in his response. "There is definitely an advantage, but I think all the teams -- the main players, they have been playing IPL for a long time here, and they are all used to the conditions here. I don't think so; there are more advantages for Afghanistan than for the other team. Everyone has an advantage, and they are all pretty much familiar with the wickets and conditions. But it's just about the day, like how you play your game, and you bring your best game. So I think you can't say the advantage," said the Afghan skipper.

Mindset Over High Scores

On bowling strategy, Rashid emphasised mindset over focusing on high scores. "As a bowler, you can't really think about scoring 200 or 300...You always come with a positive mindset of restricting [the opposition] as low as possible. If they are coming with their mindset of scoring too many runs, you have to have those kinds of skills to drop it down. That is what experience comes in. When the condition is not much in your favour, you bring your skills into the game."

Skills Over Luck

Rashid also stressed the importance of skills over luck in T20 cricket. "Most of the time, in the last four or five years, I have seen lots of players decide the game with the toss. They think if we win the toss, we win the game. I think they just take the skills out of the game. Me, myself, I trust that and not the toss. If you bowl a good yorker, no one in the world will hit it for six. If you are bowling into the stump in a good area, you will get the right result. Now, if you are bowling badly, anyone can punish you. It is all up to you how you manage your deliveries...What are the best deliveries you can bowl into the batsman? That is what I believe in."

Rising Team Expectations

The Afghanistan captain also addressed team expectations. "Before, the expectation for us ten years ago was that we should be in the World Cup. Once we started beating teams, we got into the semis. Last year we got into the semis, and now the expectation is to be in the final. But it all comes from hard work on the ground...We set the target of putting 200% effort into the ground. When we leave the ground, we are happy we've given our all," Rashid added.

Harry Brook on Focus and Fearless Batting

England captain Harry Brook highlighted the importance of staying focused on process and performance. "We have said from the start that we just want to take it game by game, stay in the moment as much as possible and see where we land in a couple of weeks. Absolutely, we are confident, we want to try and get all the way, obviously. We just have to stick to our guns and play the way we play."

Challenge of Batting in India

Brook also spoke on the challenge of batting in India, where conditions can produce high scores. "I think there are plenty of grounds in India where there could be a score of 300+. The wickets look quite good at the moment. Rapid outfields and fairly short boundaries...You just have to go out there and be fearless, not worry about getting out, and try to take the bowlers on as much as possible." He added, "Yeah, you've got to stay with a cool head as much as you possibly can. Try to slow the game down in specific moments and speed the game up when you think you are on top. Make your bowlers as calm as possible as well."

The England skipper also acknowledged the support for their opponents, saying, "I just want to say a massive good luck to those boys. They've done exceptionally well throughout this competition. All of us lads will be watching in the team room when they play and cheering them on. All the best to them. Go out and enjoy it. It'll be lovely to see them beat India."

Shai Hope on Consistency and Evolving Tactics

West Indies captain Shai Hope, meanwhile, focused on representing his team with consistency. "Every single time you cross that line, you are representing the people of the West Indies. The aim is always to win games...We try to make sure we make them proud by putting in good performances. The aim is to get as many runs as possible. You never know when you get some of those forceful batters to play against. You have to find ways to limit the scoring and give yourself a better chance of chasing."

Evolving T20 Strategies

Hope reflected on evolving strategies in T20 cricket. "I just feel right now we have explored a lot of options...Everything is evolving. We're going to find another way to play a different shot, bowl a different delivery, or add something new to our game."

Focusing on Controllables

On focusing amid uncontrollable circumstances, he added, "As long as you focus on controlling what you can control...We've got to focus on preparation and what we need to do to come up against whatever opposition we face." (ANI)