India, March 10 -- India's journey from the T20 World Cup triumph in 2024 to defending the title in 2026 was not a straight line from one celebration to the next. It was a reset, disguised as continuity. On the surface, India remained the dominant force in T20 cricket, carrying forward the aura of a champion side. Underneath, though, almost everything important changed. The captain changed. The coach changed. The batting structure changed. Even the team's idea of what a T20 side should look like changed.

That is what makes this two-year stretch so compelling. India did not retain the T20 World Cup by simply holding on to a great team. They retained it by breaking up a champion side at exactly the right moment and building a new one befor...