JioStar turns India’s T20 World Cup into a three-record challenge

Mumbai: JioStar has fired the opening shot for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup India and Sri Lanka 2026, pitching the tournament not as a routine title defence but as a showdown with history itself.

Led by Rohit Sharma, the captain who lifted India’s second T20 World Cup in 2024, the broadcaster’s new campaign argues that India’s toughest rival in 2026 is not another team but a set of records that have never been broken.

Titled History repeat karenge. History defeat karenge, the film highlights three feats that remain untouched in the tournament’s history. No team has ever defended a Men’s T20 World Cup title. No host nation has won the trophy on home soil. No country has lifted the cup three times. As defending champions and the world’s top-ranked T20I side, India stand within striking distance of all three.

The film opens with Rohit Sharma addressing the nation, not as a strategist analysing opponents but as a leader reflecting on legacy. Traditional rivals are acknowledged, but quickly set aside. The real obstacle, he says, is history itself. The narrative shifts from numbers to belief, underlining that cricket is decided on the field, not in record books, before closing with a call for fans to back a side determined not just to repeat history but to defeat it.

Conceptualised by JioStar’s in-house creative team, the campaign leans into India’s sustained dominance in the shortest format, from its number one T20I ranking to having the world’s top-ranked batter and bowler. The tone is unapologetically ambitious, celebrating a team intent on pushing boundaries rather than protecting past glory.

“This World Cup is unique because India isn’t just playing against a diverse array of nations; they are playing against decades of never-been-done-before,” said Siddharth Sharma, head of sports content at JioStar. “Our campaign captures the intent to overcome historic odds. It’s about the audacity to believe that while history is written about the past, it can be rewritten by the present.”

The campaign follows JioStar’s recent film featuring India’s women’s world champions, with Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma lending their voices in support of the men’s team. Fresh from winning their first ICC title, the women backing the men marks a symbolic role reversal and a nod to the growing stature of the women’s game.

India begin their World Cup campaign against the USA in Mumbai on February 7, followed by Namibia on February 12, Pakistan on February 15 and the Netherlands on February 18. The tournament runs until March 8, with all matches to be broadcast on JioHotstar and the Star Sports Network.

For JioStar, the message is clear. This is not about defending a crown. It is about daring a generation to do what history says cannot be done.