India, Nov. 27 -- India's title defence at the 2026 T20 World Cup won't just be about form, injuries or match-ups. Before a ball is bowled, the entire tournament is already sitting inside a fixed grid of labels - A1, A2, X1, Y3 - that decides paths, venues, and marquee clashes. And the ICC quietly confirmed that those labels are pre-assigned, not earned during the tournament.

It sounds technical, but shapes everything from when India meet Pakistan to how a giant-killing associate can really bend the draw.

Start with the groups. For the 20-team event, the ICC has locked in group seed labels before the tournament starts. India are A1, Pakistan are A2, USA A3, Netherlands A4, Namibia A5 in Group A - and those tags do not change even if, sa...