EXCLUSIVE: Anjum Chopra on T20 World Cup impact and why no team can be taken lightly in T20 cricket

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The rise of new teams and the unpredictability of modern T20 cricket are not surprises to former India captain Anjum Chopra.

Instead, Chopra sees the current competitiveness of the format as the natural outcome of decades of development in the global game.

"I have seen these associate nations come through from when they started," she said. "For the last 20-25 years, ICC has been promoting cricket and the associate nations."

The expansion of global tournaments, she explains, has simply accelerated that process.

"They've only expanded the pool from 12 nations to 16 and then to 20 nations," she said. "The reason why associate nations are showcasing their talent now is because they've been at it for the last few years."

T20, by its very nature, allows emerging teams to compete with traditional powers more easily.

"T20 is never a format where anyone should take the opposition lightly because it's the shortest format of the game," Chopra said. "There are just those 120 balls and who makes a greater impact actually emerges as the winner."

Put those same teams into longer formats, however, and the equation changes.

"You put the same teams in Test match cricket and you'll see a very one-sided contest," she said.

For that reason, Chopra believes associate nations will take time before they become competitive in ODIs or Test cricket.

"There are a lot of factors... before they make it to a one-day team and ODI team," she said. "It doesn't happen very easily and it won't happen so quickly. But eventually it will happen."

The Evolution of T20 Cricket in India

The evolution of cricket's shortest format itself has also been rapid.

"When T20 started to where T20 is today, that's also changed," she said. "In the next few years down the line... we'll see more impactful T20 cricket."

For Chopra, that constant evolution mirrors how athletes themselves approach improvement - something she connects to lessons beyond the field.

"Decision making," she said, when asked what her academic background contributes to cricket.

"It is ongoing. It is not only on the field or off the field. It is in everyday life... you only have to control it. You only have to analyze it."

That blend of discipline and reflection has defined Chopra's career, from her playing days to her current role analysing the sport's growth.

Her view of cricket's future, much like her view of her own career, remains rooted in steady progress rather than sudden change.

"It's a very ongoing process," she said.