India gained the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in 2007 however has solely made the ultimate as soon as in the six editions since then
India gained the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in 2007 however has solely made the ultimate as soon as in the six editions since then
Form on the Twenty20 World Cup has been one thing of an anomaly for India because it gained the inaugural title in 2007.
India levels cricket’s largest and most profitable franchise T20 competitors, which repeatedly options the most important stars of the worldwide sport as effectively the homegrown stars similar to Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
The nationwide crew boasts among the most interesting batters and bowlers in each spin and tempo departments, and allrounders who could make a distinction.
Yet India hasn’t gained the T20 world title for the reason that very first in South Africa, and has solely reached the ultimate as soon as in the six subsequent editions.
Even final yr, as host, India didn’t make it out of the group stage in a shocking run that included losses to arch rival Pakistan and eventual finalist New Zealand.
For context, although, guidelines in place for the COVID-19 pandemic meant India was host in title and funding solely, with all video games performed in the United Arab Emirates or Oman.
So Rohit’s so-called Men in Blue are determined to show issues round in Australia.
Group
After unofficial warmups in opposition to in opposition to Australia on Monday and New Zealand on Wednesday in Brisbane, India’s marketing campaign will begin with a blockbuster in opposition to Pakistan on Oct. 23 on the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which is offered out. It will then play Bangladesh and South Africa, in addition to two qualifiers from the primary spherical.
India has been acclimatizing in Western Australia, the place it had a win and a loss in apply video games in opposition to a West Australian XI.
Regroup
Following final yr’s T20 World Cup embarrassment in the UAE, India made some adjustments to the composition of the crew and training employees.
Rohit Sharma now leads the crew following Virat Kohli’s resolution in 2021 to step down as captain. Rahul Dravid has changed Ravi Shastri as head coach.
Under new captain and coach, India has performed 35 T20s at house and away, with 26 wins and eight losses. It holds the report for most wins in a calendar yr, taking this way into the World Cup.
India missed the ultimate of the Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates however rallied for 2-1 T20 sequence wins at house in opposition to Australia and South Africa earlier than the highest squad headed Down Under for the worldwide event.
“We can get caught up with what happens during T20 games in India. The boundaries are shorter there. In Australia, the boundaries are far bigger and give the bowlers a bit of license to work with,” veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin mentioned through the coaching camp in Perth.
Strengths
Suryakumar Yadav has been one of many T20 stars for India in current months. He has scored 864 runs in 26 matches at strike-rate of 180 and is at the moment ranked No. 2 in the ICC’s Men’s T20 batting charts.
He has risen to be the fulcrum of India’s lineup, and its hopes for a second T20 title will depend on Yadav staying in kind.
India’s batting depth is robust, with Rohit, Kohli and Lokesh Rahul making a formidable top-order, backed up by Yadav at No. 4. Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik are assigned finishers.
Rishabh Pant is each a back-up opener and wicketkeeper-batsman in the squad. Despite mercurial performances on Australian soil in the previous, Pant is just not anticipated to characteristic repeatedly in India’s first-choice XI.
Setbacks
In a significant blow to its title aspirations, India might be lacking main quick bowler Jasprit Bumrah and allrounder Ravindra Jadeja due to long-term accidents, and Deepak Chahar was dominated out with a again damage earlier this week.
Bowling stays a priority for India in the absence of Jadeja and Bumrah, who is an excellent T20 bowler and excels significantly in the late overs.
In his absence, younger pacers Harshal Patel and Arshdeep Singh have struggled to return to phrases with the high-pressure job. Even the skilled Bhuvneshwar Kumar struggled through the current Asia Cup and in opposition to Australia at house.
Axar Patel has come in as left-arm spinner in place of Jadeja, who additionally might be sorely missed in the sphere.
On Friday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India mentioned Mohammed Shami would exchange Bumrah because the fifteenth participant in the squad. Shami had already landed in Australia and can be a part of the Indian crew in Brisbane for two warmup matches in opposition to Australia and New Zealand subsequent week.
Shami has expertise of enjoying in Australia and was India’s second highest wicket-taker through the ODI World Cup in 2019. The right-arm quick bowler was attributable to play in the house T20 sequence in opposition to Australia and South Africa final month however pulled out after he examined optimistic for COVID-19.
He hasn’t performed a T20 worldwide in virtually a yr since claiming six wickets in 5 video games over the past T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
Squad
Rohit Sharma (captain), Lokesh Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Deepak Hooda, Mohammed Shami.
Indian schedule on the T20 World Cup
India vs Pakistan: October 23, Sunday at 1:30 PM IST
India vs A2 : October 27, Thursday at 12:30 PM IST
India vs South Africa: October 30, Sunday at 4:30 PM IST
India vs Bangladesh: November 2, Wednesday at 1:30 PM IST
India vs B1: November 6, Sunday at 1:30 PM IST
