The Indian Cricket team certainly has billions of fans across the world. But these fans were left with sorrow on their side when India went down against New Zealand in their second match of the tournament. This match was a virtual quarter-final with the other 3 teams being associate and second-tier teams. With this defeat, the Indian Cricket Team’s campaign has mostly ended with the last ray of hope being Afghanistan defeating New Zealand. So, what has gone wrong for the Indian Cricket Team at the 2021 T20 World Cup? Here’s a look: –
Lack of Wicket Taking Bowling Options: –
The lack of wicket-taking bowling options got exposed in this tournament, where the Indian batting didn’t perform well. When the runs are not put on board, the bowlers in the shortest format seemed to collapse under pressure. The wicket-taking intent was not visible because there were not many runs on the board.
Whenever India needed a wicket in a crunch situation, Virat Kohli had to hand over the ball to Jasprit Bumrah. The other options like Varun Chakravarthy, Mohammad Shami, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar looked off-color. India at this position certainly was feeling the absence of the experience of Yuzvendra Chahal.
Shocking Selection Processes of Indian 15 Member Team: –
The 15-member squad chosen for the T20 World Cup was also a shocking announcement. The team features great players like Ravichandran Ashwin, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya. But there are a few questions on which the team needs to ponder upon. The absence of Shreyas Iyer after a good home series against England and a good IPL, the absence of Yuzi Chahal, and the presence of very big support staff.
Considering that the Indian Team is selected based on international form, Shreyas Iyer’s absence was a big eyebrow-raiser. Furthermore, Yuzvendra Chahal’s absence is disheartening. It doesn’t ignore the fact that the team didn’t play well. But what it does is that it sends a message to the players that, even if you play well, there is a chance that you will not be chosen. Also, if Ravichandran Ashwin was only to be benched, you could have chosen a young spinner for gaining experience. This was also the case when Ambati Rayudu was dropped and Vijay Shankar was picked ahead of him!
Losing the Toss: –
The toss has been very crucial in this tournament. The games are turning out to be a no-show since the scores are low and the team that wins the toss, wins the match. The games are becoming predictable. Losing the toss on both occasions didn’t do wonders for India. Again, it doesn’t overshadow the fact that India batted poorly but the toss plays on the players’ psychology.
To conclude, I would say that as a true fan I’m hopeful of a miracle. Maybe Afghanistan has something in store for us! Nevertheless, if we lose out this time, a T20 World Cup awaits us in Australia, the very next year!