T20 World Cup 2022: Takeaways for Rohit Sharma and Co.
India crashed out of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 following a humiliating 10-wicket loss to England in the semi-final. Chasing 169 at the Adelaide Oval, the Brits didn't break a sweat and crossed the line with four overs to spare. Notably, India finished atop the Group 2 standings, having won four of their five games. Here are the key takeaways from their campaign.
Batters failed to maximize powerplay overs
Indian batters could not make most of the field restrictions in the powerplay overs. In the first six overs, the team scored at a paltry rate of 6.02. Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul's reluctance at the start is the main reason behind the issue. India lost nine wickets in powerplay in six matches in the tournament. Only seven sixes were smashed in this phase.
India need to look beyond Rohit Sharma
Skipper Rohit Sharma could not lead the team from the front and there are numerous reasons why the selectors need to look beyond him in T20I cricket. He scored just 116 runs at an average and strike rate of 19.33 and 106.42, respectively (50s: 1). Notably, Rohit will turn 36 in April next year and the next T20 WC is in June 2024.
KL Rahul not turning up against big teams
Although KL Rahul smashed two successive half-centuries in the competition, he had unforgettable outings against prominent teams. The 30-year-old recorded poor scores of 4,9,9, and 5 against Pakistan, Netherlands, South Africa, and England (semi-final), respectively. Rahul smashed 50 and 51 against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. The Indian team vice-captain indeed has to become a 'big-match player' to stamp his authority.
Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav's brilliant run
Fortunately for India, Kohli and Suryakumar were in sublime touch throughout the tournament The former smashed 296 runs in six games with the help of four half-centuries. While his average is close to 100, he struck at 136.41. SKY smashed 239 runs at an astonishing strike rate of 189.68 (50s: 3). The duo was indeed critical to India's stellar show in the league stage.
Absence of an attacking spinner hurt India
India's decision of playing Ravichandran Ashwin ahead of Yuzvendra Chahal throughout the tournament left many experts perplexed. The former took just six wickets, out of which three came against Zimbabwe. Almost all prominent teams had a wrist-spinner in their XI but India had different plans. Chahal, the highest wicket-taker of IPL 2022, would have been effective in the big dimensions of Australian grounds.
Hardik Pandya can be a long-term leadership option
Another highlight of India's campaign was Hardik Pandya's brilliant run The all-rounder took eight wickets alongside scoring 128 runs, including a 33-ball 63 in the semi-final. He'll lead India's T20I team in the upcoming NZ tour and the selectors can look at him as a long-term leadership option. Pandya led Gujarat Titans to IPL 2022 glory in his maiden leadership assignment in the tournament.
Have India become 'chokers'?
The 2013 Champions Trophy was the last ICC tournament that saw India emerging winners. Since then, the team has appeared in the knock-out stage of seven of the eight ICC events. However, they fell short every single time. The team management must address this issue as players need to take more accountability and handle pressure in a better way in crucial games.
