So, what went wrong for Team India? Let’s find out.
Would we ever have imagined that India, one of the favourites to win the T20 World Cup, could bow out of the tournament in the group stages? Well, it happened. India were eliminated from the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 taking place in UAE & Oman.
It’s no doubt that India is one of the strongest cricket teams, they take pride in their cricket. They have some extremely talented players like Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant who can single-handedly win you matches.
So, what went wrong for Team India? Let’s find out.
#1. Bubble & IPL fatigue
The T20 World Cup 2021 Indian squad played IPL under the COVID-19 bubble, which took place just before the current event, meaning they were constantly moving from one bubble to another. Many team members talked about the hardship and fatigue that come with these conditions. Also, playing two major tournaments in a row has not favoured Indian players, who looked burnt out.
#2. Schedule of India’s matches
India’s first game was against their arch-rivals Pakistan on the 24th of October. Unfortunately, team India faced a demoralizing defeat and were blown away by Pakistan by a margin of 10 wickets. This was not only India’s first loss against Pakistan in the World Cups, but it was also team India’s only loss by a huge margin of 10 wickets. This defeat might have dented their confidence but playing their next game against New Zealand after a wait of over a week, didn’t help at all.
#3. Team selection
Many were baffled by the Indian team that was selected for the T20 World Cup 2021. Top performers in IPL like Ruturaj Gaikwad (highest run-scorer), Harshal Patel (leading wicket-taker) and Yuzvendra Chahal were not part of India’s T20 World Cup squad. India selected a balanced team in their game against Pakistan. Though one would argue that Ravichandran Ashwin should have been a part of the playing eleven considering the experience, variety, and guile that he brings into India’s bowling attack.
#4. Toss and unnecessary pressure
Toss is playing an important role in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021. With dew being a factor later in the innings, teams winning the toss are opting to bowl first. Not only does that provide the opportunity for bowlers to bowl with a dry ball, but it also helps the pitch play better because of the dew. It becomes harder for the bowlers to grip the bowl in the evening. Unfortunately, India lost both the tosses against Pakistan and New Zealand. Although, this cannot be considered a reason to lose the match because both teams must bat and bowl on the same ground & the same pitch. But it does favour the team batting second, as we have seen from the results in the tournament where most of the matches have been won by the team batting second.
Although this World Cup campaign has been one of the worst for India, all is still not lost. India is a cricket-rich country, with amazingly talented players, who will bounce back even harder in the T20 World Cup 2022 taking place in Australia. Team India has won all the major ICC trophies, be it the ODI World Cup (twice), the T20 World Cup, or the Champions Trophy. With the new captain and coach at their helm, we expect Team India to be back on their winning ways in their upcoming series against New Zealand.
Sky247 is bringing the T-20 World Cup 2021 live to our viewers so that they can enjoy all the thrill & excitement. Sky247.net, a brand making its name in the sports world, is now amongst one of the biggest sports brands in India. Sky247 has had promising partnerships with some global cricket events, such as Abu Dhabi T-10 powered by Sky247.net, Sky247.net Abu Dhabi ODI series, Emirates D-20, Pakistan vs South Africa T20Is and Pakistan Super League sixth edition in 2021.
by Waqas Mustafa, Sky247 Team
(Disclaimer: This is a brand content and CricketCountry has not edited the copy)
