India has consistently raised over a billion dollars in hopes of adding a star to their shirts with their outstanding performance in the league stages of ICC T20 competitions. But oddly, they have faltered at crucial times, whether it is due to the intense strain of playing in a knockout round or just a poor day.
They were defeated in the semifinals of the 2015 and 2019 ODI World Cups, and when they finally broke through by winning the 2023 T20 World Cup at home last year, they were completely destroyed by a resolute Australia in the championship match, leaving the players and support personnel in pieces.
Despite having the most competitive and profitable league in the world, they haven’t been all that great in the T20 World Cup. However, the 2007 winners were able to make it to the final in 2014 and the semifinals in 2016 (at home) and 2022 (in Australia). They lost all three games handily, exactly like in ODI World Cups.
The disappointments have continued into the Test arena, when India was eliminated in the two World Test Championship finals—a position that is extremely difficult to achieve in and of itself.
India will thus be carrying a heavy cross to the Americas, especially for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, two players who may be playing in their final T20 World Cup together.
They are both fortunate to have a well-balanced team, but their biggest challenge will be dealing with early starts. India will play all of its group matches and Super 8 fixtures in the morning local time if they qualify in the top two of Group A, for the benefit of domestic television viewers.
The early starts will present a fresh challenge for a team accustomed to playing primarily under lights, especially in Twenty20 cricket, but India has enough experience in their ranks to overcome it. Additionally, they have mostly selected four spinners, and if the pitch has any morning juice, players like Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah may be able to take advantage of it.
However, the form and mindset of star all-arounder Hardik Pandya will be the main cause for concern. The Mumbai Indians supporters, who were angry that the vice captain had replaced Rohit as skipper, heckled the vice captain during the IPL. Then, there are whispers of a rift between him and his spouse Natasha Stankovic. How Hardik gets through this challenging time is still to be seen.
Pakistan, on the other hand, is the group’s top contender and they are quite confident. After temporarily stepping down during a poor ODI World Cup last year, star batsman Babar Azam is back in charge of the team. They have a few strong pacers who can really raise the pulse rate, as well as a few dangerous batsmen.
All eyes, however, will be on Mohammed Amir, who announced his retirement in 2020 and is set to make a reappearance. Amir’s career has fluctuated dramatically, much like his deliveries, and he will be eager to make his comeback matter. He was once regarded as Wasim Akram’s heir apparent.
Ireland is the underdog in the group, and the United States and Canada, the co-hosts, will need a miracle to prevail against the two Asian superpowers.
Teams: India: Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma (captain).
Pakistan: Muhammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, and Babar Azam (c).
Ireland: Paul Stirling (c), Mark Adair, Ross Adair, Andrew Balbirnie, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Graham Hume, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy, Neil Rock, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young.
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