After a 76-run drubbing at the hands of South Africa, the defending champions need to win the next two Super 8 matches against Zimbabwe and West Indies by a big margin to have any chance of qualifying for the semi-finals of the ongoing 2026 T20 World Cup.
Forget NRR, just win: Irfan Pathan vs Suryakumar Yadav
Now the Net Run Rate can decide everything. Pathan believes that thinking about large profit margins will only put pressure on the Men in Blue. The cricket pundit noted that winning by 100 runs is not easy in T20Is and if players start thinking too much about the net run rate, they can lose focus.
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Talking about JioStar’s Follow the Blues, Irfan Pathan said, “I really hope that this approach of playing for net run rate doesn’t come into play at the start of the game. The priority should be to win the game first. So perform well and try to win. Only then should you think about run rate.”
When you start thinking about chasing the net run rate of, say, the West Indies, it’s almost impossible. That would mean beating teams like Zimbabwe and West Indies by a margin of 100 runs, which is not easy in T20 cricket. So I sincerely hope that when the Indian team plays the next two matches, the main focus is on winning first.”
Left combination that worries India
India’s batting is also another problem. The top order has three left-handers: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma. But Abhishek is seriously out of form. He scored just 15 points in four games. Ishan has been inconsistent while Tilak has scored runs but his strike rate is poor.
Due to early wickets, Suryakumar Yadav has played carefully. The Indian captain is known for his attacking shots, but he looks more cautious at the moment. Pathan has suggested that Suryakumar bat at number three to break the left-hand combination at the top.
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Should Suryakumar Yadav bat at number 3? Pathan proposes a bold move
Pathan further explained, “I think Surya can bat at number three. From the team’s perspective, I understand the conservative approach, especially since Abhishek has come out early. In the last match, Ishan Kishan got out in the first over.”
He signed off by saying, “You don’t want to put Suryakumar Yadav at number three when he is so effective in the middle overs batting at 160. If something goes wrong with the new ball, just one good ball can get him out. So I understand the thinking. However, they should still consider batting Suryakumar Yadav at number three to break the monotony of having three left-handers at the top.”
Notably, India were unbeaten in the group stages, but a big defeat to South Africa and the West Indies’ comprehensive win over Zimbabwe made matters worse for the Men in Blue in the Super 8s.
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