The T20 World Cup is just a few days away. The tournament will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, starting February 7th. Defending champions and number one in the ICC T20 rankings, Team India is considered the favorite to win the tournament. Over the past year, the team has won numerous series and matches, and under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav, it is setting new records. However, former Indian captain Rohit Sharma has stated that the path to defending the title will not be easy. India won the T20 World Cup in 2024 under Rohit's captaincy.
Before the start of the tournament, Rohit revealed Team India's biggest concern. According to him, the biggest challenge facing the team management will be including Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy together in the playing XI. They will be considering whether to play both of them together or to field only Varun for the entire tournament.
Spin: India's Main Weapon
Team India has relied heavily on its spin attack over the past few years. Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel have been regulars in the team and have troubled opposition teams. However, Rohit emphasized the importance of the timing of the tournament, saying that as we move from winter to spring, there will be plenty of dew in evening matches.
Suryakumar-Gambhir's Biggest Challenge
Speaking on Hotstar, Rohit said, "The biggest challenge for Suryakumar Yadav and coach Gautam Gambhir will be how to play Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy together. If you want a combination that works with these two, you'll only be able to play two fast bowlers, which is a big challenge." Axar is the vice-captain of the team and provides balance to the team, making it difficult to drop him. However, despite these challenges, the world-winning captain said that if he were in Suryakumar's place, he would play both spinners.
Team balance may be affected.
Rohit's point is valid because playing three spinners will impact team balance. If all three, Axar, Kuldeep, and Varun, play, India will have to field only Jasprit Bumrah. Hardik will play the second pacer, and Shivam Dubey will play the third pacer. Neither Arshdeep Singh nor Harshit Rana will be able to play, which would be a gamble, a risk. Rohit said that it will not be easy for Suryakumar and Gambhir to balance the playing XI. Not playing one player would mean dropping a top player.
Will dew play a significant role?
Rohit said, "Looking at the playing conditions in India, there was a lot of dew in the current New Zealand series. In February and March, there will be dew in most parts of India as the winter season ends. Even in Mumbai, even though it's not cold there, dew will play a significant role. According to me, 90 to 95 percent of the grounds will have dew. This is the biggest challenge. Most matches could be affected by it."
"Dropping a fast bowler is not right."
The former captain said, "What would the coach and captain be thinking in such a situation? Would they prefer to go with three spinners? They can do that, as there is no set rule for that. But that would require dropping a specialist fast bowler, which would not be right. It would completely depend on the thinking of the team leadership." India will begin its campaign in the T20 World Cup on February 7. India's first match is against the USA. Team India will play its group matches in Mumbai, Delhi, Colombo, and Ahmedabad. The grand match between India and Pakistan is on February 15.
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