T20 World Cup 2022: 3 player battles to watch out for in IND vs ZIM match
Team India would be a bit relieved that their match against Zimbabwe at the MCG is not a do-or-die encounter after the Netherlands managed to knock the Proteas out of the T20 World Cup.
Although India have qualified for the semifinals, they would still like to top the group and face England in the semifinals at Adelaide. For that to happen, they will need to overcome a Zimbabwean side that has nothing to lose and who has already pulled off an upset earlier, beating Pakistan.
In such tricky situations, the match-ups play a crucial part in the game and there are certainly some key face-offs to watch out for when the two teams lock horns later today. On that note, let's take a look at some of them:
#3 KL Rahul vs Blessing Muzarabani
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KL Rahul has finally found some much-needed form in the tournament after scoring a fabulous half-century off just 31 balls against Bangladesh. He will be keen to carry on the momentum that he has received from that innings into the semifinals, and for that, he will probably want to score big against Zimbabwe.
However, Zimbabwe have a wicket-taker with the new ball in the form of Blessing Muzarabani. In just seven games, he has picked up 11 wickets at a fine average of 13.55. His natural angle makes him nip the ball into the right-hander, something that can put Rahul into trouble.
The Indian opener has also been a bit tentative at the start of his innings and that would certainly be something Muzarabani would like to exploit to strike early.
#2 Sikandar Raza vs Mohammed Shami
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Sikandar Raza has arguably been Bangladesh's MVP and plays a crucial role in that lower middle order for Zimbabwe. He has scored 185 runs in the tournament at a fantastic strike rate of 149.19 and is a real threat to India's chances if they don't manage to dismiss him early.
But Raza has had some issues with short-pitched bowling this tournament as he has been caught at square leg while trying to pull it. He doesn't remain in control of this shot and that is where Mohammed Shami could be a real game-changer for India.
Shami is a hit-the-deck bowler who can rush the batter with his pace and hard lengths. He has been used as an enforcer in the middle overs and can cause huge problems for Raza if he gets his radar right.
#1 Suryakumar Yadav vs Sikandar Raza
𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓. 𝐀. 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐑.🇮🇳💪
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Sikandar Raza has been brilliant for Zimbabwe with the ball too as he has picked up wickets at crucial intervals. He delivered a Player of the Match performance against Pakistan as his three-fer caused a huge upset for the opposition.
Team India will hope that their middle order can dominate the off-spinner, particularly Suryakumar Yadav. 'SKY' has been in unreal form for quite some time now and is also the No.1 ranked T20I batter.
He will not hold back from taking on Raza and the latter will also believe that he has some tricks up his sleeve to fox the star batter. Overall, it promises to be a fantastic match-up.