3 changes India need to make before next T20 World Cup
India started as one of the favorites to lift the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 trophy. However, the Men in Blue have already returned home before the final match of the tournament.
Virat Kohli and co. crashed out of the competition after losing two of their five games in the Super 12 round.
Pakistan and New Zealand beat India in their first two Super 12 matches. Although the Men in Blue bounced back by defeating Afghanistan, Scotland and Namibia, they could not finish in the Top 2 of the Group 2 points table.
India's performance in the 2021 T20 World Cup disappointed their fans a lot, but the Indian team has an opportunity to win the T20 World Cup next year in Australia.
However, before the next T20 World Cup begins, the Men in Blue need to work on their weak areas, and if the following three changes are made, India's chances of winning will probably increase.
1. Introducing variety in their fast-bowling attack
Three of the four teams that qualified for the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 semi-finals had a left-arm pacer in their bowling attack. Left-arm fast bowlers are not just a part of the bowling unit, but they are 'X-factor' players.
Shaheen Shah Afridi played an integral role in Pakistan's success, just like Mitchell Starc has done for Australia and Trent Boult has done for New Zealand. Even England selected Sam Curran in their squad, but the all-rounder unfortunately got injured before the T20 World Cup.
Having a left-arm pacer helps in troubling the opposition batters, especially during the powerplay. A team like India should know this fact the best. Still, there was not a single left-arm pacer in the Indian squad.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Mohammed Shami and Shardul Thakur were the five pace-bowling options available.
Even Virat Kohli bowls right-arm medium-pace, while Deepak Chahar, who was part of the reserves, is a right-arm fast-medium bowler as well.
With the likes of T Natarajan, Chetan Sakariya and even Arshdeep Singh showing promise in T20 cricket, the Indian team management should try to introduce a left-arm pace-bowling option in the T20I team.
Last year, when India won a T20I series in Australia, Natarajan was the leading wicket-taker with six wickets in three matches. This statistic also highlights the importance of a left-arm fast-bowling option.
2. Playing brave cricket
A fan recently asked former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag about the one thing India can learn from teams like New Zealand and England.
Sehwag replied that the Indian cricket team should learn the skill of playing with a positive mindset and take more risks.
"One thing they can definitely learn is to be positive and play positively because T20 format or white ball cricket, it's format of brave players and you have to take risks, you need to express yourself."
Many fans felt India lost to Pakistan and New Zealand because of their slightly defensive approach.
With new captain Rohit Sharma set to take over the reins of the Indian T20I team, the Men in Blue should start playing in a more aggressive manner.
3. Consistency in team selection
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The decision to drop Yuzvendra Chahal from the T20 World Cup squad perplexed many Indian fans. The gamble to play Varun Chakravarthy and Rahul Chahar ahead of him did not pay off.
Similarly, pushing Rohit Sharma down to the number three position for the match against New Zealand was a move that did not work.
Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra recently suggested that India should change their process of team selection and introduce a little more consistency.
"Yuzi Chahal was our No.1 spinner in the T20s for the last 4-5 years... we dropped him just ahead of the World Cup and then grabbed him again. What is this? It makes absolutely no sense to leave out your primary spinner. Then you gave Rahul Chahar just one game and left him too. Players are not made but wasted like this. Making players is difficult and wasting them is easy," said Aakash Chopra.
It will be interesting to see how the Indian cricket team performs on the road to the T20 World Cup 2022.