T20 World Cup 2021: “Bowlers have defined this World Cup” - Aakash Chopra picks the standout trend of the tournament
Former India opener Aakash Chopra has opined that the success of bowlers has been the biggest takeaway from the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021. According to Chopra, bowlers have proved that T20 is not just a batters' game, as is often perceived.
The Super 12 round of the T20 World Cup 2021 will conclude on Monday with a dead rubber between India and Namibia in Dubai. Pakistan, Australia, England and New Zealand have qualified for the semi-finals of the ICC event.
Reflecting on the performances of the successful teams in the T20 World Cup 2021, Chopra pointed out that bowlers have had a key role to play. He said in this regard on his YouTube channel:
“This has been a bowlers’ World Cup; they have dominated the tournament. Regardless of the toss factor and batting getting easier in the second innings, this has been all about the bowlers. Bowlers have won more Man of the Match awards than batters because they have been able to choke the batsmen.”
Elaborating on the impact of bowlers in the T20 World Cup 2021, the 44-year-old said:
“In every side, bowlers have done better than the batters. Josh Hazlewood and Adam Zampa have done well for Australia. For South Africa, Tabraiz Shamsi and Anrich Nortje impressed. In the Pakistan team, Haris Rauf and Shaheen Shah Afridi have been excellent."
"Shifting focus to New Zealand, Trent Boult and Ish Sodhi have made a mark. Batters have done well, but bowlers have defined this World Cup. This World Cup has proved that T20 cricket is not just about batters. If your bowling is strong, your team will do well and win more games.”
For India, the journey is ending and for Namibia, the voyage is only beginning.
Expect fireworks from both sides in the final Super 12 outing at the #T20WorldCup 💥
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The knockout round of the T20 World Cup 2021 will begin with the first semi-final between England and New Zealand in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, November 10.
Catch the latest ICC T20 World Cup live score here on Sportskeeda!
“Ball can be changed after 10 overs” - Aakash Chopra reflects on dew impact in T20 World Cup 2021
One of the major talking points of the T20 World Cup 2021 has been the dew factor. Captains of the affected teams as well as cricket experts have admitted that teams batting second in evening games have had an unfair advantage.
Offering a few suggestions to try and nullify the dew impact, Chopra said:
“Dew has been a big factor in the evening games, no doubt about that. The toss then becomes a major factor. What’s the solution? The ball can be changed after 10 overs. Or the evening match could start a little earlier."
"It is manageable if there is dew in the last five overs but not before that. Abhinav Mukund floated the idea of allowing the team bowling second to have a substitute 12th player."
It’s the final outing for #India and #Namibia in Group 2.
Who walks away with the win?
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India lost the toss in their first two matches, against Pakistan and New Zealand, where they were asked to bat first. They couldn't put up decent scores, losing both games by heavy margins. That played a huge role in India getting knocked out of the T20 World Cup 2021.