T20 World Cup 2022: 3 underperforming Indian players who will be in the spotlight against England
The second semi-final of the 2022 T20 World Cup will see Team India take on England at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday, November 10.
Both sides lost only one game each in the Super 12 stage and have been among the more impressive sides in the tournament. Key players from both teams have chipped in with key contributions, with the former, in particular, benefitting from terrific showings from Suryakumar Yadav, Virat Kohli and the fast bowlers.
However, other members of Team India haven't been at their best. The Men in Blue will be hoping that these three underperforming players find their bearings in the semi-final against England.
#3 Hardik Pandya
It might be a touch harsh to claim that Hardik Pandya has underperformed in the T20 World Cup thus far. He scalped three wickets and played a crucial 40-run knock against Pakistan, apart from recording consecutive two-wicket hauls against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.
But while Hardik has been decent, he hasn't been anywhere near his best, especially with the bat. Since his 40 in the opening game of the tournament, he has scores of 2, 5 and 18, with all three being soft dismissals. The all-rounder has been hurried by the pace and bounce on offer, often attempting to play in front of square instead of using the pace.
Hardik's finishing abilities against fast bowlers will be called into question if Rishabh Pant retains his place in the playing XI against England, and his bowling will definitely be a factor too. He will need to raise his game in the semi-final.
#2 Axar Patel
On a whole, India's spinners have disappointed in the T20 World Cup. The think tank has decided that the best course of action is to boost their batting depth by playing two finger-spinners instead of Yuzvendra Chahal, and while that seems to be the right way to go, Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin haven't been at their best with the ball.
Axar, in particular, has been poor. The left-arm spinner went for 21 runs in the only over he bowled against Pakistan and went wicketless against Bangladesh as well. He was decent against the Netherlands with figures of 2/18 but things went pear-shaped against Zimbabwe, who plundered 40 runs off the 20 deliveries he bowled.
Axar's batting contributions have been limited to a combined nine runs over three innings. He couldn't make the most of a promotion in the opening game of the T20 World Cup and hasn't been trusted in that role since.
Axar may not have much of a role to play with the ball against England, who have quite a few left-handers in their top seven. But if called upon in either department, the 28-year-old will be under pressure to deliver.
#1 Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma has been one of India's biggest letdowns in the T20 World Cup thus far. The Team India captain, whose game appears to be suited to the conditions Down Under, has amassed only 89 runs in the competition thus far, with both his average and strike rate not making for pretty reading.
Barring his fifty against the Netherlands, Rohit has been sent back to the pavilion early each time, either due to reckless shot-making or soft dismissals. He doesn't have a great record in T20 World Cups in general, and the change that was expected in 2022 hasn't transpired.
The other gears in the Indian batting lineup are turning smoothly, but Rohit looks out of place. He needs to lead from the front in the semi-final in a tournament that hasn't been kind to captains.