T20 World Cup 2026: A look at India's batting woes
What's the story
Former cricketer Abhishek Nayar has raised concerns over the performance of Indian openers Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma in the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup. Nayar pointed out their struggles against off-spinners after India lost their Super 8 encounter against South Africa in Ahmedabad. Both Kishan and Abhishek tanked as India perished for 111 while chasing 188. He emphasized that this weakness could hurt India's chances in the competition.
Player stats
Kishan, Abhishek in T20 World Cup
Despite bagging a duck against South Africa, Kishan has been single-handedly carrying India's top order in the ongoing T20 World Cup. He smashed 61 and 77 in India's wins over Namibia and Pakistan, respectively. The wicketkeeper-batter has a strike rate of 193.40 However, his opening partner, Abhishek, bagged ducks in his first three matches. The latter finally scored a 12-ball 15 against SA, quite modest by his standards.
Middle order
What about the middle order?
Tilak Varma, India's designated anchor in the batting order, has struggled with an average of 21.40 and a strike rate of under 120 so far. And despite a match-winning knock against the USA, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav hasn't played as freely as he does. The top-order muddle exposed India's batting order against the Proteas. Shivam Dube has been doing the bulk of the scoring lately.
Tactical analysis
Challenges posed by off-spinners
As highlighted by Nayar, the Indian top order, studded with left-handed batters, has been facing the off-spin challenge in the Powerplay. The former cricketer also warned that teams like West Indies could use players such as Roston Chase early in their innings to counter India's opening pair. Pakistan, Netherlands, and South Africa have already used this ploy successfully. It will be interesting to see if India bring back Sanju Samson to counter this.
Information
Zimbabwe clash in Chennai
India will next face Zimbabwe in a must-win Super 8 clash. The fixture is scheduled at Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium, where the pitch usually favors spin-bowling. Zimbabwe spinners Graeme Cremer and Sikandar Raza will certainly challenge India.