'Hardik, Dube aren't Malcolm Marshall': Shoaib Akhtar exposes India's bowling
What's the story
Former Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar has called India's bowling attack out for their poor performance against South Africa in the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup Super Eights. The Indian team, which had cruised through the group stage, suffered a crushing defeat in Ahmedabad. Batting first, South Africa posted a challenging total of 187/7. India perished for 111 runs, marking their biggest defeat T20 World Cup defeat.
Strategy critique
'Hardik, Dube were bowling at 120km/h'
Akhtar questioned India's decision to use pace-bowling all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube in the death overs against South Africa. "Hardik and Dube were bowling at around 120km/h. It's not as if they are Malcolm Marshall - someone who would intimidate a batting line-up of South Africa's caliber," Akhtar said on Tapmad. He also criticized Varun Chakravarthy for his unusually slow bowling speed during the match.
Bowling
How Indian bowlers fared
Barring Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah, who shared five wickets for 43 runs in eight overs, no other Indian bowler fired against South Africa. Both Chakravarthy and Hardik conceded 40-plus runs in their allotted four overs. And Washington Sundar, who was picked ahead of Axar Patel, was used for only two overs. Hardik bowled the final over of South Africa's innings, conceding 20 runs.
Bowling suggestion
Akhtar calls for Kuldeep Yadav's inclusion
Akhtar has suggested that India should consider bringing in Kuldeep Yadav for their next match against Zimbabwe. He believes the left-arm wrist-spinner could be the missing link in India's bowling line-up. The latter could deceive batters and pick up crucial wickets. "The missing link here is Kuldeep Yadav. He is someone who can deceive batters in the air and pick up wickets when needed," Akhtar said, highlighting his value as a proven match-winner.