A complete overhaul of the combination, in the wake of the loss to South Africa that pushed India into unfamiliar territory with their T20 World Cup title defence on the line, won’t be the best idea at this stage of the tournament. But the management will be mulling a few tactical changes for the must-win Super 8 game against Zimbabwe on Thursday in Chennai.
India went through the group stage unscathed, but the underlying issues that were overlooked in those four matches were exposed by South Africa, who handed the defending champions a crushing defeat. The 76-run loss — India’s heaviest ever in a T20 World Cup — dented their semifinal hopes significantly, leaving the hosts needing to win both their remaining matches to qualify for the last four.
For a track that has traditionally suited spinners, Chepauk has been a batter’s paradise during this T20 World Cup. Fast bowlers, in particular, have struggled for both wickets and control. Hence, India might want to rethink their plans for the clash.
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Samson in, Rinku out?
India are in need of a right-handed batter at the top of the order to address the off-spin threat that oppositions have been exploiting. There is little doubt that Sikandar Raza will take the new ball against the openers on Thursday evening. India could therefore send in Sanju Samson and hold Abhishek Sharma back to counter the quicker bowlers.
That move would push Ishan Kishan to No. 3 — a role he is comfortable in, having scored a century there against New Zealand at home last month and regularly batting in that position for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL. Tilak Varma, who has struggled for form, may have to make way for that adjustment.
Axar Patel is likely to return to the XI, given Zimbabwe’s predominantly right-handed line-up. India could also opt for a second specialist spinner, depending on whether they prefer additional batting depth — which would mean retaining Washington Sundar — or an attacking option in Kuldeep Yadav. That balancing act could result in Rinku Singh, who briefly left camp due to a family emergency and was expected to rejoin on Wednesday evening, sitting out the Zimbabwe clash.
Predicted XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar/Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.
