T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8: Pandya and Kuldeep could hold the keys to India’s further progress

Team India will play 4 matches in Super 8 of the T20 World Cup 2024.

The prelude was lengthy and full of drama. The pitches in New York and the washouts in Florida gave the American leg of the T20 World Cup a questionable tinge. Pakistan’s early elimination from the tournament saw their TV panellists and social-media influencers go into a meltdown. India, however, emerged unscathed, securing a hat-trick of wins in the group stage and sauntering into the Super Eights. But the real action starts now and for Rohit Sharma and his troops, it’s about ending an elongated ICC trophy drought.

India are in Group 1 at the Super Eight stage, along with Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Australia.

June 20 vs Afghanistan, Bridgetown

June 22 vs Bangladesh, North Sound

June 24 vs Australia, Gros Islet

All the matches will commence at 8pm India time and will be telecast live on Star Sports.

From India’s point of view, there have been two real highlights – Hardik Pandya’s bowling and Rishabh Pant seamlessly fitting into the No. 3 position. Pandya has shown character. Only about a month ago, during the IPL, the boo-boys were attacking him wherever he went. He took over the Mumbai Indians captaincy from Rohit and it obviously didn’t go down well with the so-called ‘Rohitians’. Pandya faced deplorable social media abuse as well, with his IPL franchise finishing at the foot of the table. His personal form was badly affected, as he finished the T20 league with just 216 runs from 14 matches and 11 wickets. His batting average was 18 and his bowling economy was 10.75. Pandya needed the comfort of the Indian dressing room to get into the right headspace and so far, he has bowled brilliantly at the T20 World Cup, claiming seven wickets in three matches at an economy rate of 5.41. In fact, Pandya’s form will allow India to play three spinners during the Caribbean leg of the tournament.

For Pant, this was his first international tournament after a gap of 16 months. The period of recovery after he suffered a horror car crash was tough. And although he looked comfortable during the IPL, international cricket threw up a tougher challenge. The Indian team management decided to use Virat Kohli as an opener, slotting the wicketkeeper-batsman at No. 3. He passed the test with flying colours. His fearless batting on dodgy New York pitches was one of the major positives for the Indian team.

Shivam Dube stitched an important partnership with Suryakumar Yadav against the United States. But his batting against high-class bowling doesn’t inspire confidence and his presence makes India’s middle order a little porous. Dube has been picked mainly to take on the spinners in the middle overs, and with the pitches in the West Indies assisting turn, slow bowlers are expected to bowl a lot of overs during the Super Eight stage. It’s unlikely that India will change their batting combination, which makes Dube’s role very important. He will have to up his game to fulfil the team’s requirement.

From India’s perspective, it has to be Kuldeep Yadav. India played four seamers in New York, because the conditions demanded that. It would be remiss of the team management not to include Kuldeep – likely at the expense of Mohammed Siraj – in the playing XI in the Super Eights fixtures. India have a fast bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, who can do the impossible. As far as spin bowling is concerned, Kuldeep is a genuine match-winner, someone who can make the ball talk when on song.