#ICC T20 World Cup

India’s Most Likely Spinners for ICC T20 World Cup 2022

India had a forgettable ICC T20 World Cup 2021 where they were out of the tournament in the 1^st round itself. The T20 World Cup was held in UAE and it was expected that the spinners would benefit from turning backs. India’s spin contingent for the T20 World Cup was as follows:

Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Rahul Chahar & Varun Chakravarthy

It was expected that the experienced spin duo of Ashwin & Jadeja would keep India in good stead while the mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy would trouble the batters but it didn’t pan out as expected. All in all, India’s spinners failed significantly as none of them helped India to stamp their authority.

So far, the road to T20 World Cup 2022

Following India’s poor performance in the marquee tournament, BCCI took a bold step by naming Rohit Sharma as the Captain & Rahul Dravid as the Head Coach. India so far has white-washed New Zealand, West Indies & Sri Lanka. In all these 3 Series it can be said that India found its missing zeal as now India is on 12 Match Winning Streak. India now would have a break due to the Tata IPL 2022 while the next assignment is scheduled in June against South Africa where India will play 5 T20I Matches.

Spin Department for T20 World Cup 2022

As we all know that the T20 World Cup 2022 is going to be held in Australia. In Australia, usually the spinners aren’t that much effective apart from a couple of pitches like Sydney and rarely others. India’s selectors should keep one thing in mind that instead of sending 5 spinners like of 2021 T20 World Cup, they should send only 4 spinners and send one spectacular all-rounder.

Ravichandran Ashwin

SNAPSHOT: Ravichandran Ashwin of India playing a match in ICC T20 World Cup 2021.

Ravichandran Ashwin is one of the most effective & senior spinners. Ashwin wasn’t a part of playing 11 in T20 World Cup 2021 for the matches against Pakistan & New Zealand. His absence made a big impact as the batters of Pakistan & New Zealand toyed with India’s mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy. Ashwin’s experience of playing an ICC Tournament in Australia would be handy as in 2015 he was a part of the squad which made it to the Semi Finals. The crafty off spinner knows how to tackle risky situations, he is a spinner who won’t be afraid to toss a ball after getting hit for a monstrous six. Having him in the squad is must if he wants to make better progress.

Year	Matches	Wickets
2019	DNP	DNP
2020	DNP	DNP
2021	5	9
2022	DNP	DNP

Ravindra Jadeja

SNAPSHOT: Ravindra Jadeja appealing for a wicket.

Jadeja alike Ashwin is one of the senior spinners. Jadeja did his best against the likes of Pakistan & New Zealand, but he didn’t get ample support from the rest of the spinners. Jadeja has one specialty & peculiarity which is he finishes his overs quite quickly & not to forget he is an acrobatic fielder. In Australia’s long boundaries Rohit Sharma, the skipper would need a pin point fielder at Point & at boundaries. Jadeja gives the captain an option of playing an extra fast bowler as he can fill the place of a batter too. Jadeja should be a sure shot pick for the T20 World Cup 2022. His presence is a kind of fear factor for the opponent team.

Year	Matches	Wickets
2019	06	4
2020	04	4
2021	05	7
2022	03	2

Kuldeep Yadav

SNAPSHOT: Kuldeep Yadav poses a threat for the opponent by bowling unplayable deliveries.

The left arm-chinaman can be a dangerous asset to have. His wrist-spin & his chinaman bowling would be a treat to watch in SCG where the ball turns immensely. Kuldeep has been blatantly ignored by the selectors in the last 2 years. Kuldeep should be selected on his caliber of producing unplayable & not on merit as on his day he can be as destructive as ever. Kuldeep may be expensive but he can pick a wicket of a big fish.

Year	Matches	Wickets
2019	01	2
2020	02	2
2021	02	2
2022	01	0

Yuzvendra Chahal

SNAPSHOT: Yuzvendra Chahal delighted after picking up a wicket.

The right arm leg spinner is a lethal bowler. His shrewdness can be a defining factor in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022. He would be disappointed as he missed the cut for the T20 Worl Cup 2021 as the Chetan Sharma led panel ignored him by saying that the team needs a spinner who can bowl fast. Rahul Chahar was picked in his place. Chahal knows that his job is not only to contain runs but pickup wickets that too as a partnership breaker bowler. The smart leg spinner is a must if India wants to put a strong case in the World Cup.

Year	Matches	Wickets
2019	DNP	DNP
2020	09	7
2021	05	4
2022	04	4

Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav & Yuzvendra Chahal should be the 4 spinners for the ICC T20 World Cup 2022. India should go in with the duo of Ashwin & Jadeja for the league matches at the Tournament. BCCI’s Selection Panel should make sure that this time the selection doesn’t go wrong as a new era has started under the leadership of Rohit Sharma & Rahul Dravid

India is set to play 5 League matches in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 which are as follows:

India vs Pakistan at Melbourne on 23^rd October
India vs Qualifier A2 at Sydney on 27^th October
India vs South Africa at Perth on 30^th October
India vs Bangladesh at Adelaide on 02^nd November
India vs Qualifier B1 at Melbourne on 06^th November

This 5 Matches will eventually decide the fate of a billion fans. India should not forget that couple of bad matches aren’t a reason to weep just like the 2021 T20 World Cup. India should keep their heads high as this time they are placed in a less precarious group.

Sri Lanka avoid Ignominy in the 5th T20I Match

Sri Lanka edge past Australia in a nerve wrecking thriller at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Sri Lanka won the game by 7 wickets with 1 ball left. Australia would rue that they missed out on a white-wash. Sri Lanka would be booming with confidence as their next assignment against a dangerous India which is about to start on 24^th February. Australia on the other hand is all set for a historic Pakistan Tour starting from 4^th March. The crowd at MCG witnessed one of a thrilling encounters where finally Sri Lanka got the better of Australia after 4 attempts.

Australia had won the toss & elected to bat. Australia managed a challenging total of 155 runs for Sri Lanka. Challenging in the sense the pitch was a bit uneven. Sri Lanka had a productive power-play as they scored 54 runs for the loss of 2 wickets. This time Kusal Mendis took the responsibility of taking the team out of trouble. Sri Lanka required 84 runs in last 11 overs with 6 wickets in tank.

The onus was on the Captain Dasun Shanaka & Kusal Mendis. Both the batters played smartly as they were taking calculative risks. The Captain Aaron Finch tried every trick in the book but both the batters didn’t allow the pressure to get the better of them. Kusal Mendis struck a defining knock of 69 runs in 58 balls. He along with Shanaka made sure that required run rate was not getting out of reach. Getting out of the reach in the sense not beyond 10.

SNAPSHOT: Kusal Mendis waiving his bat after scoring a well-constructed knock of half century.

In the last 2 overs Sri Lanka required 20 runs to win. Kusal Mendis showcased his batting prowess as he played wittily against the foxy Jhye Richardson. In the last over Sri Lanka required 9 runs. It was high time that Sri Lanka win as losing from here would be a huge embarrassment. Skipper Dasun Shanka smacked a gigantic six & levelled the scores. The way skipper smacked the ball was absolutely a treat to watch. Sri Lanka lost skipper in the next ball & then the all-rounder Chamika Karunaratne finished off the game.

Ashton Agar continued his dream run. He was the pick of the bowlers as he took 1 wicket & gave away 19 runs in 4 overs spell. Kane Richardson was the only bowler who got wickets. He took 2 wickets & gave away 28 runs in his 3.4 overs (* he went out of the field due to hamstring problem). Australia would be happy that they have a back-up bowling unit who can irk any batting line up.

SNAPSHOT: Ashton Agar the crafty off spinner keeping the batters guessing through his variations.

After electing to bat first once again Australia had a poor power-play as they scored 22 runs for the loss of 2 wickets in power-play overs. Australia’s batters were facing times as Sri Lanka’s bowlers bamboozled them through shrewd variations. The likes of Josh Inglis & Glenn Maxwell tried to resurrect the innings. Both the batters managed to scored 20 odd runs. At the end of 10 over mark Australia’s score was 58 runs for the loss of 3 wickets.

Finally, the wicket-keeper batter Matthew Wade had runs under his belt. He played a terrific knock of 43 runs in 27 balls. His contribution helped Australia to post a competitive score of 154 runs for the loss of 6 wickets.

SNAPSHOT: Matthew Wade smashing the bowler all-around the park & scoring a breezy cameo.

Lahiru Kumara & Dushmantha Chameera took 2 wickets each. The entire bowling unit of Sri Lanka made sure that they don’t let Aussie batters get away. Sri Lanka’s pace department made sure that they don’t spoil the hard work of spinners.

Mitchell Marsh & David Warner Ravaged New Zealand to Clinch Australia’s Maiden T20 World Cup Triumph

Australia ended a long hiatus of T20 World Cup Silverware. The emotions of all the Aussie players were seen as this time the Cricketers were having tears of joy. Australia would be booming with confidence as no one expected them to win the elusive trophy.

Skipper Aaron Finch & Team Members Cherishing the Moment of becoming ICC T20 World Cup 2021 Champions

Australia had won the toss & elected to bowl first. Bowling first was an obvious choice considering the dew factor. Tim Seifert played in the place of Devon Conway who unfortunately had a freaky injury. Australia had an unchanged playing 11 as they didn’t want to disturb the balance of the team.

New Zealand were cautious with the bat. Martin Guptill was dropped on 10 by Wade on the bowling off Glenn Maxwell in the 3^rd over. There was a setup for the Lethal Daryl Mitchell from Josh Hazelwood who irked him by bowling immaculate lines. New Zealand had a mediocre power-play as they scored a mere 32 runs for the loss of 1 wicket. This was New Zealand’s lowest power-play score in the Tournament.

Kane Williamson & Martin Guptill didn’t play with fire; as surprisingly there was a tinge of grass on the wicket which was enough for bowlers to capitalise on it. Aaron Finch was marshalling his troops at his best by drying up the boundaries; as at the end of 10 overs New Zealand had struck only 6 boundaries which consisted of 5 fours & 1 six and scored 57 runs. Kane Williamson was itching as he was aware of the fact that a score of 130-140 runs was unacceptable.

: Kane Williamson & Martin Guptill rotating the strike due to the nature of wicket

Kane Williamson took a bold decision as he targeted Mitchell Starc. In the 11^th over Kane Williamson was dropped on 21 by Josh Hazlewood on the bowling off Mitchell Starc. Kane got a life & he made sure that Aussie would rue it. Martin Guptill was struggling to time the ball as he was undone the variation of Adam Zampa (*Guptill scored 28 runs in 35 balls).

Kane took calculative risk & pummelled Starc, Maxwell & every bowler through crafty shots. In the 16^th over Kane Williamson had scored 22 runs against Starc.

Kane Williamson toying with the bowling of Mitchell Starc as Starc looks crestfallen

Josh Hazlewood the man with the golden arm dented Kiwi’s onslaught as he got rid of Kane Williamson in the 18^th over (*Score was 149-4 at the end of over) by bowling a cunning knuckle ball. Kane stood out as a one-man army as he smashed 85 runs in 48 balls including 10 fours & 3 sixes.

SNAPSHOT: Kane Williamson playing an audacious shot against the Giants of Fast Bowling.

At the back-end James Neesham & Tim Seifert posted a formidable target of 173 runs. This was the highest total in the history of T20I World Cup. Mitchell Starc got bashed as he gave away eye-boggling 60 runs in his 4 over spell. The pick of the bowlers was Josh Hazlewood who took 3 wickets & gave away 16 runs in his spell. The bowlers had a topsy-turvy day as the final 10 overs yielded 115 runs.

SNAPSHOT: Josh Hazlewood proved to be a wicket-taking option.

In response to 173 target Trent Boult got rid off Aaron Finch cheaply. Once again, the duo of Mitchell Marsh & David Warner was at the crease. In the 4^th over Mitchell Marsh went into beast mode as he smashed a six on the very first ball of Adam Milne; he made a statement that he means business. There was a complete assessment done by both the batters. Australia scored 43 runs in the power-play overs.

The duo of David Warner & Mitchell Marsh playing smart & sensible Cricket

It was expected that Ish Sodhi & Mitchell Santner would be the nemesis for Aussies; but David Warner & Mitchell Marsh didn’t allow them to settle. Marsh took care of Santner whereas Warner dismantled Sodhi. All of a sudden Australia were cruising as they scored 39 runs off 4 overs (*2 overs a piece from each spinner).

The equation for Australia was pretty simple as they required 91 runs to win in 10 overs. The introduction of James Neesham weakened Kiwi’s chances as the stroke-play & hitting was a spellbound. Warner smashed his half century in 51 balls & made a statement that he is not finished yet.

SNAPSHOT: David Warner anchoring the run chase by playing eclectic brand of Cricket.

It was looking like a Cake Walk as Aussies required 67 to win in last 8 overs. In the 13^th over Trent Boult reignited the finale by castling David Warner’s stumps. Warner constructed the run-chase as he scored 53 runs in 38 balls.

In the 14^th over Mitchell Marsh worsened Ish Sodhi’s figures & New Zealand’s chances furthermore as Sodhi conceded 16 runs. Mitchell Marsh scored the fastest half century in 31 balls in the History of T20 World Cup Final. Ish Sodhi had a forgettable World Cup finale as he gave away 40 runs in 3 overs.

Mitchell Marsh plundering Ish Sodhi & taking Australia closer to Victory

The pendulum shifted quite quickly from New Zealand to Australia. Australia required 48 in 6 overs. Glenn Maxwell got promotion as he was batting ahead of Steven Smith. He took pressure off Mitchell Marsh as he too deepened the agony. Kane Williamson was seen helpless as his bowlers were getting demolished.

Glenn Maxwell wrapped up the game by his typical switch hit as Australia got the crown of T20 World Cup Champions. Australia chased down the target by 8 wickets with 1.1 overs remaining. Maxwell’s knock was a supporting as he scored 23 runs in 16 balls. Mitchell Marsh was the chief of the Run Chase as he scored 77 runs in 50 balls which consisted of 6 fours & 4 sixes. David Warner’s knock was of utmost important as he didn’t allow the game to drift away.

Mitchell Marsh & team members are Jubilant as Australia finally won T20 World Cup

Trent Boult was the only pick of the bowlers who took 2 wickets & gave away 18 runs. New Zealand would be shell-shocked as Aussies hammered them. Throughout the tournament New Zealand’s bowling clicked but at the last junction they succumbed to the pressure. Kane Williamson should be proud of his team & of himself as he is continuing one of the greatest legacies.

Australia have silenced all the experts regarding bubble life & rotation policy. It is often said that the team which stays together & plays together only wins which now can’t be said. The Credit must go to the Head Coach Justin Langer who has faced a lot of criticism for team’s failure in the last 6-8 months.

Smiling Justin Langer has become a T20 World Cup Winning Coach

David Warner was ecstatic as he silenced the entire Cricketing World as many experts had written him off. David Warner was awarded as the Player of the Tournament as he amassed 289 runs. David Warner is the architect behind the Triumph as his brand of Cricket was Versatile.

Mitchell Marsh’s presence at the top of the order made the difference as he took the responsibility of finishing the matches. The only positive which Australia had from the tours of Caribbean & Bangladesh was Mitchell Marsh. In the last 6 months he has played like a Warrior.

Haris Rauf, Malik & Asif Ali Dethroned New Zealand as Pakistan inch closer to the Semi-Finals

Pakistan snatched victory from the jaws of defeat as they outclassed New Zealand & won the game by 5 wickets with 1.2 overs left in the tank. This match of Group 2 was played at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on the 26th of October. Pakistan now have bagged 2 matches out of 2 & now they would be keen to inflict a lot of damage by winning the next 3 matches. New Zealand would hope that this is a passing shower & would reflect the performance as a one-off.

The unbeaten stand between Shoaib Malik and Asif Ali sealed it for Pakistan — SNAPSHOT: Shoaib Malik & Asif Ali taking Pakistan to victory after a hard-fought victory.

Pakistan had won the toss & elected to bowl first. New Zealand had set a a below par yet a challenging total of 135 runs. New Zealand’s bowlers were bang on target with impeccable line & lengths as Pakistan managed only 30 runs for the loss of a mammoth wicket of the skipper Babar Azam who was foxed by Tim Southee in the 6th over where he bowled an off-cutter to thrash his stumps. Mohammad Rizwan then took care of the run chase as he was making sure that he doesn’t consume the balls. Rizwan on one hand was holding the ship while at the other end Mohammad Hafeez & Fakhar Zaman were duped by the spin web of Mitchell Santner & Ish Sodhi; & all of a sudden the required run rate cropped to 8 runs per over as Pakistan were 63 runs for the loss of 3 wickets in 11 overs. Within a blink of eye Rizwan got departed too as he scored 33 runs in 34 balls & it looked like Pakistan won’t make a match out of it. New Zealand’s spinners bowled a lot of disciplined line & lengths as they forced the Pakistan batsmen to press the panic button.

In the last 8 overs Pakistan required 65 runs which was tricky considering the nature of the pitch which was two paced. On the crease was the only Cricketer who has participated in all the 7 ICC T20 World Cup Tournament Shoaib Malik & with him the left arm off spinner Imad Wasim was there. Malik & Imad were cautious as they were taking absolutely no risks & focusing on rotating the strike. Trent Boult was introduced in the 14th Over & he got rid of Imad Wasim & in the last 5 overs Pakistan required 44 runs to win with Malik & Asif Ali at the crease. In the 17th over there was carnage as Asif Ali hit 2 consecutive sixes to Tim Southee & all of a sudden Pakistan were bossing the game as Pakistan required 24 of 3 overs. Asif Ali & Shoaib Malik wasted no more time as they wrapped up the match as Pakistan won by 5 wickets. New Zealand need to quickly sort out their bowling combination as specific roles should be given promptly to the likes of Boult & Southee as their job is to take wickets.

SNAPSHOT: Haris Rauf elated after knocking out the stumps of Martin Guptil.

New Zealand were asked to bat first. New Zealand got to a steady start but just at the brink of the power-play overs Martin Guptill was bowled out at 17 runs by Haris Rauf. Daryl Mitchell was promoted up the order as an opener & he somewhat made the most of the opportunity by scoring a quick fire cameo of 27 runs in 20 balls. Kane Williamson resurrected the innings along with Devon Conway. At 13 overs the score of New Zealand was 90 runs for the loss of 3 wickets & it looked like they can put a competitive total of more than 150 runs; but Hasan Ali the fast bowler got better of Williamson as he was run out by a turbulent piece of fielding. The dismissal of Williamson proved to be the turning point as in the next 7 overs New Zealand managed to score only 44 runs. Haris Rauf the speedster was the wrecker in chief as he took 4 wickets & gave away only 27 runs whereas the rest of the bowling line up supported each other throughout the match.

Hasan Ali was confident after getting in a direct hit — SNAPSHOT: Hasan Ali celebrating the wicket of Kane Williamson after running him out.

New Zealand may have made a mistake by not opening the batting with Tim Seifert who is a basher who can cut the opponent in half in the initial stages of the match; keeping him at no.7 was doing a bit injustice to his potential & talent.

Pakistan would hope that they avoid collapses as this nemesis is been there since ages. Asif Ali made a statement that he can be a finisher on the given day irrespective of his previous performances as he was initially not named in the squad & the same applied to Shoaib Malik.

New Zealand are slated to play next against the hosts India at 31st October at the Dubai International Stadium. That clash could be decisive as it is a virtual knock out match; whereas Pakistan are going to play Afghanistan on 29th October at Dubai International Stadium. Both India & Pakistan played their inaugural match at Dubai in which Pakistan bamboozled India.

New Zealand & India need to pull up their socks as one more match could weaken their chances of Semi Finals whereas Pakistan would hope that they don’t prolong their qualification.

Markram, Rassie & Bowlers Stunned West Indies as the Defending Champions are in a Disarray

South Africa opened their account in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 by defeating West Indies by 8 wickets at the Duai International Cricket Stadium on the 26th of October. Both South Africa & West Indies had lost their opening match against Australia & England respectively. The defeat for West Indies is a wake up call not because they have lost 2 matches back-to-back but their NRR (Net Run Rate) has taken a major jolt by -2.55. South Africa would breath a sigh of relief as their team is not star-studded & just before the start of the match Quinton De Kock had opted out due to the BLM (Black Lives Matter) Movement which is open to debate especially the history which CSA (Cricket South Africa) has.

T20 World Cup 2021, South Africa vs Windies (Super 12): Markram's sublime 50 hands 8-wicket win to Protea — SNAPSHOT: Rassie van der Dussen & Aiden Markram shaking hands with West Indies players after winning convincingly

West Indies had posted a below par target of 144 runs. South Africa were not only with the services of De Kock but also in the first over their skipper Temba Bavuma got dismissed as he was undone by the athleticism of Andre Russell. Reeza Hendricks & Rassie van der Dussen made sure that they don’t throw the game. The power-play for South Africa was a decent one as they scored 42 runs for the loss of 1 wicket. Rassie was playing the role of anchor while at the other end Reeza was punishing the bowlers as an odd boundary was also scored which was ample. Reeza & Rassie were involved in a 57 runs partnership & the dismissal of Reeza just gave a slight thin ray of hope to West Indies as the Cricketing World is evident that South Africa have fallen like a pack of cards.

ICC T20 WC, SA vs WI highlights: South Africa beat West Indies by 8 wickets | Business Standard News — SNAPSHOT: Aiden Markram in a beast mode

The time Aiden Markram came into the crease South Africa required 78 runs in last 10 overs. Markram had another ideas as he played a blistering knock of 51 runs in just 26 balls in which he had hit 4 humongous sixes & 2 fours which is scintillating. Markram was the assassiner as he not spared even the likes of Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard & Andre Russell. At the other hand Rassie scored 43 runs in 51 balls which is & may be a little bit more deliveries according to the standards of T20 World Cricket but in this circumstances his knock was a invaluable. Markram made a statement that an opening batter can also fit in the middle order & play according to the situation.

Invited to bat first West Indies had a moderate power-play as they scored 43 runs for no wickets in which Lendl Simmons the experienced campaigner & veteran was seen struggling so much badly as he did not hit a single boundary. The onus was on Evin Lewis & he took the responsibility as he played a furious knock of 56 runs in 35 balls in which there were 6 sixes & 3 fours. Simmons continued to struggle & at the end he scored 16 runs in 35 balls which is by no means acceptable at this level given the exposure & experience he has had. At 15 overs West Indies were 95 runs for the loss of 3 wickets while Pollard & Chris Gayle were present at the strike.

T20 World Cup: Lewis hits fifty before West Indies lose momentum to post 143/8 against South Africa- The New Indian Express — SNAPSHOT: Evin Lewis thrashing the bowlers all around the park.

West Indies pressed the 5th gear but it was a bit too late as batters were coming & seen going within a blink of eye. Pollard scored 26 runs in 20 balls while the other batters didn’t last long enough. Dwaine Pretorius the all-rounder proved to be the uninvited wicket-taker as he took 3 wickets that were of Pollard & Gayle. Keshav Maharaj the left-arm off spinner who is a tyro in International Cricket T20 is playing mind games through his TEST match bowling & while doing so he got 2 wickets of Evin Lewis & Nicholas Pooran. South Africa are hunting in a pack as they are not reliant on a single bowler as the duo of Rabada-Nortje are proving to be too hot to handle & the secret weapon of spin is mind-boggling.

Group 1 is on knife edge as of now South Africa are with 2 points from 2 matches whereas England, Australia & Sri Lanka have 2 points in 1 match. West Indies is going to face Bangladesh on 29th October at Sharjah whereas South Africa’s next match is against Sri Lanka on 30th October at Sharjah. The change of venues can bring change of fortunes for both these teams as they have sufficient time to regroup.

West Indies need to regroup & talk regarding the playing positions as well as regarding their role as chopping & changing from now onwards would be their exit from the tournament.

South Africa needs to move on if Quinton de Kock doesn’t want to play as a player is no bigger than the team & nation whether he is a prolific or star cricketer.