[ad_1]
India face Zimbabwe in their final group stage game of T20 World Cup on Sunday. The match that takes place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in a crucial encounter for India as the inaugural edition champions would be needing a win or at least a point to qualify for the semi-finals without any dependency on the results of other matches in the Group B of the Super 12 stage. Given India already have 6 points after playing 4 matches and that they are top of the table, even one point from the game would see the Rohit Sharma-led side go through to the knockouts. However, a win will assure them of a top-spot finish in the table.
While a win is important for India in the game, it is equally important for the side to test its players ahead of an almost certain entry to the knockout stage.
While the squad of India is more or less settled, the unimpactful performance of Ravichandran Ashwin might force the team to look for his replacement in the match vs Zimbabwe.
Here is what we think could be India’s playing XI vs Zimbabwe:
KL Rahul: The vice-captain of the team is finally back in form. In India’s previous match vs Bangladesh, KL Rahul played a crucial knock of 50 off 32.
Rohit Sharma (c): Only one fifty has come from Rohit Sharma’s bat across four games in the ongoing T20 World Cup. He must be looking to do better in the match against Zimbabwe on Sunday.
Virat Kohli: The star India batter has looked at his very best at the ongoing T20 World Cup. He has scored 220 runs across four innings with the help of three half-centuries. Notably, he is India’s leading run-scorer in the tournament.
Suryakumar Yadav: The right-handed batter is no less as he too is having a good outing in Australia. Suryakumar Yadav has scored 164 runs across 4 innings at an average of 54.67.
Hardik Pandya: The all-rounder has failed to impress with his batting at the ongoing T20 World Cup. Meanwhile, he has performed in patches with the ball in hand.
Dinesh Karthik (wk): The wicketkeeper-batter was injured mid-way during the match against South Africa but he recovered and was a part of India’s XI against Bangladesh in the next game. He is likely to remain India’s preferred choice over Rishabh Pant.
Axar Patel: While he has failed to impress with his batting in the T20 World Cup so far, the southpaw has also blown hot and cold in terms of bowling.
Ravichandran Ashwin: The right-arm off spinner has claimed only three wickets in four matches so far. While he has struggled to take wickets, Ashwin has also leaked runs. India might try to give a chance to Yuzvendra Chahal, who has been warming the bench.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar: He has been wicketless for the past two matches India played — against South Africa and Bangladesh. However, the right-arm pacer has bowled really well at the ongoing mega event.
Promoted
Mohammed Shami: The right-arm pacer has got a wicket each in every game for India at the 2022 T20 World Cup. He has also been economical in his spells. Shami continues to play a pivotal role in India’s bowling line-up.
Arshdeep Singh: The left-arm pacer has been living up to the expectations. He is India’s leading wicket-taker at the tournament with 9 scalps to his name in 4 games.
Topics mentioned in this article
[ad_2]
Source link