India kicked off their campaign in the Super 8 of the 2024 T20 World Cup in style as the Men in Blue defeated Afghanistan by 47 runs. That win brings India one step closer to a place in the semi-finals.
It was a clinical performance by India. After scoring 181 on a slow pitch, they then bowled out the Afghans for 134. India showed a lot of promise in this match. On one hand, Suryakumar Yadav scored a solid 50, while on the other, Jasprit Bumrah bowled an awesome four-over spell of 3/7.
But there were also certain issues with India’s performance. Firstly, the star-studded opening duo of Virat Kohli and captain Rohit Sharma failed to fire once again. Someone who also failed to impress once again in this tournament is Shivam Dube, who looked uncomfortable against Afghnaistan’s quality spinners.
So should India make some changes ahead of the next Super 8 game against Bangladesh? Which players should be left out, and who should replace them? Let’s discuss it here.
Changes India Should Make Vs Bangladesh Super 8
It is clear that India is not interested in using Shivam Dube as a bowling option against bigger teams. And if that is the case, he is not working well as just a middle-order batsman. So, who might replace the 30-year-old?
For some, the obvious choice would be playing Sanju Samson. Despite doing well in the IPL at No. 3, he is a versatile player who can bat anywhere in the top or middle order.
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But there is another player who might solve another one of India’s problems. The opening partnership of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma has not worked well in this tournament. This combination opening for India also leaves India without an expert anchor down the order.
The solution to this problem could be Yasahsvi Jaiswal. If Jaiswal opens for India alongside Rohit, Kohli can come in at his usual No. 3 spot. While Jaiswal might not have had the best IPL 2024, he was in solid form before the tournament. Slotting him in and shifting everyone a place down could work as a replacement for Shivam Dube on the side.
But some people would still like to see Sanju Samson on the squad. With Jaiswal in the squad, that might be difficult. But Sanju can replace another out-of-form player in Ravindra Jadeja and come out to bat before Hardik Pandya at six. But this also reduces India’s bowling options to five, which might not be the best move.
Another point of concern for India, especially in the last game, was Arshdeep Singh’s expensive bowling. So it is possible to replace him with Mohammed Siraj in the playing XI. But on West Indian pitches, pacers who have a lot of finger variations do well, and there might not be a bowler in India better at doing that in the T20s than Arshdeep Singh.
Besides, we need Siraj to be brought into the team another way. Captain Rohit Sharma said that he was open to making changes in the team for the next game. The pitches at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium play much better for shifty pacers than spinners.
The question is, which of the three spinners will be kept out? Some might suggest Ravindra Jadeja. This is because Axar Patel is also a left-arm orthodox like Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav is the only wrist spinner in the team. But removing Jadeja will also shallow India’s batting depth, making Kuldeep an obvious choice to be replaced by Siraj if the pitch deems so.
With all that being said, this is India’s probable playing XI for the Super 8 game against Bangladesh, which will be played in the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua, on Sunday, 8:00 PM (IST). –
Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
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