An undefeated India, seeking their second T20 World Cup title since the inaugural edition in 2007, will lock horns with South Africa, who are eyeing their first ever World Cup win in any format after seven heartbreaking semi-final exits, in a high-stakes T20 World Cup 2024 final on Saturday. This clash of titans promises to bring the curtain down on a remarkable tournament co-hosted by the USA and West Indies.
In the lead-up to the highly anticipated T20 World Cup final, let’s dissect the performances of the Indian players who featured throughout the tournament. This comprehensive report card will analyze every cricketer who donned the Indian jersey during the competition.
- Rohit Sharma (9/10, Excellent)
Rohit Sharma has been a dominant force at the top of the order for India, leading them to an undefeated run in the T20 World Cup 2024. He boasts an impressive tally of 248 runs across seven innings, with an average exceeding 40. The Indian captain has smashed 3 half-centuries in this tournament.
His knock against Australia stands out – a swashbuckling 92 runs scored off just 41 balls. This aggressive approach is a hallmark of the new Indian batting strategy, implemented since their T20 World Cup 2022 semi-final loss to England. Rohit’s captaincy, coupled with his explosive batting, has been a key factor in India’s remarkable success this tournament.
- Virat Kohli (5.8/10, Below Average)
Virat Kohli’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign has been a struggle by his lofty standards. Despite India’s undefeated run, Kohli has only managed a paltry 75 runs across seven innings (4, 7, 0, 0, 4, 7, 9, 23, 37), averaging a mere 10.71. This includes two ducks and just two scores in double figures. This lean patch coincides with Kohli’s adoption of a more aggressive batting approach, championed by his captain Rohit Sharma. While some, including Sharma himself, lauded Kohli’s “intent” – evidenced by a run-a-ball nine against England (six runs coming off a single delivery) – the results haven’t followed.
It’s important to remember Virat Kohli’s pedigree. Before this tournament, he was the leading run-scorer in men’s T20 internationals, boasting 37 fifties and a century (against Afghanistan in September 2022). He has since fallen to third on that list, overtaken by Rohit Sharma and Pakistan’s Babar Azam.
There have been glimpses of Kohli’s past brilliance. His 28-ball 37 against Bangladesh played a crucial role in their 50-run victory, but such performances have been rare. His only other scores above nine were a run-a-ball 24 against Afghanistan and a solitary boundary against Pakistan.
- Rishabh Pant (6.6/10, Average)
Rishabh Pant, India’s explosive left-handed wicketkeeper-batsman, has had an up-and-down journey in the T20 World Cup 2024. While his aggressive style brings the potential to shift momentum in an instant, he hasn’t quite found consistent rhythm. Across seven matches, he has accumulated 171 runs at an average of 28.50.
Despite the inconsistent scores, his knock against Pakistan in the USA stands out. There, he blazed a quickfire 42, showcasing the very reason he’s India’s preferred choice over Sanju Samson behind the stumps.
- Suryakumar Yadav (8/10, Good)
Despite facing initial criticism for his performances in the first few matches of the T20 World Cup, Suryakumar Yadav has silenced the doubters and emerged as a crucial player for India. The number two-ranked T20I batsman in the world, Yadav has amassed 196 runs across seven innings at an average of 32.67. He is India’s second-highest run scorer behind Rohit Sharma.
His turnaround began with a blistering 31 runs off just 16 balls against Australia, showcasing his impressive strike rate of 193.75. This momentum continued in the high-pressure semi-final against England, where he stitched together a vital partnership with Rohit Sharma, contributing 47 runs off 36 balls. His ability to handle spin bowling will be a key asset in the upcoming final, making him a potential threat to South Africa’s spin duo of Shamsi and Maharaj.
- Shivam Dube (4/10, Poor)
Shivam Dube’s performances in the T20 World Cup have been a rollercoaster ride, sparking debate among fans and analysts. Despite calls for his removal and underwhelming outings, the southpaw has received unwavering backing from the Indian team management. Shivam Dube, selected ahead of Rinku Singh for the tournament on the back of his IPL 2024 heroics with CSK, was expected to bolster the middle order. He did show glimpses of his potential with crucial knocks against USA and Australia, but consistency has been his Achilles’ heel.
His struggles mirror those experienced later in IPL 2024, and have continued in the World Cup. A golden duck against England in the high-pressure semi-final epitomizes his inconsistency. Furthermore, his inability to replicate his IPL success against spin bowling has raised questions. Limited bowling opportunities (just 1 over bowled in the entire tournament) suggest the team management doesn’t view him as a primary bowling option either.
Across seven innings, Dube has managed only 106 runs at an average of 21.20, leaving his overall impact on the tournament debatable. The upcoming final against South Africa will be another chance for him to prove his critics wrong.
- Hardik Pandya (9/10, Excellent)
Shrugging off a disappointing IPL 2024, Indian vice-captain Hardik Pandya has emerged as a crucial force for his team in the T20 World Cup. A true all-rounder, he has impressed with both bat and ball across his most recent five matches.
Pandya’s contributions include a noteworthy 132 plus runs scored, solidifying him as one of India’s top four batsmen in the tournament. He has also proven his bowling prowess, picking up eight crucial wickets. This ability to contribute in both facets of the game makes him a vital weapon in India’s arsenal, especially during powerplays where he can grab wickets and in the death overs where his batting can be a match-winner. With his well-rounded performance, Pandya currently sits just behind India’s top wicket-takers: Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, and Kuldeep Yadav. His performance in the final will be keenly watched, as he has the potential to significantly impact the outcome of the match.
- Ravindra Jadeja (4.2/10, Poor)
Ravindra Jadeja, once a key player for India in T20 matches, has seen his role significantly reduced in the T20 World Cup 2024, largely due to the impressive combination of Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel. This change has especially affected his bowling contributions, as he is no longer the economical bowler he once was, a trade-off he made while focusing on his Test match career. Despite this, Jadeja remains a valuable asset for the team, offering assurance, guidance, and a calm presence under pressure, along with his batting abilities.
In the tournament, Jadeja’s batting stats show he has scored 33 runs across 4 innings in seven matches. However, his bowling performance has been underwhelming, with only one wicket to his name throughout the competition. This has led many to question his place in India’s white-ball squad.
- Axar Patel (9/10, Brilliant)
Emerging as a surprise hero for India, left-arm spinner Axar Patel has become a crucial cog in their bowling attack. Currently tied with Hardik Pandya for the fourth-highest wicket tally (7 wickets) amongst Indian bowlers in this T20 World Cup, his contributions extend beyond raw numbers.
His Player of the Match performance in the semi-final against England perfectly exemplifies his impact. He ripped through the English batting order, taking three wickets in just three overs, including the crucial scalp of skipper Jos Buttler with his very first delivery.
Axar’s effectiveness lies in his deceptive simplicity. While many rely on variations in T20s, he excels with subtle changes in release points and clever use of the crease, keeping batsmen guessing. This unique approach has even earned him the distinction of being the only Indian spinner to bowl during the powerplay overs. Since India relied him in the West Indies, he’s picked up 3 crucial wickets in just 6 powerplay overs, conceding a miserly 7 runs per over. But Axar’s impact goes beyond bowling. His batting has been a revelation for India. We’ll have to wait and see how his all-around skills continue to influence the team’s performance in the upcoming final.
- Arshdeep Singh (9.4/10, Fantastic)
India’s left-arm pace spearhead, Arshdeep Singh, has etched his name in history as the highest wicket-taker for India in a single edition of the T20 World Cup.
Despite a wicketless outing in his two overs during the semi-final against England, the 25-year-old pacer remains a vital cog in the Indian bowling attack with an impressive tally of 15 wickets throughout the tournament.
- Kuldeep Yadav (10/10, Outstanding)
Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav has been a revelation for India in the latter stages of the T20 World Cup. Initially overlooked during the group stage, he has emerged as a key weapon since the Super 8s, taking a total of 10 wickets across just 4 matches.
His ability to bamboozle batsmen with his variations is well-known, and he has played a crucial role in dismissing dangerous opposition players. In the high-pressure semi-final against England, his three wickets were instrumental in dismantling the defending champions. Earlier, in Barbados, he showcased his skills with a tidy 2-32 performance against Afghanistan.
With his expertise in the middle overs, Yadav has been a force to be reckoned with for opponents.
- Jasprit Bumrah (10/10, Out of the world)
India’s pace spearhead, Jasprit Bumrah, has been a key figure in their undefeated run at the T20 World Cup. Nicknamed for his various bowling weapons – “urgent scalper,” “powerplay killer,” and “deadly yorkerist” – Bumrah has consistently delivered when his team needed him most.
While he hasn’t been the primary opening bowler, his impact has been undeniable. He currently sits as the tournament’s second-highest wicket-taker with an impressive 13 scalps across seven matches. This stat is particularly significant considering India missed his services in the heartbreaking T20 World Cup 2022 semi-final loss to England.
Bumrah’s return to form has been nothing short of exceptional. He has delivered match-winning performances against both Pakistan and England, showcasing his ability to take wickets at crucial junctures of the game. His lethal bowling, combined with Arshdeep Singh’s pace attack, will undoubtedly be heavily relied upon by Rohit Sharma to secure victory in the upcoming final.
- Mohammed Siraj (5.4/10, Below Average)
India’s popular right-armer Mohammed Siraj played just three matches of T20 World Cup group stage in USA. Since then he has been replaced by Kuldeep Yadav for the slow Carribean wickets for Super 8 and knockouts.
The pace bowler took only one wicket in all of India’s matches in New York during the group stage.
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