Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli ignored as Mohammad Kaif names the most important players for India to win T20 World Cup 2024
The T20 World Cup 2024 has reached an important stage where the groups for the Super Eight stage have been decided. The group stage sprung some surprises with big teams like Pakistan, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka not being able to qualify for the next round, and teams like USA and Afghanistan putting in some excellent performances.
Two groups have been formed for the Super Eight stage. Group 1 consists of Australia, India, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan while Group 2 involves South Africa, England, West Indies, and USA. The battle is going to be tough from here onwards as teams will be pushing for a place in the semi-finals.
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Mohammad Kaif speaks on India's chances ahead of Super Eights
Former India batter Mohammad Kaif feels that India has to bat well if they want to win the T20 World Cup 2024. In a video posted by Star Sports on X (formerly Twitter), Kaif mentioned that India's bowling attack looks in good shape but the batting needs to come together in bowler-friendly conditions.
"India has to bat well if they want to beat any team in the West Indies where low-scoring games are happening and the ball is turning. Bumrah, Kuldeep, Axar Patel, and (Ravindra) Jadeja, all have key roles to play. The bowling looks fine but India has to work on its batting. Rohit Sharma will open while Virat Kohli should come at No. 3. I want Rishabh Pant to open the innings," Kaif said.
The 43-year-old also reviews the bowling attacks of Afghanistan and Australia, which are the teams that India is going to face in the Super Eights
"Talking about Afghanistan, Farooqi is in good form and Rashid Khan will bowl in the middle overs. So, they have the bowling resources. Facing Australia will be a challenge too as they have (Adam) Zampa in the middle overs. They have (Mitchell) Starc and (Pat) Cummins as well," Kaif reckoned.
"So, I think that India has to bat well to win this World Cup. In the first game against Afghanistan, the batting will be tested," he added.
India's batting performance in the Group Stage
India have had a difficult time with the bat so far in the T20 World Cup 2024. The pitches in New York were a big reason behind such performances. There was uneven bounce and excessive sideways movement throughout the eight games played at the venue.
The Men in Blue have played three matches in the Nassau County Stadium, New York while the other game in Florida was washed out due to bad weather conditions. India's highest score in these three games is 119, which they scored against Pakistan.
The bowlers, though, have lived up to the expectations. Jasprit Bumrah has led the bowling attack with some exceptional performances. Bumrah was the Player of the Match against Ireland and Pakistan.
India's first Super Eight match will be against Bangladesh on June 20 in Barbados. Afterward, they will move to Antigua to play Bangladesh on June 22. The Men in Blue will play its last Super Eight match against Australia on June 24 in St. Lucia.
