Page 39 - The Indian EYE 093022

SPORTS SEPTEMBER 30, 2022 | The Indian Eye 39

ICC T20 WORLD CUP

With Bumrah out, Rahul, Virat and

Pandya to be key players for Men in Blue

India’s T20 WC campaign will start against arch-rivals Pakistan on October 23 and will
be looking forward to avenging that ten-wicket loss last year

OUR BUREAU Asia Cup. In eight T20Is this year,
he has scored 198 runs at an average
Mumbai
of 24.75 and managed to score two
ormer Indian women’s team half-centuries.
skipper Anjum Chopra is op- Team India’s next assignment
Ftimistic that Team India will before World Cup is a home series
do well in the upcoming ICC T20 against South Africa, which will start
World Cup in Australia, however, she from September 28 and will feature
added that its star players like Ro- three T20Is and three ODIs.
hit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli India squad for ICC T20 World
will have to be in their best form and Cup: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL
also get adequate support from likes Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli,
of all-rounder Hardik Pandya as the Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hoo-
shortest format of the game is pretty da, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper),
unpredictable. ICC T20 World Cup is Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper),
set to begin from October 16 and will Hardik Pandya, R. Ashwin, Yuzven-
go on till November 13. dra Chahal, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bum-
“We have already seen that the rah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal
shortest format of the game is any- Patel, Arshdeep Singh. Standby
body’s game. We saw that recently players - Mohd. Shami, Shreyas Iyer,
during the Asia Cup. India is a very Ravi Bishnoi, Deepak Chahar.
good team. But to say that India has Virat Kohli BUMRAH NOT TO PLAY
a great chance is saying that other BECAUSE OF INJURY
teams do not, which is unfair to say
I think. We want India to win every ing. I am a big fan of Virat and Rohit A2) who will qualify for Super 12 af- ndia’s star pacer Jasprit Bumrah
trophy, but it cannot happen easily. If and them doing well and succeeding. ter round one. India will be looking is likely to be ruled out of the up-
it clean sweeps South Africa, it does But that does not mean that I am not forward to lifting the trophy this time Icoming T20 World Cup, starting
not really matter because when you a fan of Hardik. I hope they contin- under new skipper and head coach, October 16.
are in a different country, participat- ue to deliver good and win matches,” Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid. Bumrah is believed to be ruled
ing in an ICC event, it is a different concluded the former Indian skipper. Ever since his return to cricket out of the competition with a back
ball game. Every game is going to be India has had a lot of match prac- after a month-long break, Virat has injury. As per BCCI, the right-arm
competitive and contested,” said An- tice ahead of the World Cup this year. shown heavy glimpses of his vintage quick is out of action because of the
jum during an interview with ANI on They have won T20I series/matches self. He ended the Asia Cup 2022 as complained of back pain. “Jasprit
Sunday. against Australia, West Indies, En- a second-best batter, with 276 runs Bumrah complained of back pain
“As a cricketer, we are supposed gland, Sri Lanka, Ireland and South in five innings with one ton and two during India’s practice session on
to be in form, score runs, take wick- Africa all year in a great manner. But half-century. In the series against Tuesday. The BCCI Medical Team
ets and field well. It is our job as a to the shock of many, T20I delivered Australia that followed, he hit 76 assessed him. He is ruled out of the
player. Only if one is in form, then its dosage of unpredictability when runs in three innings, including a first #INDvSA T20I,” BCCI tweeted
only he/she can survive in a playing the Asia Cup 2022 defending cham- match-winning 63 in the final T20I at earlier on Wednesday.
eleven, otherwise, they have no busi- pions India could not even make it to Hyderabad. Bumrah had not travelled with
ness being there. For KL, Rohit and the final of the tournament, finishing In eight innings so far since his the team for the opening T20I
VK to be picked in a playing eleven, at third in the Super Four phase. return, he has had a century and against South Africa, played at
it is required that they are in best of India’s T20 WC campaign will three fifties under his belt. Overall, the Greenfield International Sta-
their form.” start against arch-rivals Pakistan on this year, Virat has scored 433 runs at dium in Thiruvananthapuram on
“If you saw the Asia Cup, there October 23 and will be looking for- an average of 43.30, with one century Wednesday.
is place and importance for each type ward to avenging that ten-wicket loss and four fifties in 12 innings. Bumrah, who had also ruled
of player, be it KL, Rohit, Pandya or last year that ultimately played a big On the other hand, in 20 T20Is out of the Asia Cup 2022 due to
Virat. You will need different kinds role in them getting knocked in the this year, skipper Rohit Sharma has his back problem, and was training
of batters to make sure that your Super 12 stage itself. managed 497 runs at an average of at the National Cricket Academy,
team comes out of a certain situation. Men in Blue are placed in Group 27.61 with two fifties. played the last two T20Is against
Virat or any of these stars brings an 2 along with Bangladesh, Pakistan, KL Rahul has blown hot and Australia.
Continued at next page... >>
added smile to our faces by perform- South Africa and two teams (B1 and cold since his return after injury in Continued at next page... >>

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