Cricket in the old days used to test player’s patience like a five-day marathon. The T20 World Cup has changed the script completely. Many can deny but now cricket is nothing short of a blockbuster entertainment. The T20 format now is all about boundaries and 200+ totals. Since 2007 an average innings has jumped 25% and the credit goes to flat pitches and aggressive batting.
This Twenty 20 World Cup is another chapter in the evolution of cricket’s fiercest and shortest format. However, without King Kohli and Hitman can India still conquer this world cup?
The Indian Miracle of 2007 T20 World Cup
No story of the T20 format is complete without mentioning the heroics of the Indian team in the inaugural T20 world cup.The young side of captain cool shocked the entire world by winning the world cup. The T20 viewership in India was soaring heights after that triumph.
A year later BCCI launched its own domestic league which completely exploded the player earnings. The average IPL salary hit $100k by 2010 and around 1.4 billion viewers tuned into the 2013 IPL final.
Is the Bowlers' Role in the T20 World Cup Dead?
The T20 format is solely made for batsman dominance. Most of the matches are played on flat decks for the sake of audience entertainment. However, you can’t deny the fact that batsmen can win you matches but a good bowling attack will help you win world cups. Wickets during powerplay decide almost 60% of close games. And without death over yorkers you can’t seal fate.
Most of the modern bowlers have adapted to this format brilliantly. The variations and yorkers of Jasprit Bumrah, one of the finest fast bowlers India has ever produced or the googly of England’s leg spinner Adil Rashid, batsmen have had nightmares facing them in the format where bowlers are sidelined.
In the T20 World Cup 2024, bowlers with different variations were 40% more effective in pressure situations. So, claiming that bowlers’ role is dead in the shortest format is too early.
Will the Absence of Rohit and Kohli Harm India?
The retirements of the two legends of white ball cricket is a hard pill to swallow for every Indian cricket fan. Rohit’s intent from the ball one, used to ease pressure on other batsmen and also helped in building momentum. On the other hand, the king of cricket can easily anchor any difficult chases with an average of 52 in World Cup knockouts.
We will surely miss their presence and leadership but don’t forget young guns like Suryakmar Yadav, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson have proven themselves many times and will be eager to contribute on the biggest stage.
Will Coach Gambhir Repeat the Deeds of Rahul Dravid in 2024 T20 World Cup?
Won’t lie but Gautam Gambhir has faced much criticism in the early days of his coaching tenure. We might have failed to fulfill the expectations in the cricket’s longest format but on the other side of the coin India has never lost any T20 series under his coaching, which makes India a hot favourite in this T20 world cup edition. Now, it’s time we should support our management and back them!
Is India Squad Announced for the T20 World Cup 2026?
Yes, the squad has been announced and there is one shocking change. A few months ago, we all assumed that we were going with Shubman Gill as our vice captain but selectors decided to choose Ishan Kishan who has been in an impressive form in the domestic tournaments. Here’s the entire squad list:
T20 World Cup Time Table
T20 World Cup Groups
T20 World Cup Fixtures
