Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Former India batter and expert Sanjay Bangar believes that the Indian cricket team is yet to hit top gear in the ongoing T20 World Cup. He said India’s unbeaten group-stage run has been steady rather than dominant, but stressed that the bigger positive is that the team’s best cricket is still to come at the tough phase of the competition.
“It’s been a steady start. Not quite the kind we were expecting, because the expectations were sky-high, and that’s where India, not necessarily bulldozing opponents in those games, can be seen as a team that played slightly under par. However, the good thing is that their best is yet to come,” Bangar told Jio Hotstar.
“Another positive aspect is that all the players have had a chance to feature in the playing XI, which augurs well in case there are any injury concerns later in the tournament. All the players are match-ready. If there is one department where they would want to improve, it would be catching, because we saw a few chances being dropped against Pakistan and the Netherlands,” Bangar added.
India have been placed in a tough group that includes 2024 runner-up South Africa, two-time champions West Indies, and Zimbabwe. As unbeaten India gear up to face strong teams in the next phase of the tournament, Bangar highlighted three players who he believes will play a decisive role in India’s campaign.
“From here on, three players who are going to be extremely critical to India’s journey in this T20 World Cup are the men in form. That’s where I feel Ishan Kishan, given his batting form and the lack of runs from Abhishek Sharma, becomes crucial. The onus is now on Kishan to provide those explosive starts. “So, he is player number one,” he said.
