Abhishek Tripathi, Jagran Delhi. India T20 World Cup 2026 Semi Final Scenario: This time the Indian team, which has come to play the T20 World Cup amid the noise of crossing 300, is stuck in the path of ifs and buts at the very beginning of the Super-8 stage. The team which was making huge scores like 238 for 7 wickets, 209 for 3 wickets and 271 runs for 5 wickets in the T20 series against New Zealand before this World Cup, its batting collapsed in such a way against South Africa in Ahmedabad that now it is in danger of reaching the semi-finals at home.
At present the situation of Indian fans is like 'if you bite, there will be no blood'. Indian fans were hoping that the world number one team would get the advantage of home conditions but despite playing four out of five matches in India so far, Surya Kumar Yadav's team is feeling homeless at home.
IND vs ZIM: India's next clash with Zimbabwe
Team India's next match is to be played against Zimbabwe at Chepauk Stadium on Thursday in which Suryakumar Yadav needs not just a win but a big win because after this India will face West Indies. With the form West Indies are in, it will be difficult to achieve a big win against them. In the first match of Super-8, South Africa defeated India by 76 runs, due to which India's net run rate has become -3.800.
In the T-20 World Cup, defending champion India entered the Super-8 by winning all four group matches, but its batsmen were seen struggling in all the five matches played so far. In the first match of Super-8 against South Africa in Ahmedabad, it felt as if a tsunami had arrived. Now after this, India needs to win both its Super-8 matches by a big margin. Along with this, to reach the semi-finals, it will also have to depend on the results of other teams.
The pitch changed but not the strategy
When the Indian team plays T-20 cricket in the country, its batsmen generally do not have to struggle on flat pitches. This was clearly visible in the 4-1 victory in the five-match series against New Zealand before the World Cup. But that was a BCCI tournament and the T20 World Cup is an ICC tournament.
Even though India has played four out of five matches in this T20 World Cup so far in India, its pitches were completely different from the New Zealand series. The pitches on which the Indian team plays home bilateral T20 matches are initially flat and become better for batting after dew falls.
That means it becomes easier to pursue the goal. Despite this, the Indian team flopped against South Africa. Indian batsmen look scared in front of off-spinners. Indian batsmen will have to perform better in Chennai and Kolkata.
Varun Chakraborty's mystery becomes history
India's mystery spinner Varun Chakraborty getting badly beaten in the last match is also a matter of concern for India. The South African batsmen had come up with a plan against him and they smashed 47 runs in four overs off Varun.
In the last five matches against New Zealand and South Africa, he gave 208 runs in 20 overs. Associate nations do not have experience against Chakravarthy, but top teams are now playing him as an off-spinner, who brings the ball inside to the right-handed batsman. If the ball is not holding on the pitch, as happened that day, it becomes easier for both left and right handed batsmen to play and the mystery is reduced.
India T20 WC Semi Final Scenario: It is not easy to reach the semi-finals
In Group-1, South Africa had defeated India by 76 runs, due to which India's net run rate has become -3.800. South Africa's net run rate is 3.800, while after the big win of 107 runs, West Indies' net run rate has become 5.350.
If the Indian team beats Zimbabwe and West Indies, it will get four points. With this, if it defeats South Africa, West Indies and Zimbabwe, it will get six points. Then the Caribbean team will have only two points and Zimbabwe will have zero points.
In such a situation, apart from India, South Africa will qualify for the semi-finals from Group-1. If West Indies defeats South Africa and South Africa defeats Zimbabwe, then they will have four points each but their run rate is quite good.
India will then need to register wins over Zimbabwe and West Indies by margins of more than 80-100 runs. In this situation, India, South Africa and West Indies will have four points each. Two teams with good run rates will go to the last 4.
For better run rate, if Indian team scores 220 runs while batting first against Zimbabwe then it will have to restrict the opposition team to 120 or less so that India can come ahead in the game of net run rate. If Zimbabwe bats first, they will have to restrict them to less than 150 and achieve the target in 11 or 12 overs.
Also read- IND Vs PAK: India-Pakistan semi-final difficult, England's victory changed the whole equation
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