India start their T20 World Cup campaign against USA on Feb 7, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The post 10 days to go for T20 World Cup 2026, 10 issues remain for Team India appeared first on Inside Sport India.
Just 10 days remain for the commencement of the T20 World Cup 2026 in India. The hosts, coming into the tournament have a golden chance, to become the first country to defend their title, as they start their campaign on Feb 7. The Suryakumar Yadav-led team is doing all the right things at the moment, have already won the five-match series vs New Zealand, and are looking in sublime form, in the run-up.
Now, it is all about execution at the grandest stage; something Rohit Sharma’s team did mighty well in the 2024 edition in the USA & West Indies. And then came the blockbuster final against South Africa.. But as is the case with every team, India would like to iron out a few glitches, which might be quite small, but could affect the overall performance of the team. So, InsideSport takes a look at 10 issues that still persist with the team.
Sanju Samson’s form
This has to be, has to be India’s biggest worry. Once looked at as one of the most talented batters, Sanju Samson scored 200 odd runs in 15 matches last year at an average of 20. This year he has scored 16 runs in 3 matches. His place in XI could be in jeopardy.
Ishan Kishan as pure batter?
Somehow, getting Ishan Kishan into the XI has worked quite well for the Indian team. In the second NZ T20I, he scored 76, that really ups his stocks. So, does he make in the team purely as a batter? If yes, then what happens to Rinku Singh? Will he be axed or will he still find a way?
Tilak Varma comes in, who goes out?
Tilak will join the team on Feb 3, and it is a no-brainer he comes in the XI automatically. India has a lot of players who can make the team, but only a handful can be picked. So it will be a tough choice to make for Gautam Gambhir and the management.
Washington Sundar fitness an issue
Washi is a vital cog in the team, a player who can contain runs and can bat at any position, that the team wants him to. But he had suffered a side strain in the 1st ODI of the series. Now, the Indian team would be sweating over his fitness. The question remains, who comes in, if Washi doesn’t get fit in time.
Can Kuldeep & Varun play together?
One key area to look at will be; can the wrist spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav & Varun Chakravarthy be drafted in the XI together? Both are out-and-out wicket takers.. VC has a strike-rate of 12.9 and KD is at 11.7. But what makes it difficult is, the would want to go with an all-rounder, instead of both of them together. A clarity in this thought is needed.
Usage of Jasprit Bumrah
Bumrah is the best bowler in the world, and no one can really dispute that fact. But with him being such an asset, one would want him to be fully fit. Other than that, if he is fully fit, he should avoid playing all matches. So, is the management ready with the plan for him?
Arshdeep Singh needs more game time
He is the most successful Indian T20I bowler and he ought to be in the playing XI. But as discussed earlier, India has a problem of plenty, and then there is a certain Harshit Rana in the fray, who makes selection all the more difficult.
The catching problem
In the ongoing series, the Indian team has dropped two catches already with two matches still to go. In the last Asia Cup, their catching looked miserable, where they went on top drop 12 catches. In just one match vs BAN, they dropped 5. So, this shows that there is a problem for sure, which needs a solution.
Last chance for Gautam Gambhir
Even though the format is completely different, but there is a lot of discontent after India’s two Test series losses at home under Gambhir. White-ball results have been decent or even better, but Tests have been a grey area. So, there would be an additional pressure on the coach to get results here. Maybe, if he fails, a call could be taken.
Peak form before World Cup?
Should India be vary of their excellent form right now? Will they fizzle out by the time the T20 World Cup comes? Has the team peaked early? These are real questions, to which the only answer can be performance. The 2023 WC was a classic example where the team played all their matches exceptionally well, but just couldn’t do it again in the final. Hopefully, that won’t be the case now.
India squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh
The post 10 days to go for T20 World Cup 2026, 10 issues remain for Team India appeared first on Inside Sport India.
