As the Indian Premier League has ended, all eyes are on the 2021 T20 World Cup. India would be entering the tournament with the “Favourites” tag. The men in blue have been superb in the shortest format of the game, to say the least.
However, the T20 World Cup is a completely different ball game. The added presence of an ICC tournament always brings the best out of every team. Besides, whichever team is good on that day wins the game.
Another important point to be noted is the fact that T20 is a format where even an individual player can win you a game on his day. It gets trickier for India as they will be facing several strong teams in the group stage. These teams consist of several match winners.
Here are 5 players India needs to be wary of in the group stage:
1) Babar Azam
Babar Azam is arguably one of the best T20 batters right now. His consistency is unreal. Add to that the fact that his form has been wonderful of late.
The Pakistani skipper has scored 2204 runs in 56 T20I innings so far. His batting average in this format is 46.89 and 130.65 respectively. This includes 20 fifties and a hundred.
He is currently the highest-ranked Asian batsman in the shortest format of the game. India is all set to face Pakistan on October 24. The fact that Pakistan is going to play against their arch-rivals India would definitely bring the best out of Azam.
2) Kane Williamson
Kane Williamson needs no introduction. He is one of the best players of this era for a reason. The silent assassin is a superb player under pressure and thus, would look to perform well in the upcoming T20 WC as well.
The Kiwi skipper has scored 1805 runs in 65 T20I innings so far. His batting average and strike rate in this format are 31.67 and 124.91 respectively. This includes 13 fifties.
Not forget his amazing captaincy skills. Last but not the least, the T20 WC is going to be played in the UAE where the surfaces are on the slower side. These conditions are ideal for a player like Williamson to anchor an innings.
3) Devon Conway
Devon Conway has managed to impress one and all in a very short period. He has been hailed as the next big thing as well. The explosive batsman is tailor-made for this format.
The Kiwi batsman has scored 473 runs in 14 T20I games so far. His batting average and strike rate are 59.12 and 151.12 in T20Is respectively. This included 4 fifties with a best of an unbeaten 99.
However, flexibility has to be his USP. Not only can he bat at the top of the order but he can also bat in the middle order. The Indian bowlers will have to be at their best if they are to stop him from scoring.
4) Lockie Ferguson
It is safe to call Lockie Ferguson an “X-Factor”. He is arguably one of the fastest bowlers right now. His ability to hit the deck hard has troubled almost every batter who has faced him so far.
The express pacer has picked 24 wickets in 13 T20I games so far. His bowling average and strike rate are 13.17 and 11.5 respectively. His economy rate is 6.87, which is equivalent to gold in this format.
One mustn’t forget his variations as well. His changes of pace often tend to confuse the opposite batters. Besides, his form in the ongoing IPL 2021 which is also taking place in the UAE has been good.
5) Rashid Khan
Rashid Khan has been an absolute gem of a player. There aren’t too many players as impactful as him right now. It is safe to call him a complete package.
Batting, bowling fielding you name it, he can contribute to almost every aspect of the game. The bowling all-rounder has picked a whopping 95 wickets in 51 T20Is so far. His bowling average and strike rate are 12.63 and 12.19 respectively.
This includes 3 four-fers and 3 five-fers as well. He has a miserly economy rate of 6.22 as well. Not to forget his hitting ability with the bat too. Thus, he can prove to be a huge threat to India.
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