After 52 entertaining games, the T20 World Cup 2024 enters the semi-final stage with England and India taking on each other in the second knockout fixture. Ahead of this game in Guyana, the Men in Blue took down the mighty Australia which concluded an undefeated group and Super 8s campaign.
Now in the semis, Team India will face England, a rematch from the T20 World Cup 2022. Two years back, the Three Lions demolished India by 10 wickets in the semis and reached the final to win their second T20 World Cup title. Hence Rohit Sharma and Co. will look for revenge and end their 11-year ICC trophy drought.
In this article, SportsTiger looks at India’s probable playing XI versus England in Semi-Final 2 of the T20 World Cup 2024.
Openers: Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli
Indian captain Rohit Sharma and batting legend Virat Kohli will open the innings against England. Rohit returned to form with a match-winning 92 in 43 balls against Australia and will look to play similarly in the semis. On the other hand, Kohli hasn’t been in the best of forms but in a crutch situation, there aren’t better players to take the responsibility.
Middle Order: Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya
Despite the misfiring opening pair, the middle order has consistently scored runs for India. Wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant has arguably been India’s best batter in the T20 World Cup while Suryakumar Yadav has gradually returned to form and played crucial innings over the last few games. The duo of Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya have also performed well by scoring quick runs with an aggressive intent.
Lower Middle Order: Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel
India’s spin-bowling all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel have had contrasting tournaments so far. Patel has emerged as one of India’s most versatile players through this tournament as he contributed with the bat at various positions while with the ball has often provided breakthroughs whenever given the opportunity. On the other hand, Jadeja has had a tournament to forget with no major contributions across any department.
Tailenders: Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah
The bowling can be considered India’s biggest strength in the T20 World Cup 2024. Arshdeep Singh has been scintillating with the new ball and consistently picked up wickets. Then comes Kuldeep Yadav, who first played in the Super 8s and immediately hit the ground running by contributing in every game. Last but not least, the best all-format player in the world, Jasprit Bumrah has proved to the world that he is the best.