Ex-India Star Points Out "Issue" For Suryakumar Yadav And Co. Ahead Of T20 World Cup Super Eight
Defending champions India start their T20 World Cup 2026 Super Eight campaign with a match against South Africa on Sunday.
- Mohammad Kaif has pointed out that India have plenty of left-handed batters in the line-up
- "Hardik Pandya had to move up the order to balance left and right-handers," he said
- "This is an issue because with so many left-handers, it becomes a bit easier for the opposition team to plan"
India remained unbeaten in the first round of T20 World Cup 2026. The Suryakumar Yadav-led side registered a 29-run win over the USA in its campaign opener before beating Namibia by a massive margin of 93 runs. India then outplayed Pakistan by 61 runs and defeated the Netherlands by 17 runs. It has been a good team show for the side so far, though some players are yet to click into form. The defending champions will now start their Super Eight campaign with a match against South Africa on Sunday.
Ahead of the clash against the Proteas, former India star Mohammad Kaif has pointed out an issue for the two-time champions. He highlighted that India have plenty of left-handed batters in the line-up, which makes it a bit easy for opposition bowlers to bowl against them.
Teams usually prefer a left-hand right-hand combination in batting, making it tough for the bowling side to stick to tight lines.
India's openers Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma bat left-handed. Tilak Varma, who comes in at number three, is also a southpaw. In the middle and lower order, the team has more left-handed batters in Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar.
"Why is Hardik Pandya coming at number five? Hardik Pandya does not usually bat at number five. In Delhi, he played at number five against Namibia because there were many left-handers. So, due to the left-right combination, he had to move up the order to balance left and right-handers. This is an issue because with so many left-handers, it becomes a bit easier for the opposition team to plan," Kaif said in a video on his YouTube channel.
While they have won four out of four matches, it has not been a smooth ride for India in the ongoing T20 World Cup so far. Their batting was tested against the USA, Pakistan and the Netherlands. The Suryakumar Yadav-led side, which has earned a reputation for putting up some sensational batting shows, is yet to give its best.
Apart from South Africa, India face Zimbabwe and West Indies in the Super Eight of the T20 World Cup.
India Cricket Team