Guyana: India's journey in the T20 World Cup 2024 has been a testament to resilience and adaptability, overcoming formidable challenges from New York to the Caribbean. From navigating volatile pitches in the group stages to a hectic Super 8 schedule across multiple venues, India's path to the semi-finals has been marked by collective effort and strategic brilliance.
Skipper Rohit Sharma has repeatedly said, he wants to and is leading a “smart team”. Smart for him means quick adaptability, fulfilling assigned targets, working as a team, and stepping in when the need arrives. Smart also meant that he was not overly excited about individual sprees, laying his bets on “collective positivity”.
Starting their campaign in New York against Ireland, Pakistan, and the USA, India faced early tests on unfamiliar grounds. The drop-in pitches from Adelaide all the way to Florida and then New York, tested the bat as never before, limiting the legendary Indian run-getters to draw every patient muscle in their willow to somehow surmount low totals.
Despite initial struggles to set imposing totals, key contributions from players like Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya cameos to spice up the proceedings to respectability when openers like Kohli and Sharma went cheaply.
Transitioning to the Super 8s, India's challenges intensified with a demanding travel schedule and the need for super quick adaptation to vastly different Caribbean conditions. Matches against Afghanistan in Barbados, Bangladesh in Antigua, and Australia in St. Lucia showcased the team’s ability to thrive under pressure. Their bowlers, led by Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav, consistently delivered, bowling out opposition and defending modest scores with precision.
