On Monday evening (October 03), the BCCI announced that Jasprit Bumrah is officially ruled out of the T20 World Cup due to back stress fracture. Bumrah's injury woes started before the Asia Cup. The speedster missed the continental tournament, held in the UAE, and returned during the home T20Is versus Australia -- where he played two out of the three games.

After missing the three-match T20I series opener versus South Africa, which concluded on Tuesday (October 05), Bumrah was monited by the BCCI medical team before a final call was taken on his T20 WC chances. With him out of the scene for the forthcoming mega event, Rohit Sharma-led India have a herculean task to fill in for Bumrah and go all the distance in the upcoming edition in Australia.&nbsp;

Former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja, speaking on the Cricbuzz show, cited Waqar Younis' example and explained how India can still win the T20 WC title sans Bumrah. The 51-year-old pointed out that the Indian team should not have a problem without the pacer, as no role was assigned to him.

"You know, this is a really tough one to answer. But to make it simple and for fans, just to give them hope. One is that we didn't play with Jasprit Bumrah throughout this year. We played very few games with Jasprit Bumrah and India still managed to do well," Jadeja said.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-australia-england-or-pakistan-aussie-great-picks-his-favourites-for-t20-world-cup-522712">India, Australia, England or Pakistan? Aussie great picks his favourites for T20 World Cup</a>

Jadeja further opined, "So there is no role play that got assigned to him. So, luckily, from that point of view, you know the Indian team should not have that problem. You cannot replace Jasprit Bumrah, not even close, because he is so unique that you will miss him."

"Two, just to give you an assurance that you know people who are young and who've joined us, I'll give them a story from 30 years ago. There was another World Cup in Australia in 1992. The team that won that World Cup, not many people in India would like this. The team that won that World Cup had a similar thing happen to them. A man called Waqar Younis, in that period of time, was the finest bowler in that format or any format, and just like Jasprit Bumrah, he was that attacking a bowler. He missed out on that World Cup just before with a back injury, pretty similar to Jasprit Bumrah's, but at the end of the day, Pakistan happened to win that World Cup," he added.

On Monday evening (October 03), the BCCI announced that Jasprit Bumrah is officially ruled out of the T20 World Cup due to back stress fracture. Bumrah's injury woes started before the Asia Cup.

On Monday evening (October 03), the BCCI announced that Jasprit Bumrah is officially ruled out of the T20 World Cup due to back stress fracture. Bumrah's injury woes started before the Asia Cup. The speedster missed the continental tournament, held in the UAE, and returned during the home T20Is versus Australia -- where he played two out of the three games. After missing the three-match T20I series opener versus South Africa, which concluded on Tuesday (October 05), Bumrah was monited by the BCCI medical team before a final call was taken on his T20 WC chances. With him out of the scene for the forthcoming mega event, Rohit Sharma-led India have a herculean task to fill in for Bumrah and go all the distance in the upcoming edition in Australia. Former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja, speaking on the Cricbuzz show, cited Waqar Younis' example and explained how India can still win the T20 WC title sans Bumrah. The 51-year-old pointed out that the Indian team should not have a problem without the pacer, as no role was assigned to him. "You know, this is a really tough one to answer. But to make it simple and for fans, just to give them hope. One is that we didn't play with Jasprit Bumrah throughout this year. We played very few games with Jasprit Bumrah and India still managed to do well," Jadeja said. ALSO READ | India, Australia, England or Pakistan? Aussie great picks his favourites for T20 World Cup Jadeja further opined, "So there is no role play that got assigned to him. So, luckily, from that point of view, you know the Indian team should not have that problem. You cannot replace Jasprit Bumrah, not even close, because he is so unique that you will miss him." "Two, just to give you an assurance that you know people who are young and who've joined us, I'll give them a story from 30 years ago. There was another World Cup in Australia in 1992. The team that won that World Cup, not many people in India would like this. The team that won that World Cup had a similar thing happen to them. A man called Waqar Younis, in that period of time, was the finest bowler in that format or any format, and just like Jasprit Bumrah, he was that attacking a bowler. He missed out on that World Cup just before with a back injury, pretty similar to Jasprit Bumrah's, but at the end of the day, Pakistan happened to win that World Cup," he added.

Ajay Jadeja gives Waqar Younis' example, explains how India can still win T20 WC sans Jasprit Bumrah

The T20 World Cup 2022 edition is just a few days away. The eighth edition of the mega event will be held in Australia and will kick off with the qualifying round. Four teams, from the qualifiers, will then join the top eight sides in the Super 12 round (in two groups of six each).&nbsp;

Before the commencement of the showpiece event, former cricketers and experts of the game are picking their favourites for the coveted title. Rohit Sharma-led India, who are the No. 1 ranked side in the format, Australia, South Africa, Pakistan and England are some serious contenders whereas other teams can also not be taken lightly as the margin of error is very small in the shorest format.

Ahead of the T20 WC, Aussie great Michael Bevan picked his favourites. "I reckon I would have to say India, England and Australia. I think that the pick of the teams at the moment are probably India and England. But Australia have some amazing players, some super talented players and, when it clicks for them, it clicks and they are plenty good enough to take off (win) consecutive World Cups," Bevan told&nbsp;SkySports.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/not-england-moeen-ali-names-two-teams-favourites-for-t20-world-cup-in-australia-522060">Not England! Moeen Ali names two teams favourites for T20 World Cup in Australia</a>

"And, given the home ground advantage (for Australia), it should help a little bit as well. I think they would have to be my top three at this stage," the two-time ODI World Cup winner added.

In last year's edition, Aaron Finch-led Australia won the title for the first time after beating New Zealand by eight wickets at the iconic Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai. It will be interesting to see which side walks away with the championship this time around.

The T20 World Cup 2022 edition is just a few days away. The eighth edition of the mega event will be held in Australia and will kick off with the qualifying round.

The T20 World Cup 2022 edition is just a few days away. The eighth edition of the mega event will be held in Australia and will kick off with the qualifying round. Four teams, from the qualifiers, will then join the top eight sides in the Super 12 round (in two groups of six each). Before the commencement of the showpiece event, former cricketers and experts of the game are picking their favourites for the coveted title. Rohit Sharma-led India, who are the No. 1 ranked side in the format, Australia, South Africa, Pakistan and England are some serious contenders whereas other teams can also not be taken lightly as the margin of error is very small in the shorest format. Ahead of the T20 WC, Aussie great Michael Bevan picked his favourites. "I reckon I would have to say India, England and Australia. I think that the pick of the teams at the moment are probably India and England. But Australia have some amazing players, some super talented players and, when it clicks for them, it clicks and they are plenty good enough to take off (win) consecutive World Cups," Bevan told SkySports. ALSO READ | Not England! Moeen Ali names two teams favourites for T20 World Cup in Australia "And, given the home ground advantage (for Australia), it should help a little bit as well. I think they would have to be my top three at this stage," the two-time ODI World Cup winner added. In last year's edition, Aaron Finch-led Australia won the title for the first time after beating New Zealand by eight wickets at the iconic Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai. It will be interesting to see which side walks away with the championship this time around.

India, Australia, England or Pakistan? Aussie great picks his favourites for T20 World Cup

After winning their first-ever home T20Is versus South Africa, on Sunday (October 02), Rohit Sharma-led India faced the Proteas in the third and final encounter on Tuesday evening (October 04) at the Holkar Stadium, Indore.

In a bid to inflict a series whitewash over Temba Bavuma &amp; Co., Rohit-led India opted to bowl first after resting KL Rahul and Virat Kohli whereas Arshdeep Singh missed out due to back issues. Riding on Rilee Rossouw's 48-ball 100*, Quinton de Kock's 68 and David Miller's 5-ball unbeaten 19, SA posted a mammoth 227/3. In reply, India were 45 for 3 and only managed 178 all-out in 18.3 overs, to lose by 49 runs.

With this being India's last match before the T20 World Cup, where they begin their campaign versus Pakistan on October 23 at the MCG, Melbourne, cricketer-turned-commentator Murali Karthik interacted with skipper Rohit. Hitman discussed about the Australia and South Africa home T20Is (both of which India won 2-1) and made a hilarious remark. "Speaking about the concerns, to start with Surya's form, there's a bit of concern, and then you know, we have to look at that (starts laughing)," Rohit said while talking to presenter Karthik during the post-match presentation. The ex-spinner then said, "I thought it would be the least of your concerns!"

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rohit-sharma-attains-unwanted-record-becomes-first-indian-to-score-10-ducks-in-t20is-during-sa-face-off-522448">Rohit Sharma attains unwanted record, becomes first Indian to score 10 ducks in T20Is during SA face-off</a>

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Rohit then turned serious and stated, "No, honestly speaking, we have to look at our bowling. What more options could we find in the powerplay, in the middle-overs, and in the death as well."

"The last two series were very challenging. We were playing against the top-2 sides. We had to come up against tough challenges. We will go back and see what better we can do. It is going to be challenging, but we need to find an answer to those. I would still say, we are working towards that. Guys need clarity on what we want to achieve, and it is my job to convey that. It's a work in progress, and we want to continue to keep doing that," the 35-year-old added.

India will now travel to Perth and play some practice as well as warm-up games in the run-up to the T20 WC, which kicks off on October 16.

After winning their first-ever home T20Is versus South Africa, on Sunday (October 02), Rohit Sharma-led India faced the Proteas in the third and final encounter on Tuesday evening (October 04) at the Holkar Stadium, Indore.

After winning their first-ever home T20Is versus South Africa, on Sunday (October 02), Rohit Sharma-led India faced the Proteas in the third and final encounter on Tuesday evening (October 04) at the Holkar Stadium, Indore. In a bid to inflict a series whitewash over Temba Bavuma & Co., Rohit-led India opted to bowl first after resting KL Rahul and Virat Kohli whereas Arshdeep Singh missed out due to back issues. Riding on Rilee Rossouw's 48-ball 100*, Quinton de Kock's 68 and David Miller's 5-ball unbeaten 19, SA posted a mammoth 227/3. In reply, India were 45 for 3 and only managed 178 all-out in 18.3 overs, to lose by 49 runs. With this being India's last match before the T20 World Cup, where they begin their campaign versus Pakistan on October 23 at the MCG, Melbourne, cricketer-turned-commentator Murali Karthik interacted with skipper Rohit. Hitman discussed about the Australia and South Africa home T20Is (both of which India won 2-1) and made a hilarious remark. "Speaking about the concerns, to start with Surya's form, there's a bit of concern, and then you know, we have to look at that (starts laughing)," Rohit said while talking to presenter Karthik during the post-match presentation. The ex-spinner then said, "I thought it would be the least of your concerns!" ALSO READ | Rohit Sharma attains unwanted record, becomes first Indian to score 10 ducks in T20Is during SA face-off pic.twitter.com/MnyjRobYKr — cricket fan (@cricketfanvideo) October 4, 2022 × Rohit then turned serious and stated, "No, honestly speaking, we have to look at our bowling. What more options could we find in the powerplay, in the middle-overs, and in the death as well." "The last two series were very challenging. We were playing against the top-2 sides. We had to come up against tough challenges. We will go back and see what better we can do. It is going to be challenging, but we need to find an answer to those. I would still say, we are working towards that. Guys need clarity on what we want to achieve, and it is my job to convey that. It's a work in progress, and we want to continue to keep doing that," the 35-year-old added. India will now travel to Perth and play some practice as well as warm-up games in the run-up to the T20 WC, which kicks off on October 16.

WATCH: 'Suryakumar Yadav's form is a bit of concern' - Rohit Sharma's hilarious remark after SA T20Is

India locked horns with South Africa in the third and inconsequential T20I at the iconic Holkar Stadium, Indore on Tuesday evening (October 04) after taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.&nbsp;

Winning the toss, Rohit Sharma-led India asked South Africa to bat first, who rode on Rilee Rossouw's 48-ball 100 not to post a mammoth 227-3. In reply, India's run-chase got off to a poor start with skipper Rohit falling for a duck in the second ball of the Indian innings. Rohit chopped onto his stumps, off Kagiso Rabada, to script an unwanted record under his belt.&nbsp;

With Rohit falling for a two-ball duck, Hitman now has become the first Indian with ten ducks in the shortest format of the game at the highest level. Here are the top three Indian batters with the most ducks in T20Is:&nbsp;

1) Rohit Sharma - 10*

2) KL Rahul - 5

3) Virat Kohli - 4

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-deepak-chahar-warns-tristan-stubbs-against-leaving-the-crease-in-india-sa-3rd-t20i-in-indore-522435">Watch: Deepak Chahar warns Tristan Stubbs against leaving the crease in India-SA 3rd T20I in Indore</a>

After Rohit's departure, India's run-chase fell flat -- especially after the dismissal of Dinesh Karthik -- in pursuit of a mammoth 228-run target.&nbsp;

Talking about the unwanted list, India's famed top three spearheads it. The 35-year-old Rohit has played some good and quickfire knocks at the top of the order for Team India in 2022, however, he hasn't produced a big score so far. He will hope to go big with the bat during the forthcoming T20 World Cup in Australia, which gets underway on October 16.&nbsp;

Rohit-led India will soon leave for Australia, after the home T20Is versus the Proteas, and play two warm-up games before their tournament opener versus arch-rivals Pakistan on October 23 at the MCG, Melbourne.

India locked horns with South Africa in the third and inconsequential T20I at the iconic Holkar Stadium, Indore on Tuesday evening (October 04) after taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

India locked horns with South Africa in the third and inconsequential T20I at the iconic Holkar Stadium, Indore on Tuesday evening (October 04) after taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Winning the toss, Rohit Sharma-led India asked South Africa to bat first, who rode on Rilee Rossouw's 48-ball 100 not to post a mammoth 227-3. In reply, India's run-chase got off to a poor start with skipper Rohit falling for a duck in the second ball of the Indian innings. Rohit chopped onto his stumps, off Kagiso Rabada, to script an unwanted record under his belt. With Rohit falling for a two-ball duck, Hitman now has become the first Indian with ten ducks in the shortest format of the game at the highest level. Here are the top three Indian batters with the most ducks in T20Is: 1) Rohit Sharma - 10* 2) KL Rahul - 5 3) Virat Kohli - 4 Also read: Watch: Deepak Chahar warns Tristan Stubbs against leaving the crease in India-SA 3rd T20I in Indore After Rohit's departure, India's run-chase fell flat -- especially after the dismissal of Dinesh Karthik -- in pursuit of a mammoth 228-run target. Talking about the unwanted list, India's famed top three spearheads it. The 35-year-old Rohit has played some good and quickfire knocks at the top of the order for Team India in 2022, however, he hasn't produced a big score so far. He will hope to go big with the bat during the forthcoming T20 World Cup in Australia, which gets underway on October 16. Rohit-led India will soon leave for Australia, after the home T20Is versus the Proteas, and play two warm-up games before their tournament opener versus arch-rivals Pakistan on October 23 at the MCG, Melbourne.

Rohit Sharma attains unwanted record, becomes first Indian to score 10 ducks in T20Is during SA face-off

South Africa produced a dominating performance to thrash India by 49 runs in the third and final T20I of the three-match series at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, here on Tuesday. With the win in the first two T20Is, India won the two-match series 2-1. A scintillating maiden T20I hundred century from Rilee Rossouw (100 not out off 48) and a fine fifty by Quinton de Kock (68 off 43) powered South Africa to 227/3 in 20 overs, after being invited to bat first. 
 
Apart from Rossouw and De Kock, Tristan Stubbs (23 off 18) and David Miller (19 not out off 5) also played valuable knocks for South Africa, who were also helped by India`s sloppy fielding. Umesh Yadav (1/34) and Deepak Chahar (1/48) were the wicket-takers for India. Chasing a big total, India scored at brisk rate for majority parts of their innings but kept losing wickets at regular intervals. The likes of Dinesh Karthik (46 off 21), Rishabh Pant (27 off 14) got starts but couldn`t convert them into big innings.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rohit-sharma-attains-unwanted-record-becomes-first-indian-to-score-10-ducks-in-t20is-during-sa-face-off-522448">Rohit Sharma attains unwanted record, becomes first Indian to score 10 ducks in T20Is during SA face-off</a>

Lower down the order, Harshal Patel (17 off 12), Deepak Chahar (31 off 17), Umesh Yadav (20 not out off 17) also made contributions, but they were not enough. Eventually, India were bowled out for 178 in 18.3 overs, losing by a huge margin of 49 runs. Dwaine Pretorius 3/26, Keshav Maharaj 2/34) were the most successful bowlers for Proteas. 
 
Brief scores: South Africa 227-3 in 20 Overs (Rilee Rossouw 100 not out, Quinton de Kock 68; Umesh Yadav 1/34) beat India 178-10 in 18.3 Overs (Dinesh Karthik 46, Deepak Chahar 31; Dwaine Pretorius 3/26, Keshav Maharaj 2/34) by 49 runs

South Africa produced a dominating performance to thrash India by 49 runs in the third and final T20I of the three-match series at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, here on Tuesday.

South Africa produced a dominating performance to thrash India by 49 runs in the third and final T20I of the three-match series at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, here on Tuesday. With the win in the first two T20Is, India won the two-match series 2-1. A scintillating maiden T20I hundred century from Rilee Rossouw (100 not out off 48) and a fine fifty by Quinton de Kock (68 off 43) powered South Africa to 227/3 in 20 overs, after being invited to bat first. Apart from Rossouw and De Kock, Tristan Stubbs (23 off 18) and David Miller (19 not out off 5) also played valuable knocks for South Africa, who were also helped by India`s sloppy fielding. Umesh Yadav (1/34) and Deepak Chahar (1/48) were the wicket-takers for India. Chasing a big total, India scored at brisk rate for majority parts of their innings but kept losing wickets at regular intervals. The likes of Dinesh Karthik (46 off 21), Rishabh Pant (27 off 14) got starts but couldn`t convert them into big innings. ALSO READ | Rohit Sharma attains unwanted record, becomes first Indian to score 10 ducks in T20Is during SA face-off Lower down the order, Harshal Patel (17 off 12), Deepak Chahar (31 off 17), Umesh Yadav (20 not out off 17) also made contributions, but they were not enough. Eventually, India were bowled out for 178 in 18.3 overs, losing by a huge margin of 49 runs. Dwaine Pretorius 3/26, Keshav Maharaj 2/34) were the most successful bowlers for Proteas. Brief scores: South Africa 227-3 in 20 Overs (Rilee Rossouw 100 not out, Quinton de Kock 68; Umesh Yadav 1/34) beat India 178-10 in 18.3 Overs (Dinesh Karthik 46, Deepak Chahar 31; Dwaine Pretorius 3/26, Keshav Maharaj 2/34) by 49 runs

3rd T20I: Rilee Rossouw's maiden ton propels South Africa to 49-run win over India, hosts win 2-1

India were dealt a huge blow on Monday evening (October 03) as the BCCI confirmed that Jasprit Bumrah is officially ruled out of the T20 World Cup due to back stress fracture. With no Bumrah, Indian bowlers will have to step up, who have been struggling to contain the run-flow in the death overs. Despite Bumrah's absence, India still have enough firepower to go the distance in the forthcoming T20 WC, however, will the one-time winners will bank upon some of their key players to carry the bulk of responsibility in the forthcoming mega event in Australia, from October-November.

India's key players include skipper Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Mohammed Shami (who is expected to fill in for Bumrah), Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Dinesh Karthik. Former Indian stumper Saba Karim recently mentioned the player whose form will be absolutely crucial for India in the eighth edition of the men's T20 WC. "Well, one thing I can say is - India's chances of winning the World Cup depend largely on Suryakumar Yadav's form and I say this because he plays in such a difficult position," said Karim on SPORTS18's daily sports news show "Sports Over The Top".

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/better-to-play-unfit-fat-players-ex-pakistan-spinner-slams-babar-co-after-t20i-series-loss-to-england-522380">Better to play unfit, fat players: Ex-Pakistan spinner slams Babar &amp; Co. after T20I series loss to England</a>

"In the middle overs, in the T20 format, playing with such a high strike rate is not so easy, but it comes so easy for Suryakumar Yadav because of his skill, experience and he's so dexterous. He's got an uncanny ability to find the gaps in the right areas, at times he toys with the bowling and there are several vacant areas which he is able to exploit so easily. So yes Suryakumar Yadav, I hope and pray that he does well and continues with this form even in the World Cup," the former wicketkeeper-cum-selector added.

Talking about Surya, he is India's best batter in the format of late. The right-hander has been in sublime form in 2022, with 793 runs including six fifties and a hundred at a whopping strike rate of&nbsp;185.28. He has slammed two half-centuries on the trot in the ongoing home T20Is versus South Africa.

At present, India is involved in the third and final T20I against SA on Tuesday evening (October 04) in Indore. After this match, India will head to Australia -- likely on October 06 -- and play two warm-up games in the run-up to their T20 WC opening clash, where they face Pakistan on October 23 at the MCG, Melbourne.

India were dealt a huge blow on Monday evening (October 03) as the BCCI confirmed that Jasprit Bumrah is officially ruled out of the T20 World Cup due to back stress fracture.

India were dealt a huge blow on Monday evening (October 03) as the BCCI confirmed that Jasprit Bumrah is officially ruled out of the T20 World Cup due to back stress fracture. With no Bumrah, Indian bowlers will have to step up, who have been struggling to contain the run-flow in the death overs. Despite Bumrah's absence, India still have enough firepower to go the distance in the forthcoming T20 WC, however, will the one-time winners will bank upon some of their key players to carry the bulk of responsibility in the forthcoming mega event in Australia, from October-November. India's key players include skipper Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Mohammed Shami (who is expected to fill in for Bumrah), Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Dinesh Karthik. Former Indian stumper Saba Karim recently mentioned the player whose form will be absolutely crucial for India in the eighth edition of the men's T20 WC. "Well, one thing I can say is - India's chances of winning the World Cup depend largely on Suryakumar Yadav's form and I say this because he plays in such a difficult position," said Karim on SPORTS18's daily sports news show "Sports Over The Top". ALSO READ | Better to play unfit, fat players: Ex-Pakistan spinner slams Babar & Co. after T20I series loss to England "In the middle overs, in the T20 format, playing with such a high strike rate is not so easy, but it comes so easy for Suryakumar Yadav because of his skill, experience and he's so dexterous. He's got an uncanny ability to find the gaps in the right areas, at times he toys with the bowling and there are several vacant areas which he is able to exploit so easily. So yes Suryakumar Yadav, I hope and pray that he does well and continues with this form even in the World Cup," the former wicketkeeper-cum-selector added. Talking about Surya, he is India's best batter in the format of late. The right-hander has been in sublime form in 2022, with 793 runs including six fifties and a hundred at a whopping strike rate of 185.28. He has slammed two half-centuries on the trot in the ongoing home T20Is versus South Africa. At present, India is involved in the third and final T20I against SA on Tuesday evening (October 04) in Indore. After this match, India will head to Australia -- likely on October 06 -- and play two warm-up games in the run-up to their T20 WC opening clash, where they face Pakistan on October 23 at the MCG, Melbourne.

'India's chances of winning T20 WC depend on....' - Former stumper names key player for Rohit & Co.

India beat South Africa by 16 runs in the second and penultimate T20I, in Guwahati on Sunday (October 2), to win their first-ever home series in the shortest format versus the Proteas. Being asked to bat first, India rode on Suryakumar Yadav's 22-ball 61, KL Rahul's 28-ball 55, Rohit Sharma's 43, Virat Kohli's 49 not out and Dinesh Karthik's 7-ball unbeaten 17 to post 237/3 in 20 overs.

In reply, South Africa were 46 for 3 and looked out of the contest before David Miller-Quinton de Kock's unbeaten 174-run third-wicket stand displayed Proteas' fighting spirit and led them to 221-3, with absolute carnage in the last ten overs. Indian bowlers were in for a leather hunt in the second-half of the run-chase, conceding 151 runs in the last 60 balls.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-refuses-strike-from-dinesh-karthik-remains-stranded-on-49-in-guwahati-t20i-vs-sa-watch-522027">Virat Kohli refuses strike from Dinesh Karthik, remains stranded on 49* in Guwahati T20I vs SA - Watch</a>

Miller smacked sixes in all parts of the ground whereas De Kock also complemented him brilliantly. In India's defence, even the SA bowlers were smacked left, right and centre, but the Indian death bowling has remained below-par since the start of Asia Cup 2022 edition.&nbsp;

Guwahati T20I's Player-of-the-Match KL Rahul backed the Indian bowlers&nbsp;and said in the post-match conference, "Overall as a team there's a lot that we need to get better at. Not only for us but for all teams. These are great opportunities for all teams to experiment and to try and see what works for them. Just because we got 237 doesn't mean there is no room for us to improve as a batting unit. In the same way, there is a lot of room for the bowlers to improve as well."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/need-to-get-rohit-sharma-admits-indias-death-bowling-needs-improvement-after-2nd-t20i-win-vs-sa-522011">'Need to get...': Rohit Sharma admits India's death bowling needs improvement after 2nd T20I win vs SA</a>

At the post-match presentation, captain Rohit admitted the death bowling needs to improve but didn't term it as a 'concern'. "The team wants to play and bowl in a certain way and we want to give them that freedom. Yes, we have not really bowled well in the death in the last five or six games. But that is the area where people will challenge us and we are doing the same to the opposition as well."

"To bowl and bat at the death is very tough. That is where the game is decided. I wouldn't say it's concerning, but it's definitely an area we need to pick ourselves up and get our act together," the skipper added.

India beat South Africa by 16 runs in the second and penultimate T20I, in Guwahati on Sunday (October 2), to win their first-ever home series in the shortest format versus the Proteas.

India beat South Africa by 16 runs in the second and penultimate T20I, in Guwahati on Sunday (October 2), to win their first-ever home series in the shortest format versus the Proteas. Being asked to bat first, India rode on Suryakumar Yadav's 22-ball 61, KL Rahul's 28-ball 55, Rohit Sharma's 43, Virat Kohli's 49 not out and Dinesh Karthik's 7-ball unbeaten 17 to post 237/3 in 20 overs. In reply, South Africa were 46 for 3 and looked out of the contest before David Miller-Quinton de Kock's unbeaten 174-run third-wicket stand displayed Proteas' fighting spirit and led them to 221-3, with absolute carnage in the last ten overs. Indian bowlers were in for a leather hunt in the second-half of the run-chase, conceding 151 runs in the last 60 balls. ALSO READ | Virat Kohli refuses strike from Dinesh Karthik, remains stranded on 49* in Guwahati T20I vs SA - Watch Miller smacked sixes in all parts of the ground whereas De Kock also complemented him brilliantly. In India's defence, even the SA bowlers were smacked left, right and centre, but the Indian death bowling has remained below-par since the start of Asia Cup 2022 edition. Guwahati T20I's Player-of-the-Match KL Rahul backed the Indian bowlers and said in the post-match conference, "Overall as a team there's a lot that we need to get better at. Not only for us but for all teams. These are great opportunities for all teams to experiment and to try and see what works for them. Just because we got 237 doesn't mean there is no room for us to improve as a batting unit. In the same way, there is a lot of room for the bowlers to improve as well." ALSO READ | 'Need to get...': Rohit Sharma admits India's death bowling needs improvement after 2nd T20I win vs SA At the post-match presentation, captain Rohit admitted the death bowling needs to improve but didn't term it as a 'concern'. "The team wants to play and bowl in a certain way and we want to give them that freedom. Yes, we have not really bowled well in the death in the last five or six games. But that is the area where people will challenge us and we are doing the same to the opposition as well." "To bowl and bat at the death is very tough. That is where the game is decided. I wouldn't say it's concerning, but it's definitely an area we need to pick ourselves up and get our act together," the skipper added.

'Just because we got 237...' - KL Rahul comes in support of under-fire Team India bowling unit

India and South Africa locked horns in the second and penultimate T20I on Sunday evening (October 02). After a 1-0 lead, India had a chance to win their maiden T20I series versus the Proteas on home soil. Being asked to bat first, Rohit Sharma &amp; Co. rode on quickfire half-centuries from KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav apart from contributions from Rohit, Virat Kohli (49 not out) and Dinesh Karthik (7-ball 17*) to post 237-3.

In reply, South Africa were quickly reduced to 47 for 3 and looked out of the contest. However, a terrific 174-run unbeaten fourth-wicket stand between centurion David Miller (47-ball 106*) and Quinton de Kock's 48-ball 67* took SA to 221/3; losing by 16 runs. As a result, India's bowling in the second half of SA's run-chase was not upto the mark.&nbsp;

Indian bowlers leaked as many as a whopping 151 runs&nbsp;last ten overs. The last four overs saw Miller-De Kock smack 65 runs. Hence, Hitman opined on India's death bowling, which has remained below par since the Asia Cup 2022 edition.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-sa-rohit-sharma-achieves-massive-feat-in-guwahati-becomes-first-indian-to-play-400-t20s-521932">Ind vs SA: Rohit Sharma achieves MASSIVE feat in Guwahati, becomes first Indian to play 400 T20s</a>

"The team wants to play and bowl in a certain way and we want to give them that freedom. Yes, we have not really bowled well in the death in the last five or six games. But that is the area where people will challenge us and we are doing the same to the opposition as well."

"To bowl and bat at the death is very tough. That is where the game is decided. I wouldn't say it's concerning, but it's definitely an area we need to pick ourselves up and get our act together," the skipper pointed out at the post-match presentation.

India will meet Temba Bavuma &amp; Co. for the final T20I on Wednesday (October 04) before leaving for Australia for the 2022 T20 World Cup.

India and South Africa locked horns in the second and penultimate T20I on Sunday evening (October 02). After a 1-0 lead, India had a chance to win their maiden T20I series versus the Proteas on home soil.

India and South Africa locked horns in the second and penultimate T20I on Sunday evening (October 02). After a 1-0 lead, India had a chance to win their maiden T20I series versus the Proteas on home soil. Being asked to bat first, Rohit Sharma & Co. rode on quickfire half-centuries from KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav apart from contributions from Rohit, Virat Kohli (49 not out) and Dinesh Karthik (7-ball 17*) to post 237-3. In reply, South Africa were quickly reduced to 47 for 3 and looked out of the contest. However, a terrific 174-run unbeaten fourth-wicket stand between centurion David Miller (47-ball 106*) and Quinton de Kock's 48-ball 67* took SA to 221/3; losing by 16 runs. As a result, India's bowling in the second half of SA's run-chase was not upto the mark. Indian bowlers leaked as many as a whopping 151 runs last ten overs. The last four overs saw Miller-De Kock smack 65 runs. Hence, Hitman opined on India's death bowling, which has remained below par since the Asia Cup 2022 edition. ALSO READ | Ind vs SA: Rohit Sharma achieves MASSIVE feat in Guwahati, becomes first Indian to play 400 T20s "The team wants to play and bowl in a certain way and we want to give them that freedom. Yes, we have not really bowled well in the death in the last five or six games. But that is the area where people will challenge us and we are doing the same to the opposition as well." "To bowl and bat at the death is very tough. That is where the game is decided. I wouldn't say it's concerning, but it's definitely an area we need to pick ourselves up and get our act together," the skipper pointed out at the post-match presentation. India will meet Temba Bavuma & Co. for the final T20I on Wednesday (October 04) before leaving for Australia for the 2022 T20 World Cup.

'Need to get...': Rohit Sharma admits India's death bowling needs improvement after 2nd T20I win vs SA

On Thursday (September 29), India were dealt a huge blow as pacer Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of action, as per reports, due to back stress fracture. The injury is likely to keep him out of action for four to six months, ruling him out of the forthcoming T20 World Cup in Australia from October-November.

While nothing is official regarding Bumrah's absence from the showpiece event Down Under, the 28-year-old pacer is officially out of the&nbsp;remainder of&nbsp;India-South Africa T20Is at home. On Friday (September 30), BCCI announced Mohammed Siraj as the replacement for Bumrah.

Confirming the news of Bumrah’s back injury and Siraj's inclusion, the BCCI tweeted, "The All-India Senior Selection Committee named Mohd. Siraj as a replacement for injured Jasprit Bumrah for the remainder of the T20I series against South Africa. Bumrah has sustained a back injury and is currently under the supervision of the BCCI Medical Team."

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🚨 NEWS 🚨: Mohd. Siraj replaces injured Jasprit Bumrah in T20I squad. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvSA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvSA</a> 
 
More Details 🔽<a href="https://t.co/o1HvH9XqcI">https://t.co/o1HvH9XqcI</a>
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ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/big-blow-to-team-india-jasprit-bumrah-ruled-out-of-t20-world-cup-with-back-stress-fracture-report-520857">Big blow to Team India! Jasprit Bumrah ruled out of T20 World Cup with back stress fracture: Report</a>

Before Bumrah's injury news broke out, the Indian T20I squad for the SA series had already been revised once. With Mohammed Shami not fully fit after testing positive for Covid-19 and Deepak Hooda missing out due to back issues, BCCI had roped in Umesh Yadav and Shreyas Iyer respectively. Moreover, Shahbaz Ahmed was also included as another all-round option.

India have a 1-0 lead over Temba Bavuma &amp; Co., after an impressive eight-wicket win in the series opener in Trivandrum on September 28 (Wednesday). The second and penultimate game is&nbsp;in Guwahati on Sunday (October 02).

Revised India squad for South Africa T20Is:

Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), R. Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Deepak Chahar, Md Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Shreyas Iyer and Shahbaz Ahmed.

On Thursday (September 29), India were dealt a huge blow as pacer Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of action, as per reports, due to back stress fracture. The injury is likely to keep him out of action for four to six months, ruling him out of the forthcoming T20 World Cup in Australia from October-November.

On Thursday (September 29), India were dealt a huge blow as pacer Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of action, as per reports, due to back stress fracture. The injury is likely to keep him out of action for four to six months, ruling him out of the forthcoming T20 World Cup in Australia from October-November. While nothing is official regarding Bumrah's absence from the showpiece event Down Under, the 28-year-old pacer is officially out of the remainder of India-South Africa T20Is at home. On Friday (September 30), BCCI announced Mohammed Siraj as the replacement for Bumrah. Confirming the news of Bumrah’s back injury and Siraj's inclusion, the BCCI tweeted, "The All-India Senior Selection Committee named Mohd. Siraj as a replacement for injured Jasprit Bumrah for the remainder of the T20I series against South Africa. Bumrah has sustained a back injury and is currently under the supervision of the BCCI Medical Team." 🚨 NEWS 🚨: Mohd. Siraj replaces injured Jasprit Bumrah in T20I squad. #TeamIndia | #INDvSA More Details 🔽https://t.co/o1HvH9XqcI — BCCI (@BCCI) September 30, 2022 × ALSO READ | Big blow to Team India! Jasprit Bumrah ruled out of T20 World Cup with back stress fracture: Report Before Bumrah's injury news broke out, the Indian T20I squad for the SA series had already been revised once. With Mohammed Shami not fully fit after testing positive for Covid-19 and Deepak Hooda missing out due to back issues, BCCI had roped in Umesh Yadav and Shreyas Iyer respectively. Moreover, Shahbaz Ahmed was also included as another all-round option. India have a 1-0 lead over Temba Bavuma & Co., after an impressive eight-wicket win in the series opener in Trivandrum on September 28 (Wednesday). The second and penultimate game is in Guwahati on Sunday (October 02). Revised India squad for South Africa T20Is: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), R. Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Deepak Chahar, Md Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Shreyas Iyer and Shahbaz Ahmed.

Mohammed Siraj named replacement for injured Jasprit Bumrah in remaining T20Is vs South Africa

Jasprit Bumrah's back injury has created a huge stir. The entire Indian cricket fraternity is hoping for his quick recovery but reports suggest that the premier pacer can be out of action for four to six months, resulting in his possible ouster from the forthcoming T20 World Cup in Australia.

While BCCI is yet to drop an official statement regarding Bumrah's T20 WC chances, the 28-year-old is certainly out of the remaining home T20Is versus South Africa, with the board naming Mohammed Siraj as his replacement.&nbsp;

Confirming the news of Bumrah’s back injury, the BCCI tweeted on Friday (September 30), "The All-India Senior Selection Committee named Mohd. Siraj as replacement for injured Jasprit Bumrah for the remainder of the T20I series against South Africa. Bumrah has sustained a back injury and is currently under the supervision of the BCCI Medical Team."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/mohammed-siraj-named-as-injured-jasprit-bumrahs-replacement-for-remaining-t20is-vs-south-africa-521125">Mohammed Siraj named as injured Jasprit Bumrah's replacement for remaining T20Is vs South Africa</a>

Thus, speculations are rife on who will replace Bumrah if he misses the T20 WC, starting on October 16. In this regard, former Indian stumper and selector Saba Karim has named Md Shami as his first-choice.

“I’ll go ahead with Mohammed Shami because he will find form although he hasn’t played, but he’s that kind of bowler who, once given an opportunity, can always step up and do the job for India. Plus, with this kind of experience, you need somebody at the top who can pick you wickets and you’ve seen Shami in the last Indian T20 league,” Karim was quoted as saying on SPORTS18’s daily sports news show ‘SPORTS OVER THE TOP’.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/explained-what-is-back-stress-fracture-as-jasprit-bumrah-likely-to-be-ruled-out-of-t20-world-cup-521146">EXPLAINED! What is back stress fracture as Jasprit Bumrah likely to be ruled out of T20 World Cup</a>

“He’s such a bowler who can pick wickets with the new ball in the power play and India needs that. So, if Mohammed Shami can pick up early wickets with the new ball, that’s the kind of start India would need while defending the target or while trying to restrict the opposition from setting a huge target,” he added.

There is a close competition between Shami and Deepak Chahar to fill in for injured Bumrah. At present, Shami is on recovery mode after testing positive for Covid-19 whereas Chahar played the T20I series opener versus SA, in Trivindrum on September 28 (Wednesday), accounting for two vital scalps in India's eight-wicket win. The pacer replaced Bumrah in the line-up.

Jasprit Bumrah's back injury has created a huge stir. The entire Indian cricket fraternity is hoping for his quick recovery but reports suggest that the premier pacer can be out of action for four to six months, resulting in his possible ouster from the forthcoming T20 World Cup in Australia.

Jasprit Bumrah's back injury has created a huge stir. The entire Indian cricket fraternity is hoping for his quick recovery but reports suggest that the premier pacer can be out of action for four to six months, resulting in his possible ouster from the forthcoming T20 World Cup in Australia. While BCCI is yet to drop an official statement regarding Bumrah's T20 WC chances, the 28-year-old is certainly out of the remaining home T20Is versus South Africa, with the board naming Mohammed Siraj as his replacement. Confirming the news of Bumrah’s back injury, the BCCI tweeted on Friday (September 30), "The All-India Senior Selection Committee named Mohd. Siraj as replacement for injured Jasprit Bumrah for the remainder of the T20I series against South Africa. Bumrah has sustained a back injury and is currently under the supervision of the BCCI Medical Team." ALSO READ | Mohammed Siraj named as injured Jasprit Bumrah's replacement for remaining T20Is vs South Africa Thus, speculations are rife on who will replace Bumrah if he misses the T20 WC, starting on October 16. In this regard, former Indian stumper and selector Saba Karim has named Md Shami as his first-choice. “I’ll go ahead with Mohammed Shami because he will find form although he hasn’t played, but he’s that kind of bowler who, once given an opportunity, can always step up and do the job for India. Plus, with this kind of experience, you need somebody at the top who can pick you wickets and you’ve seen Shami in the last Indian T20 league,” Karim was quoted as saying on SPORTS18’s daily sports news show ‘SPORTS OVER THE TOP’. ALSO READ | EXPLAINED! What is back stress fracture as Jasprit Bumrah likely to be ruled out of T20 World Cup “He’s such a bowler who can pick wickets with the new ball in the power play and India needs that. So, if Mohammed Shami can pick up early wickets with the new ball, that’s the kind of start India would need while defending the target or while trying to restrict the opposition from setting a huge target,” he added. There is a close competition between Shami and Deepak Chahar to fill in for injured Bumrah. At present, Shami is on recovery mode after testing positive for Covid-19 whereas Chahar played the T20I series opener versus SA, in Trivindrum on September 28 (Wednesday), accounting for two vital scalps in India's eight-wicket win. The pacer replaced Bumrah in the line-up.

Former Indian stumper names star pacer who can replace Jasprit Bumrah in India's T20 WC squad

India hosted South Africa in the three-match T20I series opener at Trivandrum on Wednesday evening (September 28). Opting to bowl first, India restricted Temba Bavuma &amp; Co. for a paltry 106-8 in 20 overs with Arshdeep Singh (3 for 32), Deepak Chahar (2 for 24) and Harshal Patel (2 for 26) starring with the ball in tough batting conditions.

In reply, India lost skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for cheap and were tottering at 17 for 2 before an unbeaten 93-run third-wicket partnership between half-centurions KL Rahul (56-ball 51*) and Suryakumar Yadav (who remained not out on 50 off 33 balls) rescued India and took them past the finish line.

After the match, many trolled Rahul for his slow strike rate (91.07).&nbsp;In the recent past, including the IPL, Rahul's strike rate has been criticised but the team management has insisted that he is batting as per the role allotted to him (i.e. of an accumulator). Nonetheless, former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra is baffled with the criticism and feels it is irrelevant keeping in mind the nature of the surface and India's poor start in pursuit of 107.

"People are just blasting Rahul for his knock, I can't understand why. If you are chasing only 107, and the conditions are difficult, why will the batter look to hit? It is okay to score ugly runs as well, it takes courage and guts," Chopra said on his Youtube channel.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-sa-rohit-sharma-goes-past-ms-dhoni-to-achieve-most-t20i-wins-by-indian-captain-in-a-calendar-year-520873">Ind vs SA: Rohit Sharma goes past MS Dhoni to achieve most T20I wins by Indian captain in a calendar year</a>

"Had he decided to start striking the ball and got out instead of settling, then that would have been irresponsible. He batted really well, in my opinion: respected the conditions and the situation and played accordingly. So please cut him some slack," Chopra added.

After the match, Rahul told the broadcasters,&nbsp;"We did practice here yesterday and that was a humbling experience as well, we all came in prepared mentally as it was not going to be an easy wicket and I was ready to do the dirty work, ready to be challenged and get the job done for the team."

Rahul's strike rate was around&nbsp;50 for most part of his&nbsp;inning&nbsp;versus the Proteas. Given Surya was going very well at the other end and India weren't chasing a big score, Rahul did the right thing by playing as per the situation and held one end with sensible cricket.

India hosted South Africa in the three-match T20I series opener at Trivandrum on Wednesday evening (September 28). Opting to bowl first, India restricted Temba Bavuma & Co.

India hosted South Africa in the three-match T20I series opener at Trivandrum on Wednesday evening (September 28). Opting to bowl first, India restricted Temba Bavuma & Co. for a paltry 106-8 in 20 overs with Arshdeep Singh (3 for 32), Deepak Chahar (2 for 24) and Harshal Patel (2 for 26) starring with the ball in tough batting conditions. In reply, India lost skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for cheap and were tottering at 17 for 2 before an unbeaten 93-run third-wicket partnership between half-centurions KL Rahul (56-ball 51*) and Suryakumar Yadav (who remained not out on 50 off 33 balls) rescued India and took them past the finish line. After the match, many trolled Rahul for his slow strike rate (91.07). In the recent past, including the IPL, Rahul's strike rate has been criticised but the team management has insisted that he is batting as per the role allotted to him (i.e. of an accumulator). Nonetheless, former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra is baffled with the criticism and feels it is irrelevant keeping in mind the nature of the surface and India's poor start in pursuit of 107. "People are just blasting Rahul for his knock, I can't understand why. If you are chasing only 107, and the conditions are difficult, why will the batter look to hit? It is okay to score ugly runs as well, it takes courage and guts," Chopra said on his Youtube channel. ALSO READ | Ind vs SA: Rohit Sharma goes past MS Dhoni to achieve most T20I wins by Indian captain in a calendar year "Had he decided to start striking the ball and got out instead of settling, then that would have been irresponsible. He batted really well, in my opinion: respected the conditions and the situation and played accordingly. So please cut him some slack," Chopra added. After the match, Rahul told the broadcasters, "We did practice here yesterday and that was a humbling experience as well, we all came in prepared mentally as it was not going to be an easy wicket and I was ready to do the dirty work, ready to be challenged and get the job done for the team." Rahul's strike rate was around 50 for most part of his inning versus the Proteas. Given Surya was going very well at the other end and India weren't chasing a big score, Rahul did the right thing by playing as per the situation and held one end with sensible cricket.

'Please cut him some slack' - Aakash Chopra tells KL Rahul's critics after his 56-ball 51* vs SA

In what comes as a huge blow for Team India, Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the T20 World Cup 2022 edition due to a stress-back fracture. Bumrah had missed the India-South Africa T20I series opener, at Trivandrum, as he complained of back pain. Nonetheless, as per a report in the PTI, the ace pacer has been ruled out of action for 4-6 months.

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Jasprit Bumrah out of T20 World Cup with back stress fracture: BCCI sources
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ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/arshdeep-singh-deepak-chahar-run-riot-as-india-blow-away-south-africa-in-1st-t20i-520634">Arshdeep Singh, Deepak Chahar run riot as India thrash South Africa by 8 wickets in 1st T20I</a>

After Bumrah was not named in India's playing XI for the three-match T20I series opener versus South Africa, on Wednesday (September 28), eyebrows were raised across the Indian cricket fraternity. "Jasprit Bumrah complained of back pain during India's practice session on Tuesday. The BCCI Medical Team assessed him. He is ruled out of the first #INDvSA T20I," BCCI had written while sharing an update of the speedster's injury.

If reports turn out to be true, this is a massive blow to Rohit Sharma-led India's chances to win the forthcoming 2022 T20 WC in Australia. The 28-year-old is the leader of India's bowling attack and with Bhuvneshwar Kumar struggling to curtail the run-flow in the death overs, many had their hopes on Bumrah to take full onus in the upcoming showpiece event Down Under.&nbsp;

An official&nbsp;statement regarding Bumrah's injury update from the Indian team management is now keenly awaited.

In what comes as a huge blow for Team India, Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the T20 World Cup 2022 edition due to a stress-back fracture. Bumrah had missed the India-South Africa T20I series opener, at Trivandrum, as he complained of back pain.

In what comes as a huge blow for Team India, Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the T20 World Cup 2022 edition due to a stress-back fracture. Bumrah had missed the India-South Africa T20I series opener, at Trivandrum, as he complained of back pain. Nonetheless, as per a report in the PTI, the ace pacer has been ruled out of action for 4-6 months. Jasprit Bumrah out of T20 World Cup with back stress fracture: BCCI sources — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 29, 2022 × ALSO READ | Arshdeep Singh, Deepak Chahar run riot as India thrash South Africa by 8 wickets in 1st T20I After Bumrah was not named in India's playing XI for the three-match T20I series opener versus South Africa, on Wednesday (September 28), eyebrows were raised across the Indian cricket fraternity. "Jasprit Bumrah complained of back pain during India's practice session on Tuesday. The BCCI Medical Team assessed him. He is ruled out of the first #INDvSA T20I," BCCI had written while sharing an update of the speedster's injury. If reports turn out to be true, this is a massive blow to Rohit Sharma-led India's chances to win the forthcoming 2022 T20 WC in Australia. The 28-year-old is the leader of India's bowling attack and with Bhuvneshwar Kumar struggling to curtail the run-flow in the death overs, many had their hopes on Bumrah to take full onus in the upcoming showpiece event Down Under. An official statement regarding Bumrah's injury update from the Indian team management is now keenly awaited.

Big blow to Team India! Jasprit Bumrah ruled out of T20 World Cup with back stress fracture: Report

When the BCCI selection committee announced India's main squad for the forthcoming T20 World Cup, it included many regulars but Sanju Samson's omission made heads turn. The right-hander hasn't created quite a stir at the highest level, barring some good cameos and a couple of half-centuries so far, Samson is a big name in the IPL and is lauded for his free-flowing approach with the bat.

Being in India's scheme of things in the shorter formats, Samson has not been able to break into the main squad. The keeper-batter often features in India's second-stringed line-ups and, hence, was part of the Men in Blue's white-ball tour of West Indies and the three ODIs versus Zimbabwe, in the African nation. In the two tours, many of India's regular players were rested, thus, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper got several opportunities. While some believe he should have been a part of India's T20 WC squad, or at least in the reserves, former pacer S Sreesanth opined that Samson has a lot to catch up on and be more consistent for his state side Kerela.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/if-bhuvneshwar-kumar-is-listening-indias-t20-wc-medallist-shares-his-two-cents-for-out-of-form-pacer-520189">'If Bhuvneshwar Kumar is listening...' - India's T20 WC medallist shares his two cents for out-of-form pacer</a>

"He has to be consistent. See, everyone is talking about the IPL. I’m from Kerala, I’m somebody who has always supported him. I’ve seen him play from U14. He has played under me. In fact, I was the one who gave him the cap on his Ranji Trophy debut. But the way I see him… it’s a request to him – he has to start performing in first-class matches,” Sreesanth told&nbsp;Hindustan Times&nbsp;on the sidelines of the Delhi leg of 2022 Legends League Cricket.

Samson has 3,526 runs in 138 IPL games, including three hundreds at a strike rate of 135.72. Nonetheless, Sreesanth -- a twin World Cup-winner --&nbsp;feels he has to step up in the first-class cricket. "Yes, IPL is very important. IPL will give him fame, popularity, and riches, everything across the globe. But I have this strong feeling – for any cricketer for that matter – that they need to start doing extremely well for the state side, especially in first-class cricket. Sanju has to come out and perform in first-class matches. Not just score a hundred, score 200s. Come and make the Kerala team win the Ranji Trophy! Make Kerala team win the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Then, the Kerala cricketers will come out on top,” Sreesanth asserted.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/promotion-on-cards-sanju-samson-likely-to-be-named-vice-captain-for-indias-odis-vs-south-africa-report-520456">Promotion on cards? Sanju Samson likely to be named India vice-captain for ODIs vs South Africa - Report</a>

Sreesanth also believes that there is a stiff competition in the Indian team for the keeper-batter slot and, hence, further pointed out, "Is Sanju the only cricketer in Kerala? No, there are so many other cricketers in the state. It’s just a matter of time. Sanju is playing in the IPL, he should be so grateful. The Malayali people across the globe are supporting him, but then, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan… they can all keep. I’m telling you, the keeper-batsmen combination is very high, it’s not just Sanju."

He added, "I’ve told him also, that he has to come back to first-class cricket and make Kerala win. He is the captain also, I genuinely hope he scores hundreds, not just one hundred in three years. He should come into the scene like how Rishabh Pant or Ishan Kishan came. I’m very confident Sanju has got the talent and the ability. It’s just the matter of consistency."

At present, Samson is expected to be named as India's vice-captain for the upcoming South Africa ODIs, at home, starting on Octoebr 06. With the T20 WC-bound players leaving for Australia, Shikhar Dhawan is likely to lead the ODI side with Samson reportedly set to get a promotion as the vice-captain.&nbsp;

When the BCCI selection committee announced India's main squad for the forthcoming T20 World Cup, it included many regulars but Sanju Samson's omission made heads turn.

When the BCCI selection committee announced India's main squad for the forthcoming T20 World Cup, it included many regulars but Sanju Samson's omission made heads turn. The right-hander hasn't created quite a stir at the highest level, barring some good cameos and a couple of half-centuries so far, Samson is a big name in the IPL and is lauded for his free-flowing approach with the bat. Being in India's scheme of things in the shorter formats, Samson has not been able to break into the main squad. The keeper-batter often features in India's second-stringed line-ups and, hence, was part of the Men in Blue's white-ball tour of West Indies and the three ODIs versus Zimbabwe, in the African nation. In the two tours, many of India's regular players were rested, thus, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper got several opportunities. While some believe he should have been a part of India's T20 WC squad, or at least in the reserves, former pacer S Sreesanth opined that Samson has a lot to catch up on and be more consistent for his state side Kerela. ALSO READ | 'If Bhuvneshwar Kumar is listening...' - India's T20 WC medallist shares his two cents for out-of-form pacer "He has to be consistent. See, everyone is talking about the IPL. I’m from Kerala, I’m somebody who has always supported him. I’ve seen him play from U14. He has played under me. In fact, I was the one who gave him the cap on his Ranji Trophy debut. But the way I see him… it’s a request to him – he has to start performing in first-class matches,” Sreesanth told Hindustan Times on the sidelines of the Delhi leg of 2022 Legends League Cricket. Samson has 3,526 runs in 138 IPL games, including three hundreds at a strike rate of 135.72. Nonetheless, Sreesanth -- a twin World Cup-winner -- feels he has to step up in the first-class cricket. "Yes, IPL is very important. IPL will give him fame, popularity, and riches, everything across the globe. But I have this strong feeling – for any cricketer for that matter – that they need to start doing extremely well for the state side, especially in first-class cricket. Sanju has to come out and perform in first-class matches. Not just score a hundred, score 200s. Come and make the Kerala team win the Ranji Trophy! Make Kerala team win the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Then, the Kerala cricketers will come out on top,” Sreesanth asserted. ALSO READ | Promotion on cards? Sanju Samson likely to be named India vice-captain for ODIs vs South Africa - Report Sreesanth also believes that there is a stiff competition in the Indian team for the keeper-batter slot and, hence, further pointed out, "Is Sanju the only cricketer in Kerala? No, there are so many other cricketers in the state. It’s just a matter of time. Sanju is playing in the IPL, he should be so grateful. The Malayali people across the globe are supporting him, but then, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan… they can all keep. I’m telling you, the keeper-batsmen combination is very high, it’s not just Sanju." He added, "I’ve told him also, that he has to come back to first-class cricket and make Kerala win. He is the captain also, I genuinely hope he scores hundreds, not just one hundred in three years. He should come into the scene like how Rishabh Pant or Ishan Kishan came. I’m very confident Sanju has got the talent and the ability. It’s just the matter of consistency." At present, Samson is expected to be named as India's vice-captain for the upcoming South Africa ODIs, at home, starting on Octoebr 06. With the T20 WC-bound players leaving for Australia, Shikhar Dhawan is likely to lead the ODI side with Samson reportedly set to get a promotion as the vice-captain.

'IPL will give him fame, popularity, and riches but...' - Former India pacer opines on Sanju Samson

Sanju Samson's omission from India's 15-man squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, in Australia, made a lot of noise. He was not even named in the reserves, which many felt was a harsh call due to&nbsp;his free-flowing approach with the bat. After his omission, BCCI named him as the captain for India A's three ODIs versus New Zealand at home.

After leading India A to a 3-0 whitewash over the Kiwis, it seems like a big promotion is on the cards for Samson. The Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper is likely to be named as India's vice-captain for the upcoming three-match ODI series versus South Africa at home, starting on October 6. 
 
As per ANI, Samson is in-line to be Shikhar Dhawan's deputy for the Proteas ODIs. After Rohit Sharma-led India's three T20Is versus Temba Bavuma &amp; Co., a second-string&nbsp;Indian side -- under Dhawan's captaincy (all but confirmed)&nbsp;-- will host three 50-over games versus South Africa whereas the T20 WC-bound players will leave for Australia for the upcoming showpiece event Down Under.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-sa-when-and-where-to-watch-india-vs-south-africa-1st-t20i-ist-time-and-streaming-details-520431">Ind vs SA: When and where to watch India vs South Africa 1st T20I - IST time and streaming details</a>

With the likes of Rohit, Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, etc. being out of action from the three ODIs, Samson has emerged as a strong contender to join the leadership group for the SA ODIs. Apart from him, Shubman Gill is another candidate who can act as Dhawan's deputy.&nbsp;

The BCCI selection committee is expected to announce India's second-stringed squad sooner than later. Talking about Samson, the swashbuckling right-hander has played only seven ODIs for Team India. He was part of India's white-ball tour of West Indies but wasn't part of the Rohit-led Men in Blue's Asia Cup campaign and the Australia T20Is at home. Samson has led Rajasthan's IPL franchise in two full editions and guided them to their first-ever final during IPL 2022, where they lost to eventual winners Gujarat Titans (GT).

Sanju Samson's omission from India's 15-man squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, in Australia, made a lot of noise. He was not even named in the reserves, which many felt was a harsh call due to his free-flowing approach with the bat.

Sanju Samson's omission from India's 15-man squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, in Australia, made a lot of noise. He was not even named in the reserves, which many felt was a harsh call due to his free-flowing approach with the bat. After his omission, BCCI named him as the captain for India A's three ODIs versus New Zealand at home. After leading India A to a 3-0 whitewash over the Kiwis, it seems like a big promotion is on the cards for Samson. The Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper is likely to be named as India's vice-captain for the upcoming three-match ODI series versus South Africa at home, starting on October 6. As per ANI, Samson is in-line to be Shikhar Dhawan's deputy for the Proteas ODIs. After Rohit Sharma-led India's three T20Is versus Temba Bavuma & Co., a second-string Indian side -- under Dhawan's captaincy (all but confirmed) -- will host three 50-over games versus South Africa whereas the T20 WC-bound players will leave for Australia for the upcoming showpiece event Down Under. ALSO READ | Ind vs SA: When and where to watch India vs South Africa 1st T20I - IST time and streaming details With the likes of Rohit, Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, etc. being out of action from the three ODIs, Samson has emerged as a strong contender to join the leadership group for the SA ODIs. Apart from him, Shubman Gill is another candidate who can act as Dhawan's deputy. The BCCI selection committee is expected to announce India's second-stringed squad sooner than later. Talking about Samson, the swashbuckling right-hander has played only seven ODIs for Team India. He was part of India's white-ball tour of West Indies but wasn't part of the Rohit-led Men in Blue's Asia Cup campaign and the Australia T20Is at home. Samson has led Rajasthan's IPL franchise in two full editions and guided them to their first-ever final during IPL 2022, where they lost to eventual winners Gujarat Titans (GT).

Promotion on cards? Sanju Samson likely to be named India vice-captain for ODIs vs South Africa - Report

Indian cricket fans breathed a sigh of relief during the Asia Cup with Virat Kohli returning to form. The 33-year-old former Indian skipper was out of action from international cricket, after the end of the England tour, and missed the entire white-ball tour of West Indies and the three ODIs versus Zimbabwe, in the African nation.

However, the break seemed to have worked wonders for Kohli who regained form in the Asia Cup, in the UAE. The right-hander returned with scores of 35, 59*, 60, 0, 122* to end as the second-highest run-getter in the tournament (276 runs in five outings) despite Rohit Sharma-led India's dismal campaign, where they failed to enter the final. He continued his good form in the India-Australia home T20Is, ending on a high with a crucial 63 in the final encounter that helped India clinch the series 2-1.

Ahead of India's last T20I series -- where they face South Africa -- before departing for Australia&nbsp;for the forthcoming T20 World Cup, former West Indies pacer Fidel Edwards has made a bold claim on Kohli.

In an exclusive interaction with Times Now, Edwards -- who is part of the second season of the Legends League Cricket (LLC) in India -- said, "Virat has a point to prove and being in the World Cup, others need to watch out for him and I think he is going to dominate in the T20 World Cup. They say class is permanent has Virat has it all. Bowlers should be really worried for him."

Kohli is the fifth-highest run-getter in T20 WC history, second-most among Indians, with 845 runs including two Player-of-the-Tournament awards (in 2013 and 2016).

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-sa-1st-t20i-virat-kohli-only-35-runs-away-from-leapfrogging-rohit-sharma-in-elite-list-520504">IND vs SA, 1st T20I: Virat Kohli only 35 runs away from leapfrogging Rohit Sharma in elite list</a>

On Rohit &amp; Co.'s chances of winning the T20 WC title, Edwards opined, "India is one of the best teams around playing T20 cricket. I am hoping to see them perform well in Australia. Bumrah is a real talent and he is going to come good in Australia. So I don't think India should be worried about their bowling attack. In fact, other teams should be worried about India."

India host SA in three T20Is, starting on Wednesday (September 28), before leaving for Australia for the T20 WC. In their opening fixture, they face Pakistan&nbsp;at the MCG, Melbourne on October 23.

Indian cricket fans breathed a sigh of relief during the Asia Cup with Virat Kohli returning to form. The 33-year-old former Indian skipper was out of action from international cricket, after the end of the England tour, and missed the entire white-ball tour of West Indies and the three ODIs versus Zimbabwe, in the African nation.

Indian cricket fans breathed a sigh of relief during the Asia Cup with Virat Kohli returning to form. The 33-year-old former Indian skipper was out of action from international cricket, after the end of the England tour, and missed the entire white-ball tour of West Indies and the three ODIs versus Zimbabwe, in the African nation. However, the break seemed to have worked wonders for Kohli who regained form in the Asia Cup, in the UAE. The right-hander returned with scores of 35, 59*, 60, 0, 122* to end as the second-highest run-getter in the tournament (276 runs in five outings) despite Rohit Sharma-led India's dismal campaign, where they failed to enter the final. He continued his good form in the India-Australia home T20Is, ending on a high with a crucial 63 in the final encounter that helped India clinch the series 2-1. Ahead of India's last T20I series -- where they face South Africa -- before departing for Australia for the forthcoming T20 World Cup, former West Indies pacer Fidel Edwards has made a bold claim on Kohli. In an exclusive interaction with Times Now, Edwards -- who is part of the second season of the Legends League Cricket (LLC) in India -- said, "Virat has a point to prove and being in the World Cup, others need to watch out for him and I think he is going to dominate in the T20 World Cup. They say class is permanent has Virat has it all. Bowlers should be really worried for him." Kohli is the fifth-highest run-getter in T20 WC history, second-most among Indians, with 845 runs including two Player-of-the-Tournament awards (in 2013 and 2016). ALSO READ | IND vs SA, 1st T20I: Virat Kohli only 35 runs away from leapfrogging Rohit Sharma in elite list On Rohit & Co.'s chances of winning the T20 WC title, Edwards opined, "India is one of the best teams around playing T20 cricket. I am hoping to see them perform well in Australia. Bumrah is a real talent and he is going to come good in Australia. So I don't think India should be worried about their bowling attack. In fact, other teams should be worried about India." India host SA in three T20Is, starting on Wednesday (September 28), before leaving for Australia for the T20 WC. In their opening fixture, they face Pakistan at the MCG, Melbourne on October 23.

Virat Kohli is going to dominate T20 World Cup, predicts former West Indies pacer

Since the Super Four round in the Asia Cup, India pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar's form has seen a dip. The speedster went for plenty in the death overs versus Pakistan and Sri Lanka before rediscovering some form in the inconsequential tie versus Afghanistan, where he finished his full quota of overs before the end of the halfway mark.

In India's Super Four clash versus Pakistan, Bhuvi leaked 19 runs after Rohit Sharma &amp; Co. posted 181-7&nbsp;after being asked to bat first. On the other hand, he failed to contain the run-flow in Men in Blue's next encounter, versus eventual winners Sri Lanka, as the 32-year-old conceded 14 runs while once again being entrusted to bowl the penultimate over during the opposition's run-chase. Thus, Bhuvi's flop shows at the death overs contributed in India's twin defeats.

Durnig the series opener of the three T20Is versus Australia, which ended on Sunday (Septemebr 25), Bhuvi conceded 16 runs in Aussies' run-chase of 209 in Mohali. Even in the series finale, the pacer went for 21 runs in the 18th over of Australia's innings when they were asked to bat first. Thus, the king of swing's form remains a cause of concern for India heading into the T20 World Cup, to be held in Australia from October-November. India's T20 World Cup medallist S Sreesanth has now shared some words of advice for Bhuvi, while interacting with Hindustan Times on the sidelines of Delhi leg of the ongoing 'Legends League Cricket'.

“He has done up good batsmen. Even if you bowl good balls, there are 60-70% chances of being hit. Sometimes, it works out and sometimes it doesn’t. We have to support Bhuvneshwar Kumar, just like (we have to support) Dinesh Karthik when it comes to batting. I’m very confident about his experience and ability to swing the ball; he has a back-of-the-length slower ball, he has got the knuckle ball. If he varies his pace on the hard bouncy wickets, he will get good help on Australian pitches,” Sreesanth said.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/this-is-a-guy-whos-damn-self-confident-sanjay-manjrekar-reacts-as-virat-kohli-regains-form-520138">'This is a guy who’s damn self-confident' - Sanjay Manjrekar reacts as Virat Kohli regains form</a>

“If Bhuvneshwar Kumar is listening to this – most often they don’t do it – but my only request is to never ever stop believing in your abilities. Sometimes, you really stop believing in your abilities. Sometimes, you get confused. Sometimes, you read a lot, and watch a lot of videos. Sometimes, you listen to a lot of opinions on the commentary. Even I have done that; everyone goes through that phase. But you got to believe in the immense ability that has got you here and made you the king. You got to believe in the higher power and trust your work ethics," revealed Sreesanth, who was part of the MS Dhoni-led victorious Indian team who lifted the 2007 T20 WC in South Africa.

Sreesanth further backed Bhuvi and lauded him for his work ethics. “Bhuvneshwar’s work ethics are superb. When he was at the Vijay Hazare, he was at the gym, he was at the pool. He wanted to do more and more. It’s great to see that even now, he works hard. See, everyone is talking about the 19th over, but I’m telling you, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is going to do extremely well in Australia,” concluded the former pacer.

Since the Super Four round in the Asia Cup, India pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar's form has seen a dip. The speedster went for plenty in the death overs versus Pakistan and Sri Lanka before rediscovering some form in the inconsequential tie versus Afghanistan, where he finished his full quota of overs before the end of the halfway mark.

Since the Super Four round in the Asia Cup, India pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar's form has seen a dip. The speedster went for plenty in the death overs versus Pakistan and Sri Lanka before rediscovering some form in the inconsequential tie versus Afghanistan, where he finished his full quota of overs before the end of the halfway mark. In India's Super Four clash versus Pakistan, Bhuvi leaked 19 runs after Rohit Sharma & Co. posted 181-7 after being asked to bat first. On the other hand, he failed to contain the run-flow in Men in Blue's next encounter, versus eventual winners Sri Lanka, as the 32-year-old conceded 14 runs while once again being entrusted to bowl the penultimate over during the opposition's run-chase. Thus, Bhuvi's flop shows at the death overs contributed in India's twin defeats. Durnig the series opener of the three T20Is versus Australia, which ended on Sunday (Septemebr 25), Bhuvi conceded 16 runs in Aussies' run-chase of 209 in Mohali. Even in the series finale, the pacer went for 21 runs in the 18th over of Australia's innings when they were asked to bat first. Thus, the king of swing's form remains a cause of concern for India heading into the T20 World Cup, to be held in Australia from October-November. India's T20 World Cup medallist S Sreesanth has now shared some words of advice for Bhuvi, while interacting with Hindustan Times on the sidelines of Delhi leg of the ongoing 'Legends League Cricket'. “He has done up good batsmen. Even if you bowl good balls, there are 60-70% chances of being hit. Sometimes, it works out and sometimes it doesn’t. We have to support Bhuvneshwar Kumar, just like (we have to support) Dinesh Karthik when it comes to batting. I’m very confident about his experience and ability to swing the ball; he has a back-of-the-length slower ball, he has got the knuckle ball. If he varies his pace on the hard bouncy wickets, he will get good help on Australian pitches,” Sreesanth said. ALSO READ | 'This is a guy who’s damn self-confident' - Sanjay Manjrekar reacts as Virat Kohli regains form “If Bhuvneshwar Kumar is listening to this – most often they don’t do it – but my only request is to never ever stop believing in your abilities. Sometimes, you really stop believing in your abilities. Sometimes, you get confused. Sometimes, you read a lot, and watch a lot of videos. Sometimes, you listen to a lot of opinions on the commentary. Even I have done that; everyone goes through that phase. But you got to believe in the immense ability that has got you here and made you the king. You got to believe in the higher power and trust your work ethics," revealed Sreesanth, who was part of the MS Dhoni-led victorious Indian team who lifted the 2007 T20 WC in South Africa. Sreesanth further backed Bhuvi and lauded him for his work ethics. “Bhuvneshwar’s work ethics are superb. When he was at the Vijay Hazare, he was at the gym, he was at the pool. He wanted to do more and more. It’s great to see that even now, he works hard. See, everyone is talking about the 19th over, but I’m telling you, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is going to do extremely well in Australia,” concluded the former pacer.

'If Bhuvneshwar Kumar is listening...' - India's T20 WC medallist shares his two cents for out-of-form pacer

Virat Kohli returned to international cricket with the commencement of the Asia Cup 2022 edition, in the UAE. After a break, post the England tour, the 33-year-old's return was keenly observed. The right-hander had a torrid time in England and ended without a single half-century across formats. Thus, his return to form was much awaited by the Team India fans.

Much to the delight of Indian cricket team and its ardent supporters, Kohli ended as the second-highest run-getter in the continental tournament where India failed to reach the final. Kohli ended with 276 runs in five outings, including two half-centuries and a hundred. In the recently-concluded India-Australia T20Is, at home, Kohli continued to contribute with the bat. In the series opener, he fell for 2 (7) and departed for a quickfire 11 in the rain-curtailed second and penultimate T20I before scoring a crucial 63 in the final encounter, in Hyderabad, on Sunday (September 25) to help India win the series 2-1.

'Virat&nbsp;Kohli is someone who is damn self-confident'

Seeing Kohli among runs, right before the T20 World Cup which gets underway in Australia from next month, former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar lauded the former Indian captain. He believes Kohli is someone who is damn self-confident. “See, right from the Asia Cup every match that he got runs, not just the runs, there was some improvement coming. I think the power game is back, he’s trusting his power game. There was a time when he was getting runs but his power game was not coming at his beck and call, that is starting to happen. He’s dispatching good balls for big boundaries and sixes," Manjrekar said while&nbsp;speaking on SPORTS18’s daily sports news show ‘SPORTS OVER THE TOP’

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/former-pakistan-spinner-lauds-indian-batter-expects-him-to-leave-virat-kohli-babar-azam-behind-520032">Former Pakistan spinner lauds Indian batter, expects him to leave Virat Kohli &amp; Babar Azam behind</a>

"It’s all about confidence, this is a guy who’s damn self-confident and drives himself to excellence but for long-time runs weren’t coming and his confidence was tender. But during the Asia Cup, slowly and steadily, certain things start to happen, the pull shots came in, and the sixes started going more into the stands than just going over the rope as it was going in the IPL. So, the pieces falling back to frame the perfect picture. Now it’s all about putting all these kinds of performances in the main event,” Manjrekar further explained.

Kohli-starrer India will next face South Africa, at home, in a three-match T20I series starting on September 28 (Wednesday).

Virat Kohli returned to international cricket with the commencement of the Asia Cup 2022 edition, in the UAE. After a break, post the England tour, the 33-year-old's return was keenly observed.

Virat Kohli returned to international cricket with the commencement of the Asia Cup 2022 edition, in the UAE. After a break, post the England tour, the 33-year-old's return was keenly observed. The right-hander had a torrid time in England and ended without a single half-century across formats. Thus, his return to form was much awaited by the Team India fans. Much to the delight of Indian cricket team and its ardent supporters, Kohli ended as the second-highest run-getter in the continental tournament where India failed to reach the final. Kohli ended with 276 runs in five outings, including two half-centuries and a hundred. In the recently-concluded India-Australia T20Is, at home, Kohli continued to contribute with the bat. In the series opener, he fell for 2 (7) and departed for a quickfire 11 in the rain-curtailed second and penultimate T20I before scoring a crucial 63 in the final encounter, in Hyderabad, on Sunday (September 25) to help India win the series 2-1. 'Virat Kohli is someone who is damn self-confident' Seeing Kohli among runs, right before the T20 World Cup which gets underway in Australia from next month, former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar lauded the former Indian captain. He believes Kohli is someone who is damn self-confident. “See, right from the Asia Cup every match that he got runs, not just the runs, there was some improvement coming. I think the power game is back, he’s trusting his power game. There was a time when he was getting runs but his power game was not coming at his beck and call, that is starting to happen. He’s dispatching good balls for big boundaries and sixes," Manjrekar said while speaking on SPORTS18’s daily sports news show ‘SPORTS OVER THE TOP’ ALSO READ | Former Pakistan spinner lauds Indian batter, expects him to leave Virat Kohli & Babar Azam behind "It’s all about confidence, this is a guy who’s damn self-confident and drives himself to excellence but for long-time runs weren’t coming and his confidence was tender. But during the Asia Cup, slowly and steadily, certain things start to happen, the pull shots came in, and the sixes started going more into the stands than just going over the rope as it was going in the IPL. So, the pieces falling back to frame the perfect picture. Now it’s all about putting all these kinds of performances in the main event,” Manjrekar further explained. Kohli-starrer India will next face South Africa, at home, in a three-match T20I series starting on September 28 (Wednesday).

'This is a guy who’s damn self-confident' - Sanjay Manjrekar reacts as Virat Kohli regains form

After levelling the three-match T20I series in Nagpur on Friday (September 23), Rohit Sharma-led India beat Australia in the decider on Sunday (September 25) in a thrilling run-chase in Hyderabad. Being asked to bat first, Aaron Finch-led Aussies were off to a flier courtesy of Cameron Green's blitz (21-ball 52) before Tim David's 54 and Daniel Sams' 28 off 20 balls propelled the visitors to a competitive 186-7. In reply, Rohit &amp; Co. chased down the score on the penultimate ball of the contest with six wickets in hand.

Reeling at 30 for 2, India rode on a 104-run third-wicket stand between half-centurions Virat Kohli (63) and Suryakumar Yadav (69) to initiate the hosts' recovery before Hardik Pandya (16-ball 25 not out) took them past the finish line. With this series win, right before the T20 World Cup in Australia from October-November,&nbsp;the Men in Blue have now set a new world record for the most T20I victories in a calendar year by a team. India move past arch-rivals Pakistan's record which they set last year (2021). India earned their 21st win in the format after the Hyderabad face-off versus Australia whereas Babar Azam's Pakistan had notched up 20 victories last year.&nbsp;

Most T20I wins in a year

India - 21 in 29 matches - 2022

Pakistan - 20 in 29 matches - 2021

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/kohli-and-suryakumar-smash-brilliant-fifties-as-india-beat-australia-by-6-wickets-in-3rd-t20i-to-clinch-series-519606">Kohli and Suryakumar smash brilliant fifties as India beat Australia by 6 wickets in 3rd T20I to clinch series</a>

At the post-match presentation, Rohit said, "It's a special place. We have had great memories playing for India and when I played for Deccan Chargers as well. Biggest positive was different individuals stepping up and delivering. You feel good about it as a management. The margin of error in T20s is small. We took our chances, we were brave as well. Sometimes it doesn't come off. There are areas to improve as well. Not easy coming back after a break against a tough team. They (Bumrah and Harshal) will take some time. Hopefully, they can get back into their groove in the next series."

India will now shift their focus to the three-match T20I series versus South Africa, at home, which gets underway on September 28 (Wednesday).&nbsp;

After levelling the three-match T20I series in Nagpur on Friday (September 23), Rohit Sharma-led India beat Australia in the decider on Sunday (September 25) in a thrilling run-chase in Hyderabad.

After levelling the three-match T20I series in Nagpur on Friday (September 23), Rohit Sharma-led India beat Australia in the decider on Sunday (September 25) in a thrilling run-chase in Hyderabad. Being asked to bat first, Aaron Finch-led Aussies were off to a flier courtesy of Cameron Green's blitz (21-ball 52) before Tim David's 54 and Daniel Sams' 28 off 20 balls propelled the visitors to a competitive 186-7. In reply, Rohit & Co. chased down the score on the penultimate ball of the contest with six wickets in hand. Reeling at 30 for 2, India rode on a 104-run third-wicket stand between half-centurions Virat Kohli (63) and Suryakumar Yadav (69) to initiate the hosts' recovery before Hardik Pandya (16-ball 25 not out) took them past the finish line. With this series win, right before the T20 World Cup in Australia from October-November, the Men in Blue have now set a new world record for the most T20I victories in a calendar year by a team. India move past arch-rivals Pakistan's record which they set last year (2021). India earned their 21st win in the format after the Hyderabad face-off versus Australia whereas Babar Azam's Pakistan had notched up 20 victories last year. Most T20I wins in a year India - 21 in 29 matches - 2022 Pakistan - 20 in 29 matches - 2021 ALSO READ | Kohli and Suryakumar smash brilliant fifties as India beat Australia by 6 wickets in 3rd T20I to clinch series At the post-match presentation, Rohit said, "It's a special place. We have had great memories playing for India and when I played for Deccan Chargers as well. Biggest positive was different individuals stepping up and delivering. You feel good about it as a management. The margin of error in T20s is small. We took our chances, we were brave as well. Sometimes it doesn't come off. There are areas to improve as well. Not easy coming back after a break against a tough team. They (Bumrah and Harshal) will take some time. Hopefully, they can get back into their groove in the next series." India will now shift their focus to the three-match T20I series versus South Africa, at home, which gets underway on September 28 (Wednesday).

Ind vs Aus: Rohit & Co. break Pakistan's T20I world record with thrilling series win over world champions

After beating Australia in a riveting three-match T20I series, Rohit Sharma-led India will now gear up to face South Africa in three T20Is, followed by three ODIs as well, at home. Temba Bavuma-led South Africa were in India in early June for a five-match T20I series. Back then, a second-stringed Rishabh Pant-led Indian team ended the series in a 2-2 stalemate. It will be interesting to see how the series pans out this time around with both teams being at their full-strength.

The T20Is have more prominence given the T20 World Cup is just a few weeks away, in Australia from October 16. The series will be followed by three ODIs as well where, as per reports, India will be without many of their T20 WC-bound players. In their absence, Shikhar Dhawan is expected to take charge of the side once again and lead an inexperienced line-up.&nbsp;

In terms of rankings, India are the No. 1 T20I side with Proteas at the third position. In the ICC ODI rankings, India are placed at the third spot with the visitors at the sixth position. Here's everything you need to know about SA's white-ball tour of India:

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-strengthen-lead-at-the-top-in-icc-t20i-rankings-with-thrilling-series-win-vs-australia-519787">India strengthen lead at the top in ICC T20I rankings with thrilling series win vs Australia</a>

Full Schedule

T20I series

1st T20I at Thiruvananthapuram (September 28)

2nd T20I at Guwahati (October 02)

3rd T20I at Indore (October 04)

ODI series

1st ODI at Lucknow (October 6)

2nd ODI at Ranchi (October 9)

3rd ODI at Delhi (October 11)

Squads

India’s T20I squad:&nbsp;Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami, Harshal Patel, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah.

South Africa T20I squad:&nbsp;Temba Bavuma (c), Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Rilee Rossouw, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs.

South Africa ODI squad:&nbsp;Temba Bavuma (c), Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Janneman Malan, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi.

India's ODI squad: Not announced yet

Telecast and Streaming details

All three T20Is will get underway at 7pm IST whereas the 50-over fixtures will commence at 1:30 PM IST. The live telecast of the white-ball matches will be on Star Sports Network on TV with the live streaming available on the Disney+Hotstar app and website.

After beating Australia in a riveting three-match T20I series, Rohit Sharma-led India will now gear up to face South Africa in three T20Is, followed by three ODIs as well, at home.

After beating Australia in a riveting three-match T20I series, Rohit Sharma-led India will now gear up to face South Africa in three T20Is, followed by three ODIs as well, at home. Temba Bavuma-led South Africa were in India in early June for a five-match T20I series. Back then, a second-stringed Rishabh Pant-led Indian team ended the series in a 2-2 stalemate. It will be interesting to see how the series pans out this time around with both teams being at their full-strength. The T20Is have more prominence given the T20 World Cup is just a few weeks away, in Australia from October 16. The series will be followed by three ODIs as well where, as per reports, India will be without many of their T20 WC-bound players. In their absence, Shikhar Dhawan is expected to take charge of the side once again and lead an inexperienced line-up. In terms of rankings, India are the No. 1 T20I side with Proteas at the third position. In the ICC ODI rankings, India are placed at the third spot with the visitors at the sixth position. Here's everything you need to know about SA's white-ball tour of India: ALSO READ | India strengthen lead at the top in ICC T20I rankings with thrilling series win vs Australia Full Schedule T20I series 1st T20I at Thiruvananthapuram (September 28) 2nd T20I at Guwahati (October 02) 3rd T20I at Indore (October 04) ODI series 1st ODI at Lucknow (October 6) 2nd ODI at Ranchi (October 9) 3rd ODI at Delhi (October 11) Squads India’s T20I squad: Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami, Harshal Patel, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah. South Africa T20I squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Rilee Rossouw, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs. South Africa ODI squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Janneman Malan, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi. India's ODI squad: Not announced yet Telecast and Streaming details All three T20Is will get underway at 7pm IST whereas the 50-over fixtures will commence at 1:30 PM IST. The live telecast of the white-ball matches will be on Star Sports Network on TV with the live streaming available on the Disney+Hotstar app and website.

South Africa's white-ball tour of India: Fixtures, squads, telecast and streaming details

India's T20 World Cup squad was announced last week, on September 12. The squad features majority of them who appeared in the Asia Cup 2022 edition and also saw the return of Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel. The reserves comprise Md Shami, Ravi Bishnoi, Shreyas Iyer and Deepak Chahar.&nbsp;

After a disappointing Asia Cup, India will try to regain form in their home series versus Australia and South Africa, respectively, before heading to&nbsp;the T20 WC in Aaron Finch &amp; Co.'s&nbsp;backyard. Prior to the Australia T20Is, which gets underway on Tuesday (September 20), captain Rohit Sharma addressed the media and spoke on who will accompany him in the opening slot Down Under.

Rohit said&nbsp;in&nbsp;a press conference, "Virat Kohli is our third opener and he will open in some of the games. In the last match of Asia Cup, we were happy with the way he played. But KL Rahul will open the batting in the World Cup, we do not want to experiment with that position a lot,&nbsp;his performance sometimes goes quite unnoticed."

"He (Rahul)&nbsp;is a very important player for Team India. For us, I just want to make it clear, we are clear in our thought process. We do not have any confusion, we are very clear what KL Rahul brings to the table for us, he is a quality player and is very important for us. His presence at the top is very crucial for us," Hitman added.

However, a tv anchor became a butt of all jokes after he announced that Rahul Gandhi -- popular Indian politician and former Congress President -- will open for India at the T20 WC, instead of KL Rahul.&nbsp;

"Bharatiya team ke kaptaan Rohit Sharma ne kaha ki T20 World Cup mein open karenge Rahul Gandhi. Virat Kohli ko bhi kai match mein pen karna pad sakta hai," (Team India captain&nbsp;Rohit Sharma has revealed that Rahul Gandhi will open for India at T20 World Cup. Virat Kohli too may have to open in some games) said the anchor. The&nbsp;video of the same has gone&nbsp;viral instantly.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/you-never-see-a-when-a-batter-kl-rahul-on-his-t20i-strike-rate-before-australia-series-opener-517788">'You never see when a batter...' - KL Rahul on his T20I strike rate before Australia series opener</a>

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Rahul Gandhi will open for India in T20 World Cup: India TV anchor 😂 <a href="https://t.co/1NWWg9jp7c">pic.twitter.com/1NWWg9jp7c</a>
— Out Of Context Cricket (@GemsOfCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/GemsOfCricket/status/1571555481688350720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
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ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sanju-samson-could-be-a-better-option-over-rishabh-pant-ex-pak-spinner-analyses-indias-t20-wc-squad-518085">Sanju Samson could be a better option over Rishabh Pant: Ex-Pak spinner analyses India's T20 WC squad</a>

Both Rahul-Rohit are currently involved in India's three-match T20I series opener versus Australia, at the PCA Stadium, Mohali on Tuesday evening. Meanwhile, the journalist of a&nbsp;Hindi-dialect&nbsp;media channel&nbsp;has been trolled massively online for his slip of tongue.

India's final 15-man squad for T20 World Cup 2022:

Rohit Sharma (C), KL Rahul (VC), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dinesh Karthik (WK), Hardik Pandya, R&nbsp;Ashwin, Yuzvendra&nbsp;Chahal, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh

Standby players -&nbsp;Mohammed&nbsp;Shami, Shreyas Iyer, Ravi Bishnoi, Deepak Chahar

India's T20 World Cup squad was announced last week, on September 12. The squad features majority of them who appeared in the Asia Cup 2022 edition and also saw the return of Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel.

India's T20 World Cup squad was announced last week, on September 12. The squad features majority of them who appeared in the Asia Cup 2022 edition and also saw the return of Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel. The reserves comprise Md Shami, Ravi Bishnoi, Shreyas Iyer and Deepak Chahar. After a disappointing Asia Cup, India will try to regain form in their home series versus Australia and South Africa, respectively, before heading to the T20 WC in Aaron Finch & Co.'s backyard. Prior to the Australia T20Is, which gets underway on Tuesday (September 20), captain Rohit Sharma addressed the media and spoke on who will accompany him in the opening slot Down Under. Rohit said in a press conference, "Virat Kohli is our third opener and he will open in some of the games. In the last match of Asia Cup, we were happy with the way he played. But KL Rahul will open the batting in the World Cup, we do not want to experiment with that position a lot, his performance sometimes goes quite unnoticed." "He (Rahul) is a very important player for Team India. For us, I just want to make it clear, we are clear in our thought process. We do not have any confusion, we are very clear what KL Rahul brings to the table for us, he is a quality player and is very important for us. His presence at the top is very crucial for us," Hitman added. However, a tv anchor became a butt of all jokes after he announced that Rahul Gandhi -- popular Indian politician and former Congress President -- will open for India at the T20 WC, instead of KL Rahul. "Bharatiya team ke kaptaan Rohit Sharma ne kaha ki T20 World Cup mein open karenge Rahul Gandhi. Virat Kohli ko bhi kai match mein pen karna pad sakta hai," (Team India captain Rohit Sharma has revealed that Rahul Gandhi will open for India at T20 World Cup. Virat Kohli too may have to open in some games) said the anchor. The video of the same has gone viral instantly. ALSO READ | 'You never see when a batter...' - KL Rahul on his T20I strike rate before Australia series opener Rahul Gandhi will open for India in T20 World Cup: India TV anchor 😂 pic.twitter.com/1NWWg9jp7c — Out Of Context Cricket (@GemsOfCricket) September 18, 2022 × ALSO READ | Sanju Samson could be a better option over Rishabh Pant: Ex-Pak spinner analyses India's T20 WC squad Both Rahul-Rohit are currently involved in India's three-match T20I series opener versus Australia, at the PCA Stadium, Mohali on Tuesday evening. Meanwhile, the journalist of a Hindi-dialect media channel has been trolled massively online for his slip of tongue. India's final 15-man squad for T20 World Cup 2022: Rohit Sharma (C), KL Rahul (VC), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dinesh Karthik (WK), Hardik Pandya, R Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh Standby players - Mohammed Shami, Shreyas Iyer, Ravi Bishnoi, Deepak Chahar

Watch - 'Rahul Gandhi will open for India at T20 World Cup, says tv anchor as video goes viral

Team India is struggling to finalise their team combination with the T20 World Cup not even a month away. India faltered in the Super Four round in the Asia Cup and also lost the three-match T20I series opener versus Australia, in Mohali on Tuesday (September 20), with their death bowling continuing to be their biggest concern ahead of the T20 WC in Australia, from October-November.

India's bowlers were hammered all around the park in the T20I series opener versus Australia, with all the bowlers -- apart from Axar Patel -- conceding in excess of 11 runs per over. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, whose death bowling was abysmal versus Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup, conceded 31 runs in his last 12 deliveries whereas Harshal Patel went for 22 runs in the penultimate over as Australia chased down 208-run target with four wickets in hand, in 19.2 overs.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-aus-1st-t20i-sunil-gavaskar-points-out-rohit-cos-real-concern-after-defeat-in-mohali-run-feast-518417">Ind vs Aus, 1st T20I: Sunil Gavaskar points out Rohit &amp; Co.'s 'real concern' after defeat in Mohali run-feast</a>

Ahead of the second and penultimate T20I between India and Australia, to be held in Nagpur on Friday (September 23), former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra admitted that hopes of India winning the forthcoming World Cup is 'a bit less'. "Yuzi Chahal continues to bowl faster. How will you get wickets if you don't bowl slower at all? The reality is that India have a weak bowling line-up and the hopes of winning the World Cup are a bit less. You need to win the remaining games or else you will lose the series against a side that is without its four main players," Chopra opined on his Youtube channel.

Chopra further asserted that even Jasprit Bumrah's return might not solve India's bowling woes unless others step up. Bumrah is expected to play the second T20I after he wasn't rushed into the playing XI for the Mohali encounter having recently recovered from a back injury, which kept him out of the Asia Cup. "One bowler can't come and completely change everything. This is the sad reality. What happened to MI this year when they had just Bumrah? They didn't win much, right? So, except for a game where you take 5–6 wickets, you won't make a lot of difference with just one bowler," he added.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/concerned-selectors-to-talk-to-indian-team-management-after-bowlers-flop-show-in-mohali-t20i-report-518623">'Concerned' selectors to 'talk to Indian team management' after bowlers' flop show in Mohali T20I - Report</a>

After the defeat in Mohali, captain Rohit had said in the post-match presentation, "I don't think we bowled well. 200 is a good score to defend, and we didn't take our chances in the field. It was a great effort from our batters, but bowlers were not quite there. There are things we need to look at, but it was a great game for us to understand what went wrong."

Team India is struggling to finalise their team combination with the T20 World Cup not even a month away. India faltered in the Super Four round in the Asia Cup and also lost the three-match T20I series opener versus Australia, in Mohali on Tuesday (September 20), with their death bowling continuing to be their biggest concern ahead of the T20 WC in Australia, from October-November.

Team India is struggling to finalise their team combination with the T20 World Cup not even a month away. India faltered in the Super Four round in the Asia Cup and also lost the three-match T20I series opener versus Australia, in Mohali on Tuesday (September 20), with their death bowling continuing to be their biggest concern ahead of the T20 WC in Australia, from October-November. India's bowlers were hammered all around the park in the T20I series opener versus Australia, with all the bowlers -- apart from Axar Patel -- conceding in excess of 11 runs per over. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, whose death bowling was abysmal versus Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup, conceded 31 runs in his last 12 deliveries whereas Harshal Patel went for 22 runs in the penultimate over as Australia chased down 208-run target with four wickets in hand, in 19.2 overs. ALSO READ | Ind vs Aus, 1st T20I: Sunil Gavaskar points out Rohit & Co.'s 'real concern' after defeat in Mohali run-feast Ahead of the second and penultimate T20I between India and Australia, to be held in Nagpur on Friday (September 23), former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra admitted that hopes of India winning the forthcoming World Cup is 'a bit less'. "Yuzi Chahal continues to bowl faster. How will you get wickets if you don't bowl slower at all? The reality is that India have a weak bowling line-up and the hopes of winning the World Cup are a bit less. You need to win the remaining games or else you will lose the series against a side that is without its four main players," Chopra opined on his Youtube channel. Chopra further asserted that even Jasprit Bumrah's return might not solve India's bowling woes unless others step up. Bumrah is expected to play the second T20I after he wasn't rushed into the playing XI for the Mohali encounter having recently recovered from a back injury, which kept him out of the Asia Cup. "One bowler can't come and completely change everything. This is the sad reality. What happened to MI this year when they had just Bumrah? They didn't win much, right? So, except for a game where you take 5–6 wickets, you won't make a lot of difference with just one bowler," he added. ALSO READ | 'Concerned' selectors to 'talk to Indian team management' after bowlers' flop show in Mohali T20I - Report After the defeat in Mohali, captain Rohit had said in the post-match presentation, "I don't think we bowled well. 200 is a good score to defend, and we didn't take our chances in the field. It was a great effort from our batters, but bowlers were not quite there. There are things we need to look at, but it was a great game for us to understand what went wrong."

Hopes of winning T20 World Cup are a bit less, admits Aakash Chopra amid India's bowling woes

After opting to bowl first, Rohit Sharma-led India managed to restrict Australia to 186-7 in the third and final T20I on Sunday evening (September 25) in Hyderabad. Given it has been a high-scoring series, Australia had a competitive total on the board but Aaron Finch &amp; Co. would've fancied anything over the 200-run mark.&nbsp;

Riding on Cameron Green's 52 and Tim David's 27-ball 54, Australia had a good total after the end of 20 overs. Axar Patel once again stood tall with the ball, claiming 3 for 33 before the onus fell on the Indian batters in the second-half. In reply, India were 30 fro 2 before Virat Kohli's 63 and Suryakumar Yadav's match-winning 69, off 36 deliveries at a whopping 191.67, initiated their recovery. Eventually, Hardik Pandya's 16-ball 25 not out took India past the finish line to win the bilateral T20I series on home soil.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-strengthen-lead-at-the-top-in-icc-t20i-rankings-with-thrilling-series-win-vs-australia-519787">India strengthen lead at the top in ICC T20I rankings with thrilling series win vs Australia</a>

After the intense encounter, where India toppled Australia on the penultimate ball of the contest, Player-of-the-Series Axar (with eight scalps overall) interacted with SKY, who ended as the Player-of-the-Match in the series finale. During the chat, the swashbuckling batter Surya revealed how he battled fever to be match-ready.

"Kya hua tha raat ko?&nbsp;(What happened last night)?" asked Axar on BCCI.tv.&nbsp;Yeh problem actually aap bhi face kar rahe the, yeh mujhe team meeting mein pata chala&nbsp;(You were also facing the same issue, and I got to know about it in the team meeting)," responded Surya.

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"Weather change hua aur phir ab naya travelling bhi chalu hua hai uske wajah se thoda stomach ache ho raha tha phir fever bhi aa gaya but at the same time pata bhi tha ki decider game hai&nbsp;(The weather changed last night and there has been a lot of travelling as well. Due to&nbsp;all of this, I'd a stomach ache and got fever as well, but at the same time I knew that it was a series decider).

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From setting the stage on fire to a special pre-match tale! 🔥 😎 
 
Men of the hour - <a href="https://twitter.com/surya_14kumar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@surya_14kumar</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/akshar2026?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@akshar2026</a> - discuss it all after <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a>'s T20I series win against Australia in Hyderabad. 👍 👍- By <a href="https://twitter.com/RajalArora?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RajalArora</a> 
 
Full interview 🔽 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvAUS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvAUS</a> <a href="https://t.co/rfPgcGyO0H">https://t.co/rfPgcGyO0H</a> <a href="https://t.co/rDWz9Zwh3h">pic.twitter.com/rDWz9Zwh3h</a>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1574247389388410881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
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ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-rohit-sharma-virat-kohli-go-bonkers-celebrate-wildly-after-india-win-t20i-series-vs-australia-519779">Watch: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli go bonkers, celebrate wildly after India win T20I series vs Australia</a>

"Toh main apne doctor and physio ko wahi bola ki agar yeh World Cup ka final hoga toh main kaise react karunga. Main aisa bimari leke baith nahi sakta hu. Toh aap kaise bhi karke, kuch bhi karo koi bhi goli do kuch bhi injection do lekin merko shaam ke game ke liye ready kar do (So I told my doctor and the physio that if there is a World Cup final how will I react? I can't sit for such reasons. Do whatever it takes, give me any medicine or injection but get me ready for the match in the evening)."

Ek baar ground pe aa gaye, yeh jersey pehen lya toh phir emotion hi alag hai&nbsp;(Once I'm on the ground wearing the India jersey then the emotion is&nbsp;different altogether)," Surya added.

SKY's heroics and Axar's key breakthroughs helped India beat Australia and clinch the series after conceding a 1-0 lead.
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After opting to bowl first, Rohit Sharma-led India managed to restrict Australia to 186-7 in the third and final T20I on Sunday evening (September 25) in Hyderabad.

After opting to bowl first, Rohit Sharma-led India managed to restrict Australia to 186-7 in the third and final T20I on Sunday evening (September 25) in Hyderabad. Given it has been a high-scoring series, Australia had a competitive total on the board but Aaron Finch & Co. would've fancied anything over the 200-run mark. Riding on Cameron Green's 52 and Tim David's 27-ball 54, Australia had a good total after the end of 20 overs. Axar Patel once again stood tall with the ball, claiming 3 for 33 before the onus fell on the Indian batters in the second-half. In reply, India were 30 fro 2 before Virat Kohli's 63 and Suryakumar Yadav's match-winning 69, off 36 deliveries at a whopping 191.67, initiated their recovery. Eventually, Hardik Pandya's 16-ball 25 not out took India past the finish line to win the bilateral T20I series on home soil. ALSO READ | India strengthen lead at the top in ICC T20I rankings with thrilling series win vs Australia After the intense encounter, where India toppled Australia on the penultimate ball of the contest, Player-of-the-Series Axar (with eight scalps overall) interacted with SKY, who ended as the Player-of-the-Match in the series finale. During the chat, the swashbuckling batter Surya revealed how he battled fever to be match-ready. "Kya hua tha raat ko? (What happened last night)?" asked Axar on BCCI.tv. Yeh problem actually aap bhi face kar rahe the, yeh mujhe team meeting mein pata chala (You were also facing the same issue, and I got to know about it in the team meeting)," responded Surya. "Weather change hua aur phir ab naya travelling bhi chalu hua hai uske wajah se thoda stomach ache ho raha tha phir fever bhi aa gaya but at the same time pata bhi tha ki decider game hai (The weather changed last night and there has been a lot of travelling as well. Due to all of this, I'd a stomach ache and got fever as well, but at the same time I knew that it was a series decider). From setting the stage on fire to a special pre-match tale! 🔥 😎 Men of the hour - @surya_14kumar & @akshar2026 - discuss it all after #TeamIndia's T20I series win against Australia in Hyderabad. 👍 👍- By @RajalArora Full interview 🔽 #INDvAUS https://t.co/rfPgcGyO0H pic.twitter.com/rDWz9Zwh3h — BCCI (@BCCI) September 26, 2022 × ALSO READ | Watch: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli go bonkers, celebrate wildly after India win T20I series vs Australia "Toh main apne doctor and physio ko wahi bola ki agar yeh World Cup ka final hoga toh main kaise react karunga. Main aisa bimari leke baith nahi sakta hu. Toh aap kaise bhi karke, kuch bhi karo koi bhi goli do kuch bhi injection do lekin merko shaam ke game ke liye ready kar do (So I told my doctor and the physio that if there is a World Cup final how will I react? I can't sit for such reasons. Do whatever it takes, give me any medicine or injection but get me ready for the match in the evening)." Ek baar ground pe aa gaye, yeh jersey pehen lya toh phir emotion hi alag hai (Once I'm on the ground wearing the India jersey then the emotion is different altogether)," Surya added. SKY's heroics and Axar's key breakthroughs helped India beat Australia and clinch the series after conceding a 1-0 lead.

Give me any medicine: Suryakumar recalls how he battled fever before match-winning knock vs Australia

India beat Australia by six wickets in a thrilling 187-run chase in Hyderabad, on Sunday (September 25), to win the series 2-1. After levelling the series in the second and penultimate T20I in Nagpur, Rohit Sharma-led Men in Blue opted to bowl first at the Rajiv Gandhi&nbsp;International Stadium, Hyderabad on Sunday evening.

Cameron Green's 52 and Tim David's whirlwind 54 propelled the Aaron Finch-led Australia to a competitive 186-7 in 20 overs. They missed out on posting anything over 200 but still fancied their chances despite India's strong batting line-up. In reply, India were soon reduced to 30 for 2 before fifties from Virat Kohli (63) and Suryakumar Yadav (69) stood tall for the home side and brought them back into the contest. In the end overs, the match went down to the wire before all-rounder Hardik Pandya's 16-ball 25 not out propelled India to a thrilling six-wicket series win.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-rohit-sharma-virat-kohli-go-bonkers-celebrate-wildly-after-india-win-t20i-series-vs-australia-519779">Watch: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli go bonkers, celebrate wildly after India win T20I series vs Australia</a>

After the series victory, India have bolstered their lead at the top of the ICC T20I rankings. India are now seven points clear of second-ranked England, who lost the fourth T20I of their ongoing seven-match series versus hosts Pakistan in Karachi on Sunday evening. India have a total of 268 rating points followed by England (261) whereas the likes of South Africa, Pakistan, New Zealand and Australia follow suit.

The likes of West Indies, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan come next to complete the top ten. Given that India have another home series coming up, they will like to maintain their strong record in familiar conditions and consolidate their top spot before heading into the T20 World Cup, from October-November in Australia. Nonetheless, India won't have it easy as they next face Temba Bavuma-led South Africa in a three-match T20I series starting on Wednesday (September 28).&nbsp;

India beat Australia by six wickets in a thrilling 187-run chase in Hyderabad, on Sunday (September 25), to win the series 2-1. After levelling the series in the second and penultimate T20I in Nagpur, Rohit Sharma-led Men in Blue opted to bowl first at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad on Sunday evening.

India beat Australia by six wickets in a thrilling 187-run chase in Hyderabad, on Sunday (September 25), to win the series 2-1. After levelling the series in the second and penultimate T20I in Nagpur, Rohit Sharma-led Men in Blue opted to bowl first at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad on Sunday evening. Cameron Green's 52 and Tim David's whirlwind 54 propelled the Aaron Finch-led Australia to a competitive 186-7 in 20 overs. They missed out on posting anything over 200 but still fancied their chances despite India's strong batting line-up. In reply, India were soon reduced to 30 for 2 before fifties from Virat Kohli (63) and Suryakumar Yadav (69) stood tall for the home side and brought them back into the contest. In the end overs, the match went down to the wire before all-rounder Hardik Pandya's 16-ball 25 not out propelled India to a thrilling six-wicket series win. ALSO READ | Watch: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli go bonkers, celebrate wildly after India win T20I series vs Australia After the series victory, India have bolstered their lead at the top of the ICC T20I rankings. India are now seven points clear of second-ranked England, who lost the fourth T20I of their ongoing seven-match series versus hosts Pakistan in Karachi on Sunday evening. India have a total of 268 rating points followed by England (261) whereas the likes of South Africa, Pakistan, New Zealand and Australia follow suit. The likes of West Indies, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan come next to complete the top ten. Given that India have another home series coming up, they will like to maintain their strong record in familiar conditions and consolidate their top spot before heading into the T20 World Cup, from October-November in Australia. Nonetheless, India won't have it easy as they next face Temba Bavuma-led South Africa in a three-match T20I series starting on Wednesday (September 28).

India strengthen lead at the top in ICC T20I rankings with thrilling series win vs Australia

India and Australia were involved in another high-scoring thriller in the third and final T20I, in Hyderabad, on Sunday evening (September 25). With the series levelled at 1-1, the stakes were high and the two heavyweights produced another thrilling contest where Rohit Sharma-led India won the clash on the penultimate ball to clinch the series 2-1.

The match went down to the wire, with India needing 11 off six balls. While Virat Kohli smashed a six off&nbsp;the first ball, he fell for 63 on the very next delivery. Hardik Pandya, who remained unbeaten on 25 off 16 balls, maintained his calm and hit the winning runs&nbsp;-- with four needed off two balls -- to take India past the finish line in front of a jam-packed stadium. As soon as Hardik did the job for India and completed the run-chase in style, cleverly opening the face of the bat to steer the ball towards the third-man region for a boundary -- skipper Rohit and Virat Kohli broke into wild celebrations sitting at the staircase of the Indian dressing room.&nbsp;

Here's the viral video of Rohit-Kohli going bonkers and celebrating wildly as India won the T20I series versus the current world champions:

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Best moment of this T20I series - Bond of Virat Kohli &amp; Rohit Sharma. RohiRat celebration.♥️ <a href="https://t.co/fXGjOridJZ">pic.twitter.com/fXGjOridJZ</a>
— CricketMAN2 (@ImTanujSingh) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImTanujSingh/status/1574315888203157506?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Opting to bowl first, India rode on Axar Patel's 3 for 33 but the likes of Cameron Green (52), Tim David's 54 and Daniel Sams' 20-ball 28 propelled Australia to a competitive 186-7. In reply, India were reduced to 30 for 2 with the openers, KL Rahul and Rohit, falling cheaply before half-centurions Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav (who returned with the Player-of-the-Match award for his scintillating 36-ball 69, laced with 5 fours and sixes each) steadied the ship with an impressive 104-run third-wicket stand before Hardik's finishing skills stood out.

India will now face South Africa in three T20Is and ODIs, each, before leaving for Australia for the 2022 T20 World Cup.

India and Australia were involved in another high-scoring thriller in the third and final T20I, in Hyderabad, on Sunday evening (September 25). With the series levelled at 1-1, the stakes were high and the two heavyweights produced another thrilling contest where Rohit Sharma-led India won the clash on the penultimate ball to clinch the series 2-1.

India and Australia were involved in another high-scoring thriller in the third and final T20I, in Hyderabad, on Sunday evening (September 25). With the series levelled at 1-1, the stakes were high and the two heavyweights produced another thrilling contest where Rohit Sharma-led India won the clash on the penultimate ball to clinch the series 2-1. The match went down to the wire, with India needing 11 off six balls. While Virat Kohli smashed a six off the first ball, he fell for 63 on the very next delivery. Hardik Pandya, who remained unbeaten on 25 off 16 balls, maintained his calm and hit the winning runs -- with four needed off two balls -- to take India past the finish line in front of a jam-packed stadium. As soon as Hardik did the job for India and completed the run-chase in style, cleverly opening the face of the bat to steer the ball towards the third-man region for a boundary -- skipper Rohit and Virat Kohli broke into wild celebrations sitting at the staircase of the Indian dressing room. Here's the viral video of Rohit-Kohli going bonkers and celebrating wildly as India won the T20I series versus the current world champions: Best moment of this T20I series - Bond of Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma. RohiRat celebration.♥️ pic.twitter.com/fXGjOridJZ — CricketMAN2 (@ImTanujSingh) September 26, 2022 × ALSO READ | Rohit Sharma surpasses Virat Kohli to become India's second-most successful T20I captain Opting to bowl first, India rode on Axar Patel's 3 for 33 but the likes of Cameron Green (52), Tim David's 54 and Daniel Sams' 20-ball 28 propelled Australia to a competitive 186-7. In reply, India were reduced to 30 for 2 with the openers, KL Rahul and Rohit, falling cheaply before half-centurions Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav (who returned with the Player-of-the-Match award for his scintillating 36-ball 69, laced with 5 fours and sixes each) steadied the ship with an impressive 104-run third-wicket stand before Hardik's finishing skills stood out. India will now face South Africa in three T20Is and ODIs, each, before leaving for Australia for the 2022 T20 World Cup.

Watch: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli go bonkers, celebrate wildly after India win T20I series vs Australia

The fifth and final day of the Duleep Trophy summit clash saw a controversy emerge out. Yashasvi Jaiswal, the star performer for Ajinkya Rahane-led West Zone's big win, was asked to leave the field by his captain for disciplinary issues. The Rajasthan Royals' (RR) star was constantly chirping around and sledging the opposition batter Ravi Teja.&nbsp;

At first, Teja brought the matter in front of match officials, who asked Jaiswal to mend his on-field antics. Despite being warned twice by the officials, the 20-year-old continued to sledge the batter and did not pay heed&nbsp;to the instructions given to him. When the situation went out of hand, captain Rahane stepped in and asked his teammate to leave the field on disciplinary grounds.&nbsp;

Here's the viral video of the incident, which took place during the opening session of the fifth and final day's play:

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Batter Ravi Teja was having some issues with Yashasvi Jaiswal, so after warning him first and seeing it still happen, Captain Ajinkya Rahane tells his own teammate to leave the field!<a href="https://t.co/R1sPozKFjF">pic.twitter.com/R1sPozKFjF</a>
— 12th Khiladi (@12th_khiladi) <a href="https://twitter.com/12th_khiladi/status/1573908131280658436?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 25, 2022</a></blockquote>
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After the match, in which West Zone beat South Zone by a whopping 294-run margin, Rahane explained the reason behind sending Jaiswal off the 22-yard cricket strip. "You have to follow the rules and respect the game, your opponents, and the umpires. That's the way I have always played my cricket and I will continue to do so. There are certain things you must follow on the field. If you don't, you get off the field. This is my mantra," Rahane said in the post-match conference.

"I believe in always respecting your opponents, umpires and match officials. So, you have to handle certain incidents in a certain manner," the former Indian Test vice-captain added.

In the match, West Zone were bundled out for 270 in the first innings and conceded a vital 57-run lead to South Zone, who were dismissed for 327. In West Zone's second innings, Jaiswal stood tall with a splendid&nbsp;265 runs from 323 balls to take his side's total to&nbsp;585 for 4 declared. In reply, South Zone perished for a moderate 234 in pursuit of a mammoth 529, losing the title by a humongous margin.&nbsp;

The fifth and final day of the Duleep Trophy summit clash saw a controversy emerge out. Yashasvi Jaiswal, the star performer for Ajinkya Rahane-led West Zone's big win, was asked to leave the field by his captain for disciplinary issues.

The fifth and final day of the Duleep Trophy summit clash saw a controversy emerge out. Yashasvi Jaiswal, the star performer for Ajinkya Rahane-led West Zone's big win, was asked to leave the field by his captain for disciplinary issues. The Rajasthan Royals' (RR) star was constantly chirping around and sledging the opposition batter Ravi Teja. At first, Teja brought the matter in front of match officials, who asked Jaiswal to mend his on-field antics. Despite being warned twice by the officials, the 20-year-old continued to sledge the batter and did not pay heed to the instructions given to him. When the situation went out of hand, captain Rahane stepped in and asked his teammate to leave the field on disciplinary grounds. Here's the viral video of the incident, which took place during the opening session of the fifth and final day's play: Batter Ravi Teja was having some issues with Yashasvi Jaiswal, so after warning him first and seeing it still happen, Captain Ajinkya Rahane tells his own teammate to leave the field!pic.twitter.com/R1sPozKFjF — 12th Khiladi (@12th_khiladi) September 25, 2022 × ALSO READ | Rohit Sharma surpasses Virat Kohli to become India's second-most successful T20I captain After the match, in which West Zone beat South Zone by a whopping 294-run margin, Rahane explained the reason behind sending Jaiswal off the 22-yard cricket strip. "You have to follow the rules and respect the game, your opponents, and the umpires. That's the way I have always played my cricket and I will continue to do so. There are certain things you must follow on the field. If you don't, you get off the field. This is my mantra," Rahane said in the post-match conference. "I believe in always respecting your opponents, umpires and match officials. So, you have to handle certain incidents in a certain manner," the former Indian Test vice-captain added. In the match, West Zone were bundled out for 270 in the first innings and conceded a vital 57-run lead to South Zone, who were dismissed for 327. In West Zone's second innings, Jaiswal stood tall with a splendid 265 runs from 323 balls to take his side's total to 585 for 4 declared. In reply, South Zone perished for a moderate 234 in pursuit of a mammoth 529, losing the title by a humongous margin.

Ajinkya Rahane opens up on asking Yashasvi Jaiswal to leave the field during Duleep Trophy final

MS Dhoni remains a big name in world cricket. Having retired from international cricket on August 15, 2020, the 41-year-old continues to make heads turn whenever he appears on the 22-yard cricket strip donning the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) jersey in the IPL. He will return to competitive cricket in IPL 2023 where he will hope to guide CSK to another title.&nbsp; 
 
Over the years, Dhoni has been known for fulfilling various roles for Team India and his IPL franchises. Apart from his blitz as a wicketkeeper, batter, finisher, he is also known to be one of the most ideal leaders in world cricket. Under him, India won all three ICC trophies and even attained the No. 1 rank in ICC Test Rankings for the first time, in late 2009. He has even led CSK to four IPL titles along with two Champions League triumphs. Known as Captain Cool, Dhoni recently revealed why he is so cool on the field amid such high-pressure situations.&nbsp;

In an event, Dhoni asked the audience, "How many of you think your bosses are calm?". With only a few hands&nbsp;going up, the former Indian captain asserted, "Either they want to make brownie points or they are bosses themselves." He added, "Honestly, when we are on the field, we do not want to make any mistakes whether it's misfielding, dropped catches or any other mistake. I always try and get into their shoes to figure out why a player dropped a catch or why somebody misfielded. Getting angry does not help matters. There are already 40,000 people watching from the stands and crores of people watching the match (on TV, and streaming platforms). I had to see what the reason was (for fielding lapses)."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/icc-t20i-rankings-suryakumar-surpasses-babar-azam-hardik-gains-big-after-mohali-blitz-vs-australia-518501">ICC T20I Rankings: Suryakumar surpasses Babar Azam, Hardik gains big after Mohali blitz vs Australia</a>

"If a player is 100 per cent attentive on the ground and he misses a catch despite that, I don't have a problem. Of course, I also want to see how many catches he took during practice before that.. if he had a problem somewhere and he is making efforts to get better or not. I used to focus on all these aspects instead of focusing on whether a catch was dropped. Maybe we lost a game because of that but the effort was always to try to step into their shoes," Dhoni said on Livfast.

"I am also human. I would feel the same way inside like you all felt. When you go out and play a match among yourselves, you would feel bad. We represent our country, so we would feel worse. But we always try and control our emotions," concluded the legendary cricketer.

MS Dhoni remains a big name in world cricket. Having retired from international cricket on August 15, 2020, the 41-year-old continues to make heads turn whenever he appears on the 22-yard cricket strip donning the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) jersey in the IPL.

MS Dhoni remains a big name in world cricket. Having retired from international cricket on August 15, 2020, the 41-year-old continues to make heads turn whenever he appears on the 22-yard cricket strip donning the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) jersey in the IPL. He will return to competitive cricket in IPL 2023 where he will hope to guide CSK to another title. Over the years, Dhoni has been known for fulfilling various roles for Team India and his IPL franchises. Apart from his blitz as a wicketkeeper, batter, finisher, he is also known to be one of the most ideal leaders in world cricket. Under him, India won all three ICC trophies and even attained the No. 1 rank in ICC Test Rankings for the first time, in late 2009. He has even led CSK to four IPL titles along with two Champions League triumphs. Known as Captain Cool, Dhoni recently revealed why he is so cool on the field amid such high-pressure situations. In an event, Dhoni asked the audience, "How many of you think your bosses are calm?". With only a few hands going up, the former Indian captain asserted, "Either they want to make brownie points or they are bosses themselves." He added, "Honestly, when we are on the field, we do not want to make any mistakes whether it's misfielding, dropped catches or any other mistake. I always try and get into their shoes to figure out why a player dropped a catch or why somebody misfielded. Getting angry does not help matters. There are already 40,000 people watching from the stands and crores of people watching the match (on TV, and streaming platforms). I had to see what the reason was (for fielding lapses)." ALSO READ | ICC T20I Rankings: Suryakumar surpasses Babar Azam, Hardik gains big after Mohali blitz vs Australia "If a player is 100 per cent attentive on the ground and he misses a catch despite that, I don't have a problem. Of course, I also want to see how many catches he took during practice before that.. if he had a problem somewhere and he is making efforts to get better or not. I used to focus on all these aspects instead of focusing on whether a catch was dropped. Maybe we lost a game because of that but the effort was always to try to step into their shoes," Dhoni said on Livfast. "I am also human. I would feel the same way inside like you all felt. When you go out and play a match among yourselves, you would feel bad. We represent our country, so we would feel worse. But we always try and control our emotions," concluded the legendary cricketer.

'Getting angry does not help matters' - MS Dhoni reveals why he always remains calm on field

India lost to Australia in the three-match T20I series opener on Tuesday evening (September 20) at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali. Being asked to bat first, the hosts made 208 for 6 thanks to KL Rahul's 55, Suryakumar Yadav's 46 and all-rounder Hardik Pandya's 30-ball 71 not out. However, Australia chased down the total with four wickets in hand, in 19.2 overs, courtesy of Cameron Green's 61 and Matthew Wade's finishing skills (21-ball 45 not out).

Despite the match result not going in India's favour, a lot of individual brilliance gave fans plenty to cheer for. In the latest ICC T20I rankings for batters, the likes of SKY and Hardik also gained big following their blitz in Mohali. SKY,&nbsp;India's best T20 batter, had entered the top-five in the Asia Cup and has now toppled Pakistan captain Babar Azam to take the No. 3 spot. Babar, on the other hand, has seen a dip in form but managed 31 runs in Pakistan's home T20I series opener versus England, also held on Tuesday in Karachi.

Meanwhile, Hardik&nbsp;moved up by 22 places to 65th courtesy of his sensational hitting in Mohali T20I versus Aaron Finch &amp; Co. His knock was laced with 7 fours and 5 sixes, at a whopping strike rate of 236.67. In the all-rounders'&nbsp;list, the 28-year-old Hardik also climbed up to take the No. 5 spot.

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Star Indian batter closes in on the top spot in the <a href="https://twitter.com/MRFWorldwide?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MRFWorldwide</a> ICC Men's Player T20I Rankings for batters ⬆️ 
 
Details 👇<a href="https://t.co/pdcD6jfjkN">https://t.co/pdcD6jfjkN</a>
— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1572499075802533889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Among the other Indian batters, vice-captain Rahul also moved up to take the 18th spot following his 35-ball 55 versus the Men in Yellow in his happy-hunting ground in Mohali. Axar Patel, returning with 3 for 17, also rose up in the all-rounders' list, sitting at the 33rd spot with a jump of 24 positions. However, Bhuvneshwar Kumar fell to the ninth spot among bowlers after leaking as many as 31 runs in his last 12 deliveries to tilt the match in Australia's favour in Mohali.&nbsp;

India will hope for a series-levelling win in the second and penultimate T20I versus Australia, which will be held in Nagpur on Friday evening (September 23).

India lost to Australia in the three-match T20I series opener on Tuesday evening (September 20) at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali. Being asked to bat first, the hosts made 208 for 6 thanks to KL Rahul's 55, Suryakumar Yadav's 46 and all-rounder Hardik Pandya's 30-ball 71 not out.

India lost to Australia in the three-match T20I series opener on Tuesday evening (September 20) at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali. Being asked to bat first, the hosts made 208 for 6 thanks to KL Rahul's 55, Suryakumar Yadav's 46 and all-rounder Hardik Pandya's 30-ball 71 not out. However, Australia chased down the total with four wickets in hand, in 19.2 overs, courtesy of Cameron Green's 61 and Matthew Wade's finishing skills (21-ball 45 not out). Despite the match result not going in India's favour, a lot of individual brilliance gave fans plenty to cheer for. In the latest ICC T20I rankings for batters, the likes of SKY and Hardik also gained big following their blitz in Mohali. SKY, India's best T20 batter, had entered the top-five in the Asia Cup and has now toppled Pakistan captain Babar Azam to take the No. 3 spot. Babar, on the other hand, has seen a dip in form but managed 31 runs in Pakistan's home T20I series opener versus England, also held on Tuesday in Karachi. Meanwhile, Hardik moved up by 22 places to 65th courtesy of his sensational hitting in Mohali T20I versus Aaron Finch & Co. His knock was laced with 7 fours and 5 sixes, at a whopping strike rate of 236.67. In the all-rounders' list, the 28-year-old Hardik also climbed up to take the No. 5 spot. Star Indian batter closes in on the top spot in the @MRFWorldwide ICC Men's Player T20I Rankings for batters ⬆️ Details 👇https://t.co/pdcD6jfjkN — ICC (@ICC) September 21, 2022 × ALSO READ | 'He's selling himself short' - Ex-India opener unimpressed with Rohit Sharma's 'ultra-attacking approach' Among the other Indian batters, vice-captain Rahul also moved up to take the 18th spot following his 35-ball 55 versus the Men in Yellow in his happy-hunting ground in Mohali. Axar Patel, returning with 3 for 17, also rose up in the all-rounders' list, sitting at the 33rd spot with a jump of 24 positions. However, Bhuvneshwar Kumar fell to the ninth spot among bowlers after leaking as many as 31 runs in his last 12 deliveries to tilt the match in Australia's favour in Mohali. India will hope for a series-levelling win in the second and penultimate T20I versus Australia, which will be held in Nagpur on Friday evening (September 23).

ICC T20I Rankings: Suryakumar surpasses Babar Azam, Hardik gains big after Mohali blitz vs Australia

India faced Australia in the series opener of the three-match T20I series on Tuesday evening (September 20) at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali. After a disappointing run in the Asia Cup 2022 edition, India were expected to start off with a win in home conditions, however, the Rohit Sharma-led Men in Blue failed to defend 208/6 and lost the game in the last over by four wickets.

Being asked to bat first, India rode on vice-captain KL Rahul's 35-ball 55, Suryakumar Yadav's 46, and Hardik Pandya's scintillating 30-ball 71 not out to post 208 for 6 in their full quota of overs. In reply, Australia were off to a flier courtesy of makeshift opener Cameron Green's 61 before Matthew Wade's 21-ball 45 not out took his side home with fours wickets and an equal number of balls to spare.

In the post-match press conference, all-rounder Hardik addressed the media and gave a sarcastic reply when asked by a reporter to reveal the 'turning point' of the contest.

"Aap batao, mujhe nahi pata, humko pata hota toh wahi nahi rok dete na. (You tell me, I don't know. Had we known about it, we would've stopped them in the field)", Hardik said in response to the question from a journalist's question; leaving everyone baffled.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/australia-record-highest-t20i-run-chase-vs-india-win-mohali-run-feast-by-4-wickets-518180">Australia record highest T20I run-chase vs India, win Mohali run-feast by 4 wickets</a>

Hardik further asserted, "Dekho sir, pinpoint nahi kar sakte. Unke time pe bhi ek over mein 24-25 run aye, usse kuch farak nahi padta. Bilateral series hai, aur do matches hai usmein koshish karenge kuch achchha karne ki. (Sir, we can't pinpoint on a single over, they also conceded 24-25 runs in an over. We&nbsp;still have two more games in the series and, hence,&nbsp;we will try to make a comeback)."

At the halfway mark in the run-chase, Australia was marching ahead being well-placed at 109-1. However, India reduced them to 145 for 5 in 14.1 overs and were favourites with the Aussies needing 40 off 18 balls. Nonetheless, Bhuvneshwar Kumar leaked 31 runs in his last 12 deliveries whereas Harshal Patel was smacked for 22 runs in the penultimate over as the visitors achieved a 1-0 lead.

At the post-match presentation, captain Rohit pointed out, "I don't think we bowled well. 200 is a good score to defend, and we didn't take our chances in the field. It was a great effort from our batters, but bowlers were not quite there. There are things we need to look at, but it was a great game for us to understand what went wrong. We know this is a high-scoring ground. You can't relax even if you get 200. We took wickets to an extent, but they played really well. They played some extraordinary shots. If I was in that changing room, I would expect to chase that total. You can back yourself to defend 60 runs in the final 4 overs. We were not able to take that extra wicket. That was the turning point, if we would have taken another wicket, things would have been different."

India faced Australia in the series opener of the three-match T20I series on Tuesday evening (September 20) at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali. After a disappointing run in the Asia Cup 2022 edition, India were expected to start off with a win in home conditions, however, the Rohit Sharma-led Men in Blue failed to defend 208/6 and lost the game in the last over by four wickets.

India faced Australia in the series opener of the three-match T20I series on Tuesday evening (September 20) at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali. After a disappointing run in the Asia Cup 2022 edition, India were expected to start off with a win in home conditions, however, the Rohit Sharma-led Men in Blue failed to defend 208/6 and lost the game in the last over by four wickets. Being asked to bat first, India rode on vice-captain KL Rahul's 35-ball 55, Suryakumar Yadav's 46, and Hardik Pandya's scintillating 30-ball 71 not out to post 208 for 6 in their full quota of overs. In reply, Australia were off to a flier courtesy of makeshift opener Cameron Green's 61 before Matthew Wade's 21-ball 45 not out took his side home with fours wickets and an equal number of balls to spare. In the post-match press conference, all-rounder Hardik addressed the media and gave a sarcastic reply when asked by a reporter to reveal the 'turning point' of the contest. "Aap batao, mujhe nahi pata, humko pata hota toh wahi nahi rok dete na. (You tell me, I don't know. Had we known about it, we would've stopped them in the field)", Hardik said in response to the question from a journalist's question; leaving everyone baffled. ALSO READ | Australia record highest T20I run-chase vs India, win Mohali run-feast by 4 wickets Hardik further asserted, "Dekho sir, pinpoint nahi kar sakte. Unke time pe bhi ek over mein 24-25 run aye, usse kuch farak nahi padta. Bilateral series hai, aur do matches hai usmein koshish karenge kuch achchha karne ki. (Sir, we can't pinpoint on a single over, they also conceded 24-25 runs in an over. We still have two more games in the series and, hence, we will try to make a comeback)." At the halfway mark in the run-chase, Australia was marching ahead being well-placed at 109-1. However, India reduced them to 145 for 5 in 14.1 overs and were favourites with the Aussies needing 40 off 18 balls. Nonetheless, Bhuvneshwar Kumar leaked 31 runs in his last 12 deliveries whereas Harshal Patel was smacked for 22 runs in the penultimate over as the visitors achieved a 1-0 lead. At the post-match presentation, captain Rohit pointed out, "I don't think we bowled well. 200 is a good score to defend, and we didn't take our chances in the field. It was a great effort from our batters, but bowlers were not quite there. There are things we need to look at, but it was a great game for us to understand what went wrong. We know this is a high-scoring ground. You can't relax even if you get 200. We took wickets to an extent, but they played really well. They played some extraordinary shots. If I was in that changing room, I would expect to chase that total. You can back yourself to defend 60 runs in the final 4 overs. We were not able to take that extra wicket. That was the turning point, if we would have taken another wicket, things would have been different."

'You tell me, I don't know' - Hardik Pandya tells reporter when asked about 'turning point' in Mohali T20I

Before the T20 World Cup 2022 edition, to be held in Australia from October-November, India are involved in a three-match T20I series versus Australia, at home, and will then host South Africa in three T20Is and ODIs, each, before heading to the showpiece event. Since the Asia Cup 2022 edition, Rohit Sharma &amp; Co. have disappointed their fans with their performances and their main concern remains death bowling.

India leaked runs in the death overs in their Super Four face-off versus Pakistan and the script remained the same versus Sri Lanka as well (losing both the games in the last over). In the three-match T20I series opener versus T20 world champions Australia, India posted 208 for 6 -- their highest score in the format versus Australia -- but failed to defend it as Aaron Finch &amp; Co. won by four wickets in 19.2 overs courtesy of Cameron Green's 61 and Matthew Wade's 21-ball 45 not out.&nbsp;

India had reduced Australia to 145-5, at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali, after they were cruising at 109 for 1 at the halfway mark. However, the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Hardik Pandya, Umesh Yadav&nbsp;and Yuzvendra Chahal leaked runs -- with each going in excess of 11 an over -- whereas spinner Axar Patel was the only impressive bowler, conceding 3 for 17. Bhuvi, the most experienced of the lot, leaked 31 runs in his last 12 deliveries whereas Harshal gave away 22 in the penultimate over.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rohit-sharma-should-drop-to-no3-virat-kohli-can-open-ex-pak-cricketers-absurd-suggestion-to-team-india-518438">Rohit Sharma should drop to no.3, Virat Kohli can open: Ex-Pak cricketer's absurd suggestion to Team India</a>

After the match, the Rohit-Rahul Dravid-led Indian team management remains concerned with the death-bowling woes. As per a report in InsideSport, the BCCI selectors also remain 'concerned' and will talk to the team management to address the bowling issues before the T20 WC Down Under.

"Of course, it’s a concern when our bowlers cannot defend 208. But there is time and you have to understand that the Mohali pitch was batting heaven. So, it would not be ideal to discard them based on one match. We will talk to the team management on the help they need to make this work," one of the selectors was quoted as saying by InsideSport.

"Jasprit is still not 100%, Harshal has just returned, and a senior campaigner like Bhuvneshwar has a dip in form at the worst possible time. So, it’s concerning. Umesh has returned from injury, so he was a bit off the rhythm. They will bounce back," the selector added.

Since the T20 WC will be held in Australia, a place where bowlers are offered good conditions, Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness and Bhuvneshwar’s dip in form have kept the selectors worried.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-aus-1st-t20i-sunil-gavaskar-points-out-rohit-cos-real-concern-after-defeat-in-mohali-run-feast-518417">Ind vs Aus, 1st T20I: Sunil Gavaskar points out Rohit &amp; Co.'s 'real concern' after defeat in Mohali run-feast</a>

Bumrah, who is returning from a back injury which ruled him out of the Asia Cup, missed the Australia T20I series opener. He is likely to be part of the second and penultimate tie with the series on the line. The selectors, Indian team management and fans will hope for the bowlers to come good in their remaining encounters in the run-up to the marquee tournament in Australia, from next month.

Before the T20 World Cup 2022 edition, to be held in Australia from October-November, India are involved in a three-match T20I series versus Australia, at home, and will then host South Africa in three T20Is and ODIs, each, before heading to the showpiece event.

Before the T20 World Cup 2022 edition, to be held in Australia from October-November, India are involved in a three-match T20I series versus Australia, at home, and will then host South Africa in three T20Is and ODIs, each, before heading to the showpiece event. Since the Asia Cup 2022 edition, Rohit Sharma & Co. have disappointed their fans with their performances and their main concern remains death bowling. India leaked runs in the death overs in their Super Four face-off versus Pakistan and the script remained the same versus Sri Lanka as well (losing both the games in the last over). In the three-match T20I series opener versus T20 world champions Australia, India posted 208 for 6 -- their highest score in the format versus Australia -- but failed to defend it as Aaron Finch & Co. won by four wickets in 19.2 overs courtesy of Cameron Green's 61 and Matthew Wade's 21-ball 45 not out. India had reduced Australia to 145-5, at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali, after they were cruising at 109 for 1 at the halfway mark. However, the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Hardik Pandya, Umesh Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal leaked runs -- with each going in excess of 11 an over -- whereas spinner Axar Patel was the only impressive bowler, conceding 3 for 17. Bhuvi, the most experienced of the lot, leaked 31 runs in his last 12 deliveries whereas Harshal gave away 22 in the penultimate over. ALSO READ | Rohit Sharma should drop to no.3, Virat Kohli can open: Ex-Pak cricketer's absurd suggestion to Team India After the match, the Rohit-Rahul Dravid-led Indian team management remains concerned with the death-bowling woes. As per a report in InsideSport, the BCCI selectors also remain 'concerned' and will talk to the team management to address the bowling issues before the T20 WC Down Under. "Of course, it’s a concern when our bowlers cannot defend 208. But there is time and you have to understand that the Mohali pitch was batting heaven. So, it would not be ideal to discard them based on one match. We will talk to the team management on the help they need to make this work," one of the selectors was quoted as saying by InsideSport. "Jasprit is still not 100%, Harshal has just returned, and a senior campaigner like Bhuvneshwar has a dip in form at the worst possible time. So, it’s concerning. Umesh has returned from injury, so he was a bit off the rhythm. They will bounce back," the selector added. Since the T20 WC will be held in Australia, a place where bowlers are offered good conditions, Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness and Bhuvneshwar’s dip in form have kept the selectors worried. ALSO READ | Ind vs Aus, 1st T20I: Sunil Gavaskar points out Rohit & Co.'s 'real concern' after defeat in Mohali run-feast Bumrah, who is returning from a back injury which ruled him out of the Asia Cup, missed the Australia T20I series opener. He is likely to be part of the second and penultimate tie with the series on the line. The selectors, Indian team management and fans will hope for the bowlers to come good in their remaining encounters in the run-up to the marquee tournament in Australia, from next month.

'Concerned' selectors to 'talk to Indian team management' after bowlers' flop show in Mohali T20I - Report

Team India failed to defend 208/6 versus Australia in the opening encounter of the three-match T20I series on Tuesday evening (September 20). Being asked to bat first, at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali, Rohit Sharma-led India rode on KL Rahul's 55, Suryakumar Yadav's 46 and Hardik Pandya's scintillating 71 not out to post a mammoth score, their highest T20I score versus the current T20 champions, but lost the contest in the last over, with Australia emerging on top by four wickets.

Thus, Indian cricket fans continue to remain concerned by the team's performances as their graph has gone down since the start of the Super Four round in the Asia Cup 2022 edition. After dominating the group stage of the continental tournament in the UAE, India lost their opening two games in the Super Four round -- versus Pakistan and Sri Lanka respectively -- to bow out of the race for the final and are now trailing Australia 0-1 in the home T20Is.

However, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has backed Rohit-Rahul Dravid-led Indian team and isn't bothered by two or three losses. "India have lost the last two-three matches. But India has a very good graph. Look at Rohit Sharma's graph as captain. He has done well. His winning percentage is 82 percent. He had captained nearly 35 matches and had lost only 3-4 matches. I know Rohit Sharma and Coach Rahul Dravid are really concerned about the team. I hope they will make a comeback at Nagpur. I am not at all concerned about 2 or 3 losses. They had a talk with a team, and hopefully, they will make a comeback soon," Ganguly told India Today.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/was-disheartened-pessimistic-manjrekar-on-indias-asia-cup-performance-opines-on-loss-vs-australia-518742">'Was disheartened &amp; pessimistic' - Manjrekar on India's Asia Cup performance, opines on loss vs Australia</a>

Ganguly further breathed a sigh of relief with Virat Kohli returning to form and hopes for other key players to stand tall in the T20 World Cup, to commence from next month. "India will travel to Australia some weeks ago before the World Cup. I am hopeful that India will do well and that they are prepared enough for the tournament. Virat Kohli is an important part of India's team in the World Cup. But India has to play well. Everyone has to play well, starting with Kohli, Rohit, Pandya, and all. It's very good news that Virat is back in form. I hope it will continue," added the former Indian captain.

Rohit-led India will meet Australia in the second and penultimate T20I on Friday evening (September 23) in Nagpur and hope to level the series.

Team India failed to defend 208/6 versus Australia in the opening encounter of the three-match T20I series on Tuesday evening (September 20). Being asked to bat first, at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali, Rohit Sharma-led India rode on KL Rahul's 55, Suryakumar Yadav's 46 and Hardik Pandya's scintillating 71 not out to post a mammoth score, their highest T20I score versus the current T20 champions, but lost the contest in the last over, with Australia emerging on top by four wickets.

Team India failed to defend 208/6 versus Australia in the opening encounter of the three-match T20I series on Tuesday evening (September 20). Being asked to bat first, at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali, Rohit Sharma-led India rode on KL Rahul's 55, Suryakumar Yadav's 46 and Hardik Pandya's scintillating 71 not out to post a mammoth score, their highest T20I score versus the current T20 champions, but lost the contest in the last over, with Australia emerging on top by four wickets. Thus, Indian cricket fans continue to remain concerned by the team's performances as their graph has gone down since the start of the Super Four round in the Asia Cup 2022 edition. After dominating the group stage of the continental tournament in the UAE, India lost their opening two games in the Super Four round -- versus Pakistan and Sri Lanka respectively -- to bow out of the race for the final and are now trailing Australia 0-1 in the home T20Is. However, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has backed Rohit-Rahul Dravid-led Indian team and isn't bothered by two or three losses. "India have lost the last two-three matches. But India has a very good graph. Look at Rohit Sharma's graph as captain. He has done well. His winning percentage is 82 percent. He had captained nearly 35 matches and had lost only 3-4 matches. I know Rohit Sharma and Coach Rahul Dravid are really concerned about the team. I hope they will make a comeback at Nagpur. I am not at all concerned about 2 or 3 losses. They had a talk with a team, and hopefully, they will make a comeback soon," Ganguly told India Today. ALSO READ | 'Was disheartened & pessimistic' - Manjrekar on India's Asia Cup performance, opines on loss vs Australia Ganguly further breathed a sigh of relief with Virat Kohli returning to form and hopes for other key players to stand tall in the T20 World Cup, to commence from next month. "India will travel to Australia some weeks ago before the World Cup. I am hopeful that India will do well and that they are prepared enough for the tournament. Virat Kohli is an important part of India's team in the World Cup. But India has to play well. Everyone has to play well, starting with Kohli, Rohit, Pandya, and all. It's very good news that Virat is back in form. I hope it will continue," added the former Indian captain. Rohit-led India will meet Australia in the second and penultimate T20I on Friday evening (September 23) in Nagpur and hope to level the series.

'I'm not at all concerned' - BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly backs Team India, 'not bothered with 2 or 3 losses'

Rohit Sharma-led India lost to Australia in the first of the three-match T20I series in Mohali, held at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium, on Tuesday evening (September 20). Being asked to bat first, Rohit &amp; Co. rode on vice-captain KL Rahul's 55 and Hardik Pandya's 71 not out to post 208/6 but eventually came second with Australia chasing down the score in 19.2 overs, with four wickets in hand.

From Australia's perspective, Cameron Green's 61 and wicketkeeper-batter Matthew Wade's 21-ball 45 not out propelled them to register their record T20I run-chase versus the 2007 T20 champions, in front of a jam-packed stadium. After the contest, former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra&nbsp;disapproved Rohit's 'ultra-attacking' approach&nbsp;with the bat.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rohit-sharma-should-drop-to-no3-virat-kohli-can-open-ex-pak-cricketers-absurd-suggestion-to-team-india-518438">Rohit Sharma should drop to no.3, Virat Kohli can open: Ex-Pak cricketer's absurd suggestion to Team India</a>

Ever since Rohit took over as India's T20I skipper, in late last year, he has stressed on playing an aggressive brand of cricket. Hitman has led the charge at the top of the order, often taking on the bowlers from the word go. While he has given some good starts and added more fifties in his glittering T20I career, the approach has also resulted in some failures for the 35-year-old.

Chopra said on his YouTube channel, "I personally don't like Rohit Sharma's ultra-attacking approach. I don't like it for a reason. He is selling himself short. He is a very good cricketer, but if he tries to hit every ball for a six, he is eventually going to get out. If he bats for 40 balls, he will definitely score 75 runs. It's guaranteed. But is he giving himself that opportunity to bat that long? He is a special player and needs to take some time to get himself in."

Rohit has amassed 432 runs in 18 T20Is this year at an average of 25, including two fifties. However, many feel he is going overboard with his new-found aggressive approach. Will the Hitman curb his aggressive style of play heading into the T20 World Cup, which kicks off in&nbsp;Australia from next month? Only time will tell...

Rohit Sharma-led India lost to Australia in the first of the three-match T20I series in Mohali, held at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium, on Tuesday evening (September 20).

Rohit Sharma-led India lost to Australia in the first of the three-match T20I series in Mohali, held at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium, on Tuesday evening (September 20). Being asked to bat first, Rohit & Co. rode on vice-captain KL Rahul's 55 and Hardik Pandya's 71 not out to post 208/6 but eventually came second with Australia chasing down the score in 19.2 overs, with four wickets in hand. From Australia's perspective, Cameron Green's 61 and wicketkeeper-batter Matthew Wade's 21-ball 45 not out propelled them to register their record T20I run-chase versus the 2007 T20 champions, in front of a jam-packed stadium. After the contest, former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra disapproved Rohit's 'ultra-attacking' approach with the bat. ALSO READ | Rohit Sharma should drop to no.3, Virat Kohli can open: Ex-Pak cricketer's absurd suggestion to Team India Ever since Rohit took over as India's T20I skipper, in late last year, he has stressed on playing an aggressive brand of cricket. Hitman has led the charge at the top of the order, often taking on the bowlers from the word go. While he has given some good starts and added more fifties in his glittering T20I career, the approach has also resulted in some failures for the 35-year-old. Chopra said on his YouTube channel, "I personally don't like Rohit Sharma's ultra-attacking approach. I don't like it for a reason. He is selling himself short. He is a very good cricketer, but if he tries to hit every ball for a six, he is eventually going to get out. If he bats for 40 balls, he will definitely score 75 runs. It's guaranteed. But is he giving himself that opportunity to bat that long? He is a special player and needs to take some time to get himself in." Rohit has amassed 432 runs in 18 T20Is this year at an average of 25, including two fifties. However, many feel he is going overboard with his new-found aggressive approach. Will the Hitman curb his aggressive style of play heading into the T20 World Cup, which kicks off in Australia from next month? Only time will tell...

'He's selling himself short' - Ex-India opener unimpressed with Rohit Sharma's 'ultra-attacking' approach

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