The first Test between India and South Africa has lived upto expectations. The fourth and penultimate day of the three-match Test series opener ended with Dean Elgar-led Proteas needing 211 more runs to win (in pursuit of 305) whereas Virat Kohli &amp; Co. require only six more wickets to go 1-0 up in the series, being held in the African nation.&nbsp;

All eyes are now on the fifth and final day as all three results are possible, however, the odds are against the home side at present. Nonetheless, all are eagerly awaiting to see how the weather holds up for the final day's play at the SuperSport Park, Centurion.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/skipper-dean-elgars-unbeaten-fifty-keeps-south-africa-in-fight-against-india-in-centurion-test-441020">Skipper Dean Elgar's unbeaten fifty keeps South Africa in fight against India in Centurion Test</a>

For the unversed, it isn't looking good as the SuperSport Park is expected to see some cloud cover in the morning, with the chances of precipitation being 25%. As the day would progress, the afternoon session might witness some rain showers. As per&nbsp;Accuweather, there is a staggering 65% chance&nbsp;of rain at the venue during&nbsp;the afternoon. Hence, Indian bowlers will have to be at their very best to wrap up proceedings and claim their first-ever Test win in Centurion.

To add to India's woes, rain wouldn't completely say goodbye after the afternoon session. In the evening, rain is expected to arrive again with there being 25% chances of interruption due to the weathergods.&nbsp;

<img alt="India vs SA 1st Test Day 5 weather forecast" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9122edc4-d875-4a5e-b8e3-37ed98ab36d8" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Weather%20for%20Day%205%20at%20Centurion.png" />

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/extremely-important-for-captain-and-coach-to-have-a-say-in-team-selection-going-forward-ravi-shastri-440954">Extremely important for captain and coach to have a say in team selection going forward: Ravi Shastri</a>

Talking about the state of the match so far, India won the toss and made 327 in the first essay, riding on KL Rahul's 123. In reply, SA were bundled out for 197 in an action-packed third day's play, with Day 2 being washed out completely. In the second innings, India fell for 174, setting up a competitive 305-run target for the hosts. At stumps on Day 4, the Proteas are reeling at 94-4 with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj breathing down their neck.&nbsp;

Will rain dent India's chances of a win in Centurion? Will Indian pacers wrap up the proceedings as early as possible? Only time will tell...

The first Test between India and South Africa has lived upto expectations. The fourth and penultimate day of the three-match Test series opener ended with Dean Elgar-led Proteas needing 211 more runs to win (in pursuit of 305) whereas Virat Kohli & Co.

The first Test between India and South Africa has lived upto expectations. The fourth and penultimate day of the three-match Test series opener ended with Dean Elgar-led Proteas needing 211 more runs to win (in pursuit of 305) whereas Virat Kohli & Co. require only six more wickets to go 1-0 up in the series, being held in the African nation. All eyes are now on the fifth and final day as all three results are possible, however, the odds are against the home side at present. Nonetheless, all are eagerly awaiting to see how the weather holds up for the final day's play at the SuperSport Park, Centurion. ALSO READ | Skipper Dean Elgar's unbeaten fifty keeps South Africa in fight against India in Centurion Test For the unversed, it isn't looking good as the SuperSport Park is expected to see some cloud cover in the morning, with the chances of precipitation being 25%. As the day would progress, the afternoon session might witness some rain showers. As per Accuweather, there is a staggering 65% chance of rain at the venue during the afternoon. Hence, Indian bowlers will have to be at their very best to wrap up proceedings and claim their first-ever Test win in Centurion. To add to India's woes, rain wouldn't completely say goodbye after the afternoon session. In the evening, rain is expected to arrive again with there being 25% chances of interruption due to the weathergods. ALSO READ | Extremely important for captain and coach to have a say in team selection going forward: Ravi Shastri Talking about the state of the match so far, India won the toss and made 327 in the first essay, riding on KL Rahul's 123. In reply, SA were bundled out for 197 in an action-packed third day's play, with Day 2 being washed out completely. In the second innings, India fell for 174, setting up a competitive 305-run target for the hosts. At stumps on Day 4, the Proteas are reeling at 94-4 with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj breathing down their neck. Will rain dent India's chances of a win in Centurion? Will Indian pacers wrap up the proceedings as early as possible? Only time will tell...

India vs SA, 1st Test: Will rain play spoilsport and dent Virat Kohli & Co.'s victory chances on Day 5?

Indian Test skipper Virat Kohli was a livewire on the field during Day 3 of the ongoing first Test between India and South Africa in Centurion. After posting a strong total of 327 runs on the board during their first innings, India continued to dominate the proceedings with the ball against the hosts. India bundled out South Africa on a paltry 197 runs to take a healthy lead of 130 runs and remain favourites to win the series-opener.

Indian pacers were on top of their game on Day 3 as they wreaked havoc against the Proteas batting line-up. Mohammed Shami was the pick of the bowlers for India with a magnificent five-wicket haul while Jasprit Bumrah and Shardul Thakur got two wickets apiece.&nbsp;

Bumrah had waled off the pitch during the day's play after twisting his ankle while bowling. However, the ace fast bowler later returned to the ground and finished his spell with the wicket of Keshav Maharaj, who was the last man to fall for South Africa. Bumrah had limped off the ground after twisting his ankle but made a great comeback on the same day.

The pacer was welcomed in a unique way by Indian skipper Kohli, who was caught on the stump mic recalling an iconic line from legendary wrestler The Rock. &nbsp;"Finally, the Rock has come back," Kohli was heard saying in the stump mic to welcome Bumrah. The comment soon went viral on social media leaving fans in splits.

Check out some of the reactions:

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Just before going for the ad at the end of 60th over, Kohli was uttering 'Finally the rock has come back'<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SAvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SAvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/rpoXwx77xE">pic.twitter.com/rpoXwx77xE</a>
— Bourgeois (@NaMoStadium) <a href="https://twitter.com/NaMoStadium/status/1475847787379978244?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Bumrah comes back to bowl after a lengthy break. 
 
Kohli: FINALLY, THE ROCK HAS COME BACK!! 
 
Referring to this epic comeback line by Rock, who came back to WWE in 2011 after a 8-year hiatus. 
 
Absolute goosebumps to hear Kohli say that! What a reference! Virat um WWE fan polarku! <a href="https://t.co/EHe9waR4Qa">pic.twitter.com/EHe9waR4Qa</a>
— Srini Mama (@SriniMaama16) <a href="https://twitter.com/SriniMaama16/status/1475848969737564166?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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*No context Virat Kohli* 
Kohli in over break: "Finally the Rock has come back"<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvSA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvSA</a>
— The Cricket Statistician (@CricketSatire) <a href="https://twitter.com/CricketSatire/status/1475846600257720327?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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“finally, the rock has come back” - Kohli on Bumrah’s return <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BoxingDayTest?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BoxingDayTest</a>
— Atanuu Agarrwal (@aagarrw) <a href="https://twitter.com/aagarrw/status/1475846631631179786?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-sa-1st-test-md-shami-joins-elite-list-of-indian-pacers-with-200-wickets-during-day-3-in-centurion-440762">Md Shami joins elite list of Indian pacers with 200 wickets during Day 3 in Centurion</a>

The famous dialogue had been used by wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson when he had made his comeback in the WWE ring after a wait of almost eight years.

Bumrah, who is one of the best fast bowlers in the world at present, has over the years certainly emerged as one of the rocks of the Indian pace attack and has been delivering consistently across formats. The fast bowler had suffered an injury scare on Tuesday but is fit to continue and will be hoping to finish the Centurion Test with more wickets under his belt.

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Indian Test skipper Virat Kohli was a livewire on the field during Day 3 of the ongoing first Test between India and South Africa in Centurion. After posting a strong total of 327 runs on the board during their first innings, India continued to dominate the proceedings with the ball against the hosts.

Indian Test skipper Virat Kohli was a livewire on the field during Day 3 of the ongoing first Test between India and South Africa in Centurion. After posting a strong total of 327 runs on the board during their first innings, India continued to dominate the proceedings with the ball against the hosts. India bundled out South Africa on a paltry 197 runs to take a healthy lead of 130 runs and remain favourites to win the series-opener. Indian pacers were on top of their game on Day 3 as they wreaked havoc against the Proteas batting line-up. Mohammed Shami was the pick of the bowlers for India with a magnificent five-wicket haul while Jasprit Bumrah and Shardul Thakur got two wickets apiece. Bumrah had waled off the pitch during the day's play after twisting his ankle while bowling. However, the ace fast bowler later returned to the ground and finished his spell with the wicket of Keshav Maharaj, who was the last man to fall for South Africa. Bumrah had limped off the ground after twisting his ankle but made a great comeback on the same day. The pacer was welcomed in a unique way by Indian skipper Kohli, who was caught on the stump mic recalling an iconic line from legendary wrestler The Rock. "Finally, the Rock has come back," Kohli was heard saying in the stump mic to welcome Bumrah. The comment soon went viral on social media leaving fans in splits. Check out some of the reactions: Just before going for the ad at the end of 60th over, Kohli was uttering 'Finally the rock has come back'#SAvIND pic.twitter.com/rpoXwx77xE — Bourgeois (@NaMoStadium) December 28, 2021 × Bumrah comes back to bowl after a lengthy break. Kohli: FINALLY, THE ROCK HAS COME BACK!! Referring to this epic comeback line by Rock, who came back to WWE in 2011 after a 8-year hiatus. Absolute goosebumps to hear Kohli say that! What a reference! Virat um WWE fan polarku! pic.twitter.com/EHe9waR4Qa — Srini Mama (@SriniMaama16) December 28, 2021 × *No context Virat Kohli* Kohli in over break: "Finally the Rock has come back"#INDvSA — The Cricket Statistician (@CricketSatire) December 28, 2021 × “finally, the rock has come back” - Kohli on Bumrah’s return #BoxingDayTest — Atanuu Agarrwal (@aagarrw) December 28, 2021 × Also Read: Md Shami joins elite list of Indian pacers with 200 wickets during Day 3 in Centurion The famous dialogue had been used by wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson when he had made his comeback in the WWE ring after a wait of almost eight years. Bumrah, who is one of the best fast bowlers in the world at present, has over the years certainly emerged as one of the rocks of the Indian pace attack and has been delivering consistently across formats. The fast bowler had suffered an injury scare on Tuesday but is fit to continue and will be hoping to finish the Centurion Test with more wickets under his belt.

'Finally the Rock has come back': Virat Kohli's comment on Jasprit Bumrah's return leaves fans in splits

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday said that pacer Jasprit Bumrah suffered a right ankle sprain while bowling in the first innings of the ongoing first Test against South Africa here at the SuperSport Park, Centurion.

Bumrah has walked off the field and as a result, Shreyas Iyer has taken the field as a substitute."Jasprit Bumrah has suffered a right ankle sprain while bowling in the first innings. The medical team is monitoring him at the moment. Shreyas Iyer is on the field as his substitute," tweeted BCCI.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/updated-icc-world-test-championship-points-table-after-australia-beat-england-in-3rd-ashes-test-440633">Updated ICC World Test Championship points table after Australia beat England in 3rd Ashes Test</a>

In the 11th over of South Africa innings, Bumrah left the field after twisting his ankle in the followthrough.India was bowled out for 327 in the first innings after Lungi Ngidi took a six-wicket haul. KL Rahul top-scored for the visitors as he played a knock of 123.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday said that pacer Jasprit Bumrah suffered a right ankle sprain while bowling in the first innings of the ongoing first Test against South Africa here at the SuperSport Park, Centurion.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday said that pacer Jasprit Bumrah suffered a right ankle sprain while bowling in the first innings of the ongoing first Test against South Africa here at the SuperSport Park, Centurion. Bumrah has walked off the field and as a result, Shreyas Iyer has taken the field as a substitute."Jasprit Bumrah has suffered a right ankle sprain while bowling in the first innings. The medical team is monitoring him at the moment. Shreyas Iyer is on the field as his substitute," tweeted BCCI. ALSO READ | Updated ICC World Test Championship points table after Australia beat England in 3rd Ashes Test In the 11th over of South Africa innings, Bumrah left the field after twisting his ankle in the followthrough.India was bowled out for 327 in the first innings after Lungi Ngidi took a six-wicket haul. KL Rahul top-scored for the visitors as he played a knock of 123.

Ind vs SA, 1st Test: Jasprit Bumrah suffers right ankle sprain on Day 3, medical team monitoring pacer

The first Test between India and South Africa is set to get underway on December 26 in Centurion. After the ODI captaincy row created a lot of noise in the last few weeks, the focus has now shifted to the cricketing action as Virat Kohli-led India are in South Africa and gearing up for the three-match Test series opener in the African nation.&nbsp;

The No. 1 ranked Indian Test side is well aware that they have a brilliant chance to beat South Africa, who are without pacer Anrich Nortje and are likely to miss Quinton De Kock's services for the last two Tests, and clinch their maiden Test series in the African nation. For that to happen, Kohli-led India will have to start with a bang and their solid pace unit will have to dent the SA batting line-up.&nbsp;

Ahead of the Centurion Test, former BCCI selection committee chief MSK Prasad has picked his four Indian pacers for the tour-opener leaving out experienced speedster Ishant Sharma.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/this-wont-be-solved-if-you-keep-dragging-it-shahid-afridi-reacts-to-bcci-vs-virat-kohli-captaincy-saga-439254">This won't be solved if you keep dragging it: Shahid Afridi reacts to BCCI vs Virat Kohli captaincy saga</a>

"I think Shardul Thakur is the best choice if they go in with five bowlers as he also gives the option of a steady No.7 batter and we also have Ravichandran Ashwin,” Prasad was quoted as saying by&nbsp;India Today.

"Four bowlers in this line-up are now confirmed if all fit – Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ashwin, and Mohammed Siraj. I don’t think Ishant will be considered ahead of Siraj on current form,” he said.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/with-no-rohit-sharma-there-will-be-pressure-on-virat-kohli-reckons-former-sa-spinner-ahead-of-centurion-test-439062">With no Rohit Sharma, there will be pressure on Virat Kohli, reckons former SA spinner ahead of Centurion Test</a>

Ishant was part of India's WTC final and the England Test series. However, his stocks have gone down considerably given his ordinary form and the rise of all-rounder Shardul and Siraj. In this regard, India are likely to go ahead with Bumrah, Shami, Siraj and Shardul in the pace department. Among the spin options, India have R Ashwin, Jayant Yadav and part-time off-spin of Hanuma Vihari.&nbsp;

The first Test between India and South Africa is set to get underway on December 26 in Centurion. After the ODI captaincy row created a lot of noise in the last few weeks, the focus has now shifted to the cricketing action as Virat Kohli-led India are in South Africa and gearing up for the three-match Test series opener in the African nation.

The first Test between India and South Africa is set to get underway on December 26 in Centurion. After the ODI captaincy row created a lot of noise in the last few weeks, the focus has now shifted to the cricketing action as Virat Kohli-led India are in South Africa and gearing up for the three-match Test series opener in the African nation. The No. 1 ranked Indian Test side is well aware that they have a brilliant chance to beat South Africa, who are without pacer Anrich Nortje and are likely to miss Quinton De Kock's services for the last two Tests, and clinch their maiden Test series in the African nation. For that to happen, Kohli-led India will have to start with a bang and their solid pace unit will have to dent the SA batting line-up. Ahead of the Centurion Test, former BCCI selection committee chief MSK Prasad has picked his four Indian pacers for the tour-opener leaving out experienced speedster Ishant Sharma. ALSO READ | This won't be solved if you keep dragging it: Shahid Afridi reacts to BCCI vs Virat Kohli captaincy saga "I think Shardul Thakur is the best choice if they go in with five bowlers as he also gives the option of a steady No.7 batter and we also have Ravichandran Ashwin,” Prasad was quoted as saying by India Today. "Four bowlers in this line-up are now confirmed if all fit – Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ashwin, and Mohammed Siraj. I don’t think Ishant will be considered ahead of Siraj on current form,” he said. ALSO READ | With no Rohit Sharma, there will be pressure on Virat Kohli, reckons former SA spinner ahead of Centurion Test Ishant was part of India's WTC final and the England Test series. However, his stocks have gone down considerably given his ordinary form and the rise of all-rounder Shardul and Siraj. In this regard, India are likely to go ahead with Bumrah, Shami, Siraj and Shardul in the pace department. Among the spin options, India have R Ashwin, Jayant Yadav and part-time off-spin of Hanuma Vihari.

India vs SA, 1st Test: MSK Prasad picks 4 pacers for Kohli & Co. as experienced campaigner misses out

Virat Kohli-led Team India are set to commence their three-match Test series versus South Africa, in the African nation, on December 26 with the first Test in Centurion. Ahead of the series, Kohli &amp; Co. are well aware that they have a brilliant chance to win their first-ever Test series on South African soil as the current No. 1 Test team had missed out on winning the&nbsp;2018 series in SA, losing it 2-1 despite being competitive.

Ahead of the series opener, Master Blaster is all praise for young Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj. Siraj, who made his Test debut during the 2020/21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, has had a dream start to his career in whites. In Australia, he ended as India's highest wicket-taker (13) whereas he returned with 14 scalps (second-most among Indians) in the India-England Tests in the United Kingdom, early this year. Hence, all eyes are once again on him for the SA series.

"There is spring in his legs and that is what I like to see. His run-up… you can see he is full of energy. And he is one of those bowlers… when you look at him, you cannot figure out whether it’s the first or the last over of the day. He is coming at you all the time. He is a proper fast bowler and his body language is so positive. That is what I like. He is a fast learner," Tendulkar told veteran sports journalist Boria Majumdar on the show 'Backstage with Boria'.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/not-the-selectors-call-former-india-pacer-feels-bcci-was-behind-virat-kohli-being-sacked-as-odi-captain-438994">Not the selectors' call: Former India pacer feels BCCI was behind Virat Kohli being sacked as ODI captain</a>

Siraj will be on cloud nine hearing Tendulkar's words of praise for him. The 27-year-old speedster will be eager to contribute with the red cherry once again in the upcoming South Africa Tests. Along with Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami, Siraj will like to lead the national side to a memorable series win in the African nation.&nbsp;

Kohli &amp; Co. will be confident of their pace unit, along with able spinners, and will look to challenge the Dean Elgar-led Proteas.

Virat Kohli-led Team India are set to commence their three-match Test series versus South Africa, in the African nation, on December 26 with the first Test in Centurion.

Virat Kohli-led Team India are set to commence their three-match Test series versus South Africa, in the African nation, on December 26 with the first Test in Centurion. Ahead of the series, Kohli & Co. are well aware that they have a brilliant chance to win their first-ever Test series on South African soil as the current No. 1 Test team had missed out on winning the 2018 series in SA, losing it 2-1 despite being competitive. Ahead of the series opener, Master Blaster is all praise for young Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj. Siraj, who made his Test debut during the 2020/21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, has had a dream start to his career in whites. In Australia, he ended as India's highest wicket-taker (13) whereas he returned with 14 scalps (second-most among Indians) in the India-England Tests in the United Kingdom, early this year. Hence, all eyes are once again on him for the SA series. "There is spring in his legs and that is what I like to see. His run-up… you can see he is full of energy. And he is one of those bowlers… when you look at him, you cannot figure out whether it’s the first or the last over of the day. He is coming at you all the time. He is a proper fast bowler and his body language is so positive. That is what I like. He is a fast learner," Tendulkar told veteran sports journalist Boria Majumdar on the show 'Backstage with Boria'. ALSO READ | Not the selectors' call: Former India pacer feels BCCI was behind Virat Kohli being sacked as ODI captain Siraj will be on cloud nine hearing Tendulkar's words of praise for him. The 27-year-old speedster will be eager to contribute with the red cherry once again in the upcoming South Africa Tests. Along with Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami, Siraj will like to lead the national side to a memorable series win in the African nation. Kohli & Co. will be confident of their pace unit, along with able spinners, and will look to challenge the Dean Elgar-led Proteas.

He's coming at you all the time: Sachin Tendulkar all praise for Indian youngster ahead of SA Tests

Danish Kaneria, the former Pakistan spinner, recently revealed his T20 XI of the year. With the calendar year coming to an end, there was plenty of cricketing action across formats. In the shortest format, the T20 World Cup was held in the UAE in the last quarter whereas several bilateral series also took place, across the globe, as a build-up for the marquee event.

Hence, many top stars performed as per expectations whereas some new faces impressed the most. On the other hand, some big names failed to live upto expectations. In this regard, Kaneria's list features some top names from the game but didn't have both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma; two of the most consistent performers in the format and among the top-three run-getters in T20Is overall.

Kaneria told on his Youtube channel, "Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam are my openers as performed really well throughout 2021. They were outstanding in the T20 World Cup (2021) and they played well in the recently concluded series against West Indies as well," Kaneria said.&nbsp;

"People will say at one down it should be Rohit Sharma or KL Rahul or Virat Kohli but no I have a different opinion, I will go with Jos Buttler. He (Buttler) played really well and he had also scored a hundred in World Cup. So, he deserves the spot," Kaneria explained.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-is-no-1-league-but-akram-opines-on-indias-t20-wc-debacle-explains-why-they-need-to-think-back-438451">'IPL is No. 1 league but...': Akram opines on India's T20 WC debacle, explains why 'they need to think back'</a>

The rest of his line-up comprised England's big-hitter Liam Livingstone (who had a decent T20 WC), Mitchell Marsh (Player-of-the-Match in T20 WC finale), Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin (who has 9 scalps from 5 T20Is since his comeback in limited-overs setup) and Adam Zampa whereas his pacers included Shaheen Afridi, Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah. Rishabh Pant was named as the 12th man.

For the unversed, Kohli amassed 299 in 8 innings at 74.75 along with 4 fifties in the shortest format in 2021. Rohit, on the other hand, ended with 424 runs at a strike-rate of 150.88 with 5 half-centuries.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/main-objective-is-to-play-for-the-country-former-pak-captain-defends-bccis-silence-over-kohli-presser-row-438496">Main objective is to play for the country: Former Pak captain defends BCCI's silence over Kohli presser row</a>

Danish Kaneria's T20 XI of 2021:

Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone, Mitchell Marsh, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravi Ashwin, Shaheen Afridi, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Adam Zampa; Rishabh Pant (12th Man).&nbsp; 
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Danish Kaneria, the former Pakistan spinner, recently revealed his T20 XI of the year. With the calendar year coming to an end, there was plenty of cricketing action across formats.

Danish Kaneria, the former Pakistan spinner, recently revealed his T20 XI of the year. With the calendar year coming to an end, there was plenty of cricketing action across formats. In the shortest format, the T20 World Cup was held in the UAE in the last quarter whereas several bilateral series also took place, across the globe, as a build-up for the marquee event. Hence, many top stars performed as per expectations whereas some new faces impressed the most. On the other hand, some big names failed to live upto expectations. In this regard, Kaneria's list features some top names from the game but didn't have both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma; two of the most consistent performers in the format and among the top-three run-getters in T20Is overall. Kaneria told on his Youtube channel, "Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam are my openers as performed really well throughout 2021. They were outstanding in the T20 World Cup (2021) and they played well in the recently concluded series against West Indies as well," Kaneria said. "People will say at one down it should be Rohit Sharma or KL Rahul or Virat Kohli but no I have a different opinion, I will go with Jos Buttler. He (Buttler) played really well and he had also scored a hundred in World Cup. So, he deserves the spot," Kaneria explained. ALSO READ | 'IPL is No. 1 league but...': Akram opines on India's T20 WC debacle, explains why 'they need to think back' The rest of his line-up comprised England's big-hitter Liam Livingstone (who had a decent T20 WC), Mitchell Marsh (Player-of-the-Match in T20 WC finale), Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin (who has 9 scalps from 5 T20Is since his comeback in limited-overs setup) and Adam Zampa whereas his pacers included Shaheen Afridi, Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah. Rishabh Pant was named as the 12th man. For the unversed, Kohli amassed 299 in 8 innings at 74.75 along with 4 fifties in the shortest format in 2021. Rohit, on the other hand, ended with 424 runs at a strike-rate of 150.88 with 5 half-centuries. ALSO READ | Main objective is to play for the country: Former Pak captain defends BCCI's silence over Kohli presser row Danish Kaneria's T20 XI of 2021: Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone, Mitchell Marsh, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravi Ashwin, Shaheen Afridi, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Adam Zampa; Rishabh Pant (12th Man).

No Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma! Kaneria's T20 XI of 2021 features Bumrah, Rishabh Pant & 2 more Indians

Team India are set to leave for South Africa. The national side will play three Tests and equal number of ODIs in the African nation as the tour will kick off on December 26 with the first Test in Centurion. Ahead of the tour, India were dealt with a major blow with newly-appointed vice-captain Rohit Sharma being ruled out of the three Tests due to injury.&nbsp;

For the unversed, India have been hit with several injury concerns for the SA Tests. The likes of Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel have already been ruled out. Thus, Rohit's injury added to India's woes. The team management have roped in Priyank Panchal for Rohit, however, they need to announce the new vice-captain as well for the Proteas challenge.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rohit-sharma-is-a-very-able-captain-virat-kohli-opens-up-on-team-indias-limited-overs-skipper-437109">Rohit Sharma is a very able captain: Virat Kohli opens up on Team India's limited-overs skipper</a>

While many believe Ajinkya Rahane might once again be given the vice-captain's post for the SA series, there are many other contenders as well. India's No. 3 Cheteshwar Pujara has served as the vice-captain on two occasions in the recent past. Many believe the post can also be given to a youngster like Rishabh Pant -- to groom him for the future -- or the likes of R Ashwin or Jasprit Bumrah. Nonetheless, KL Rahul seems to be the frontrunner.

"There’s no point in looking back. At the moment, the odds are tilted towards Rahul. Rahane is not a certainty to start in the playing XI (because of his poor form). “Even in the case of Ashwin, the team management has often not played him abroad. In that case, it’s tough to make either of them the vice-captain. The idea is to announce Kohli’s deputy in a day or two,” a source close to the selectors told Times of India.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/theres-no-issue-virat-kohli-answers-the-big-question-confirms-no-rift-with-rohit-sharma-437014">There's no issue: Virat Kohli answers the big question, confirms no rift with Rohit Sharma</a>

For the unversed, Rahul is Rohit's deputy in the shortest format and also a strong contender to become the new ODI vice-captain. Hence, he might be given the role for the South Africa Tests in Rohit's unavailability.&nbsp;

On Wednesday (December 15), the 33-year-old Virat Kohli addressed the media in BCCI's customary press conference before the team's departure for South Africa. The Test side will be eager to win a series on South African soil as India are yet to clinch a series in whites in the African nation.

Team India are set to leave for South Africa. The national side will play three Tests and equal number of ODIs in the African nation as the tour will kick off on December 26 with the first Test in Centurion.

Team India are set to leave for South Africa. The national side will play three Tests and equal number of ODIs in the African nation as the tour will kick off on December 26 with the first Test in Centurion. Ahead of the tour, India were dealt with a major blow with newly-appointed vice-captain Rohit Sharma being ruled out of the three Tests due to injury. For the unversed, India have been hit with several injury concerns for the SA Tests. The likes of Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel have already been ruled out. Thus, Rohit's injury added to India's woes. The team management have roped in Priyank Panchal for Rohit, however, they need to announce the new vice-captain as well for the Proteas challenge. ALSO READ | Rohit Sharma is a very able captain: Virat Kohli opens up on Team India's limited-overs skipper While many believe Ajinkya Rahane might once again be given the vice-captain's post for the SA series, there are many other contenders as well. India's No. 3 Cheteshwar Pujara has served as the vice-captain on two occasions in the recent past. Many believe the post can also be given to a youngster like Rishabh Pant -- to groom him for the future -- or the likes of R Ashwin or Jasprit Bumrah. Nonetheless, KL Rahul seems to be the frontrunner. "There’s no point in looking back. At the moment, the odds are tilted towards Rahul. Rahane is not a certainty to start in the playing XI (because of his poor form). “Even in the case of Ashwin, the team management has often not played him abroad. In that case, it’s tough to make either of them the vice-captain. The idea is to announce Kohli’s deputy in a day or two,” a source close to the selectors told Times of India. ALSO READ | There's no issue: Virat Kohli answers the big question, confirms no rift with Rohit Sharma For the unversed, Rahul is Rohit's deputy in the shortest format and also a strong contender to become the new ODI vice-captain. Hence, he might be given the role for the South Africa Tests in Rohit's unavailability. On Wednesday (December 15), the 33-year-old Virat Kohli addressed the media in BCCI's customary press conference before the team's departure for South Africa. The Test side will be eager to win a series on South African soil as India are yet to clinch a series in whites in the African nation.

Not Pujara or Bumrah! India's experienced campaigner frontrunner to be vice-captain for SA Tests: Report

Rohit Sharma had been recently appointed as the vice-captain of the Indian Test team, replacing senior batter Ajinkya Rahane ahead of the upcoming tour of South Africa. However, Rohit is now set to miss the three-match series following a hamstring injury. He picked up the injury while practising in Mumbai ahead of the Test series.

India A batter Priyank Panchal has been named Rohit's replacement for the three-match rubber as the Hitman faces a race against time to recover for the three ODIs that will be preceded by the Test series. India are scheduled to play three Tests as many ODIs on their tour of South Africa which gets underway from December 26.

While the BCCI has confirmed Panchal will be his replacement, it is not certain who will be taking over as the vice-captain of the team in his absence. Rahane is unlikely to be handed over the vice-captaincy role after being replaced and a younger player might get a chance to be Kohli's deputy in the series.&nbsp;

Here is a look at players who can replace Rohit Sharma as vice-captain for the South Africa Test series:

1) Rishabh Pant

One of the best performers for India with the bat in Test cricket over the last couple of years, Pant has finally cemented his spot in the Indian team across formats. He played numerous memorable knocks for India on their tour of Australia in 2020-21 to help them win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for a second time in the row under Ajinkya Rahane. Pant also led Delhi Capitals to the playoffs in IPL 2021 and has done well as a captain. He can be a perfect fit for the vice-captain's role in order to be groomed as one of the future leaders of the Indian team in the longest format.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-hasnt-sent-any-formal-request-to-miss-sa-odis-reveals-bcci-official-436882">Virat Kohli hasn't sent any formal request to miss SA ODIs, reveals BCCI official</a>

2) Jasprit Bumrah&nbsp;

One of the few members of the current Indian squad, who is a regular across all three formats, Jasprit Bumrah has been a consistent performer for the team ever since making his international debut in 2016. He will be one of the strongest contenders to be Virat Kohli's deputy for the South Africa series. Gifted with a great cricketing brain and exceptional skills, Bumrah has been a mainstay for Team India and has matured into a fine leader of the pace attack. With countries going against the idea of not handing over leadership roles to bowlers, Bumrah can be a perfect choice for vice-captaincy.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/questions-will-be-raised-former-pakistan-captain-on-virat-kohli-missing-odi-series-against-south-africa-436858">'Questions will be raised': Former Pakistan captain on Kohli missing ODI series against South Africa</a>

3) KL Rahul

KL Rahul can be an obvious choice considering he is also Rohit Sharma's deputy in limited-overs cricket. Rahul has been in and out of the Test team for a while now but can be a regular member of the playing XI in the South Africa Tests considering Rohit's injury and Rahane's poor form. Cheteshwar Pujara has also struggled of late which can open the door for Rahul's inclusion in the XI and he can be made Kohli's deputy in the longest format. He has also led Punjab Kings in the IPL for two seasons and is likely to lead whichever team he joins ahead of IPL 2022.&nbsp;

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Rohit Sharma had been recently appointed as the vice-captain of the Indian Test team, replacing senior batter Ajinkya Rahane ahead of the upcoming tour of South Africa.

Rohit Sharma had been recently appointed as the vice-captain of the Indian Test team, replacing senior batter Ajinkya Rahane ahead of the upcoming tour of South Africa. However, Rohit is now set to miss the three-match series following a hamstring injury. He picked up the injury while practising in Mumbai ahead of the Test series. India A batter Priyank Panchal has been named Rohit's replacement for the three-match rubber as the Hitman faces a race against time to recover for the three ODIs that will be preceded by the Test series. India are scheduled to play three Tests as many ODIs on their tour of South Africa which gets underway from December 26. While the BCCI has confirmed Panchal will be his replacement, it is not certain who will be taking over as the vice-captain of the team in his absence. Rahane is unlikely to be handed over the vice-captaincy role after being replaced and a younger player might get a chance to be Kohli's deputy in the series. Here is a look at players who can replace Rohit Sharma as vice-captain for the South Africa Test series: 1) Rishabh Pant One of the best performers for India with the bat in Test cricket over the last couple of years, Pant has finally cemented his spot in the Indian team across formats. He played numerous memorable knocks for India on their tour of Australia in 2020-21 to help them win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for a second time in the row under Ajinkya Rahane. Pant also led Delhi Capitals to the playoffs in IPL 2021 and has done well as a captain. He can be a perfect fit for the vice-captain's role in order to be groomed as one of the future leaders of the Indian team in the longest format. Also Read: Virat Kohli hasn't sent any formal request to miss SA ODIs, reveals BCCI official 2) Jasprit Bumrah One of the few members of the current Indian squad, who is a regular across all three formats, Jasprit Bumrah has been a consistent performer for the team ever since making his international debut in 2016. He will be one of the strongest contenders to be Virat Kohli's deputy for the South Africa series. Gifted with a great cricketing brain and exceptional skills, Bumrah has been a mainstay for Team India and has matured into a fine leader of the pace attack. With countries going against the idea of not handing over leadership roles to bowlers, Bumrah can be a perfect choice for vice-captaincy. Also Read: 'Questions will be raised': Former Pakistan captain on Kohli missing ODI series against South Africa 3) KL Rahul KL Rahul can be an obvious choice considering he is also Rohit Sharma's deputy in limited-overs cricket. Rahul has been in and out of the Test team for a while now but can be a regular member of the playing XI in the South Africa Tests considering Rohit's injury and Rahane's poor form. Cheteshwar Pujara has also struggled of late which can open the door for Rahul's inclusion in the XI and he can be made Kohli's deputy in the longest format. He has also led Punjab Kings in the IPL for two seasons and is likely to lead whichever team he joins ahead of IPL 2022.

Three players who can replace Rohit Sharma as India's Test vice-captain for South Africa series

The calendar year is coming to an end. The year 2021 was filled with sporting events, mainly due to the Covid-19 pandemic wreaking havoc in early 2020 and postponing many big-ticket tournaments.&nbsp;

Year 2021 had plenty of action on the 22-yard cricket strip. Talking about Team India, the senior men's team had some glorious highs along with two disheartening lows. While the optimists can claim that India maintained their hold in the top-3 in rankings across formats, one reality also remains that national side couldn't end their eight-year-long ICC-title drought.&nbsp;

Revisiting India's 2021, let us have a look at how Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma-starrer line-up performed in the calendar year:

Conquering all odds Down Under

Ajinkya Rahane-led India managed to draw the 2020/22 Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the halfway stage before 2021 commenced. Coming to the third and penultimate Test, Rishabh Pant's scintillating 97, Cheteshwar Pujara's lengthy stay at the middle and blockathon from R Ashwin-Hanuna Vihari led to the series being wide open, at 1-1, going into the finale at The Gabba, Brisbane.&nbsp;

The fourth and final Test lived upto expectations. Second-stringed India were jolted further with injuries to Ravindra Jadeja, Ashwin, Vihari, Jasprit Bumrah. However, they managed to keep themselves alive on the last day, chasing 328 to break Aussies' proud and unbeaten streak at the venue since 32 years.&nbsp;

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Riding on Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur's fifties in the first essay, Mohammed Siraj's five-fer and Pant-Pujara's fighting knocks in the final innings, India chased down the total with three wickets in hand to win the series 2-1 in a dramatic fashion.&nbsp;

The Test would easily go down as one of the greatest heists pulled off by a second-stringed side in the toughest format.&nbsp;

England tour of India, 2021

Soon after the triumph versus the Aussies, India hosted England in an all-format tour of the Three Lions.&nbsp;

Test series: India 3, England 1

Losing the series opener, being in a tough spot in the second Test in Chennai, hearing several criticism around the Ahmedabad pitch, Kohli-led India won the four-match Test series 3-1 to confirm their slot in the inaugural WTC final.&nbsp;

The top-performers for the home side were Ashwin (32 wickets and a ton), Axar Patel (27 wickets in his debut series), Pant and Rohit Sharma's contributions with the willow.&nbsp;

Beating Eoin Morgan &amp; Co. in white-ball formats&nbsp;

The five T20Is and three ODIs followed suit. The white-ball series was expected to be a tougher assignment for hosts given England's strength in the shorter formats. The T20Is lived upto expectations before India won it 3-2 eventually. The three ODIs saw India go 1-0 up before Morgan-less England turned it around to level it at 1-1. Nonetheless, the series finale was a tough nut to crack for the hosts before finally winning it 2-1.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/dont-find-anything-wrong-former-india-player-opines-on-rohit-sharma-replacing-virat-kohli-as-odi-captain-435854">Don't find anything wrong: Former India player opines on Rohit Sharma replacing Virat Kohli as ODI captain</a>

WTC final - One Where India Never Turned Up&nbsp;

After the England home series, Indian players featured in the IPL 2021 edition, which was cut-short due to the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in India. Getting a much-needed breather before WTC final, Team India finally reached the United Kingdom in early June (for WTC final and England Tests).

The ICC World Test Championship (WTC) finale was much-awaited. Entering the final as the No. 1 ranked side, having beaten Australia in their own backyard, India were favourites versus the Black Caps. Nonetheless, India's wait for an ICC title, since 2013, extended as Kane Williamson &amp; Co. produced an all-round performance.

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Being asked to bat first, at The Rose Bowl, Southampton, India were 70 for no loss before being bundled out for 217. In reply, NZ were dismissed for 249; gaining a vital 32-run. India had no answers to Tim Southee and Kyle Jamieson's pace, swing and bounce as they were dismissed for 170 in the second innings, setting up a paltry 139-run target.

Kiwis, thus, closed the match with 8 wickets to spare and become the World Test Champions. Agony continued for India in ICC events.

India vs England, five Tests in the UK

After the shambles of the WTC final, India regrouped for&nbsp;the five Tests versus Joe Root-led England. Despite coming so close to the WTC title, India missed out in the final hurdle but had to revamp and start from scratch as the second cycle commenced with the England series.

Kohli-led India were up for the challenge. They came close to winning the five-match Test series opener in Edgbaston before rain washed out entire day five's proceedings. The second Test, at Lord's, brought more luck for India as they won their third Test at the venue, first after seven years, with a comprehensive 151-run margin. Jasprit Bumrah-Mohammed Shami's 89-run unbeaten ninth-wicket stand, KL Rahul's first-innings ton, Mohammed Siraj's eight-wicket haul led to India going 1-0 up despite conceding a 27-run lead.

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The third Test was a disaster for the visitors, losing by an innings and 76 runs. The fourth and penultimate Test once again tested Kohli's brigade to the core but they triumphed against all odds. Being asked to bat first, India were dismissed for 190, after reeling at 127-7 at one stage. To add to this, they conceded a 99-run lead before staging a comeback for the ages.

Riding on Rohit's 127 and fifties from Cheteshwar Pujara, Shardul Thakur (twin half-centuries in the match), Rishabh Pant and cameos from the tail, India set up a daunting 368-run target for Root &amp; Co. In reply, the hosts fell like nine pins, for 210, to lose by 151 runs. Thus, England gave an unassailable lead to the tourists.

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The fifth and final Test, in Manchester, got cancelled at the last minute due to Covid-19 crisis in the Indian camp. The series decider will be held next year as Team India loyalists are desperately waiting for the national side's first-ever Test series win on English soil since 2007.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/not-being-able-to-win-icc-title-mightve-cost-virat-kohli-the-odi-captaincy-former-indian-wicketkeeper-435848">Not being able to win ICC title might've cost Virat Kohli the ODI captaincy: Former Indian wicketkeeper</a>

T20 World Cup 2021 - India succumb to new low

After the England Tests and final leg of IPL 2021, in the UAE, the action moved to the Men's T20 World Cup. Starting as one of the strongest contenders, India endured a horrible start. In their opening game, Kohli-led India lost to arch-rivals Pakistan for the first time in World Cup history (both in ODIs and T20Is). Losing by ten wickets, India had a herculean task to stage a comeback.

Nonetheless, more embarrassment awaited the one-time winners. India's losing streak versus New Zealand in ICC events, since 2007, continued as they were hammered by the Black Caps in their second outing. Starring on the brink of an early exit, India gathered themselves to pull off three convincing wins, however, the writing was on the wall long back.

India failed to move past the group stages with three wins from five encounters. Winning against the likes of Afghanistan, Scotland and Namibia didn't matter as the Pakistan and New Zealand encounters dented India's campaign severely.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/some-in-bcci-made-sure-i-dont-get-the-job-ex-india-head-coach-ravi-shastri-makes-glaring-remark-435719">'Some in BCCI made sure I don't get the job': Ex-India head coach Ravi Shastri makes glaring remark</a>

New Zealand tour of India: Start of Rahul Dravid-era

Post the disheartening T20 WC, India began a new era under Rahul Dravid. After much hesitation, Dravid replaced Ravi Shastri to become India's head coach as the former all-rounder's tenure ended with the T20 WC campaign. In addition, Kohli stepped aside as the Indian captain in T20Is -- having made the official announcement prior to the mega event -- and was replaced by Rohit.

While Rohit-led India commenced a new journey in the shortest format with the home series versus NZ. Sans Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and the likes, India demolished the Black Caps 3-0. The two-match Test series followed suit.

It wasn't going to be easy versus the World Test champions. Hence, Williamson-led Kiwis held onto a fighting draw in the series opener, which saw Ajinkya Rahane leading the side in Kohli's absence. The second and final Test brought Kohli back in action as the hosts humbled the visitors at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

Courtesy Mayank Agarwal's 150 and vital contributions from Axar Patel, Jayant Yadav and R Ashwin, India beat New Zealand by a whopping 372-run margin (their biggest win by runs).

India still have a Test left in the calendar year. They are scheduled to tour South Africa, comprising three Tests and ODIs each, but the tour-opener will commence on December 26 with the first Test at Centurion.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/a-new-era-3-reasons-why-rohit-sharmas-appointment-as-odi-captain-can-be-a-good-move-for-team-india-435882">A new era! 3 reasons why Rohit Sharma's appointment as ODI captain can be a good move for Team India</a>

The ICC title wait, unearthing of young stars, change in leadership group

Overall, India had a topsy-turvy ride in 2021. While they continued to remain a solid unit across formats, they particularly flourished in bilateral series as an ICC title continues to evade them. Young stars such as Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Ishan Kishan, Pant, etc. made a mark whereas KL Rahul rose in prominence and stature. Kohli lost limited-overs captaincy altogether as Rohit-Dravid-era has commenced in the white-ball formats.

Team India will hope to continue their dominance at home and conquer more Test series away from home. However, their biggest aim would be to end their eight-year-long ICC-title drought.

The calendar year is coming to an end. The year 2021 was filled with sporting events, mainly due to the Covid-19 pandemic wreaking havoc in early 2020 and postponing many big-ticket tournaments.

The calendar year is coming to an end. The year 2021 was filled with sporting events, mainly due to the Covid-19 pandemic wreaking havoc in early 2020 and postponing many big-ticket tournaments. Year 2021 had plenty of action on the 22-yard cricket strip. Talking about Team India, the senior men's team had some glorious highs along with two disheartening lows. While the optimists can claim that India maintained their hold in the top-3 in rankings across formats, one reality also remains that national side couldn't end their eight-year-long ICC-title drought. Revisiting India's 2021, let us have a look at how Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma-starrer line-up performed in the calendar year: Conquering all odds Down Under Ajinkya Rahane-led India managed to draw the 2020/22 Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the halfway stage before 2021 commenced. Coming to the third and penultimate Test, Rishabh Pant's scintillating 97, Cheteshwar Pujara's lengthy stay at the middle and blockathon from R Ashwin-Hanuna Vihari led to the series being wide open, at 1-1, going into the finale at The Gabba, Brisbane. The fourth and final Test lived upto expectations. Second-stringed India were jolted further with injuries to Ravindra Jadeja, Ashwin, Vihari, Jasprit Bumrah. However, they managed to keep themselves alive on the last day, chasing 328 to break Aussies' proud and unbeaten streak at the venue since 32 years. × Riding on Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur's fifties in the first essay, Mohammed Siraj's five-fer and Pant-Pujara's fighting knocks in the final innings, India chased down the total with three wickets in hand to win the series 2-1 in a dramatic fashion. The Test would easily go down as one of the greatest heists pulled off by a second-stringed side in the toughest format. England tour of India, 2021 Soon after the triumph versus the Aussies, India hosted England in an all-format tour of the Three Lions. Test series: India 3, England 1 Losing the series opener, being in a tough spot in the second Test in Chennai, hearing several criticism around the Ahmedabad pitch, Kohli-led India won the four-match Test series 3-1 to confirm their slot in the inaugural WTC final. The top-performers for the home side were Ashwin (32 wickets and a ton), Axar Patel (27 wickets in his debut series), Pant and Rohit Sharma's contributions with the willow. Beating Eoin Morgan & Co. in white-ball formats The five T20Is and three ODIs followed suit. The white-ball series was expected to be a tougher assignment for hosts given England's strength in the shorter formats. The T20Is lived upto expectations before India won it 3-2 eventually. The three ODIs saw India go 1-0 up before Morgan-less England turned it around to level it at 1-1. Nonetheless, the series finale was a tough nut to crack for the hosts before finally winning it 2-1. ALSO READ | Don't find anything wrong: Former India player opines on Rohit Sharma replacing Virat Kohli as ODI captain WTC final - One Where India Never Turned Up After the England home series, Indian players featured in the IPL 2021 edition, which was cut-short due to the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in India. Getting a much-needed breather before WTC final, Team India finally reached the United Kingdom in early June (for WTC final and England Tests). The ICC World Test Championship (WTC) finale was much-awaited. Entering the final as the No. 1 ranked side, having beaten Australia in their own backyard, India were favourites versus the Black Caps. Nonetheless, India's wait for an ICC title, since 2013, extended as Kane Williamson & Co. produced an all-round performance. × Being asked to bat first, at The Rose Bowl, Southampton, India were 70 for no loss before being bundled out for 217. In reply, NZ were dismissed for 249; gaining a vital 32-run. India had no answers to Tim Southee and Kyle Jamieson's pace, swing and bounce as they were dismissed for 170 in the second innings, setting up a paltry 139-run target. Kiwis, thus, closed the match with 8 wickets to spare and become the World Test Champions. Agony continued for India in ICC events. India vs England, five Tests in the UK After the shambles of the WTC final, India regrouped for the five Tests versus Joe Root-led England. Despite coming so close to the WTC title, India missed out in the final hurdle but had to revamp and start from scratch as the second cycle commenced with the England series. Kohli-led India were up for the challenge. They came close to winning the five-match Test series opener in Edgbaston before rain washed out entire day five's proceedings. The second Test, at Lord's, brought more luck for India as they won their third Test at the venue, first after seven years, with a comprehensive 151-run margin. Jasprit Bumrah-Mohammed Shami's 89-run unbeaten ninth-wicket stand, KL Rahul's first-innings ton, Mohammed Siraj's eight-wicket haul led to India going 1-0 up despite conceding a 27-run lead. × The third Test was a disaster for the visitors, losing by an innings and 76 runs. The fourth and penultimate Test once again tested Kohli's brigade to the core but they triumphed against all odds. Being asked to bat first, India were dismissed for 190, after reeling at 127-7 at one stage. To add to this, they conceded a 99-run lead before staging a comeback for the ages. Riding on Rohit's 127 and fifties from Cheteshwar Pujara, Shardul Thakur (twin half-centuries in the match), Rishabh Pant and cameos from the tail, India set up a daunting 368-run target for Root & Co. In reply, the hosts fell like nine pins, for 210, to lose by 151 runs. Thus, England gave an unassailable lead to the tourists. × The fifth and final Test, in Manchester, got cancelled at the last minute due to Covid-19 crisis in the Indian camp. The series decider will be held next year as Team India loyalists are desperately waiting for the national side's first-ever Test series win on English soil since 2007. ALSO READ | Not being able to win ICC title might've cost Virat Kohli the ODI captaincy: Former Indian wicketkeeper T20 World Cup 2021 - India succumb to new low After the England Tests and final leg of IPL 2021, in the UAE, the action moved to the Men's T20 World Cup. Starting as one of the strongest contenders, India endured a horrible start. In their opening game, Kohli-led India lost to arch-rivals Pakistan for the first time in World Cup history (both in ODIs and T20Is). Losing by ten wickets, India had a herculean task to stage a comeback. Nonetheless, more embarrassment awaited the one-time winners. India's losing streak versus New Zealand in ICC events, since 2007, continued as they were hammered by the Black Caps in their second outing. Starring on the brink of an early exit, India gathered themselves to pull off three convincing wins, however, the writing was on the wall long back. India failed to move past the group stages with three wins from five encounters. Winning against the likes of Afghanistan, Scotland and Namibia didn't matter as the Pakistan and New Zealand encounters dented India's campaign severely. ALSO READ | 'Some in BCCI made sure I don't get the job': Ex-India head coach Ravi Shastri makes glaring remark New Zealand tour of India: Start of Rahul Dravid-era Post the disheartening T20 WC, India began a new era under Rahul Dravid. After much hesitation, Dravid replaced Ravi Shastri to become India's head coach as the former all-rounder's tenure ended with the T20 WC campaign. In addition, Kohli stepped aside as the Indian captain in T20Is -- having made the official announcement prior to the mega event -- and was replaced by Rohit. While Rohit-led India commenced a new journey in the shortest format with the home series versus NZ. Sans Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and the likes, India demolished the Black Caps 3-0. The two-match Test series followed suit. It wasn't going to be easy versus the World Test champions. Hence, Williamson-led Kiwis held onto a fighting draw in the series opener, which saw Ajinkya Rahane leading the side in Kohli's absence. The second and final Test brought Kohli back in action as the hosts humbled the visitors at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Courtesy Mayank Agarwal's 150 and vital contributions from Axar Patel, Jayant Yadav and R Ashwin, India beat New Zealand by a whopping 372-run margin (their biggest win by runs). India still have a Test left in the calendar year. They are scheduled to tour South Africa, comprising three Tests and ODIs each, but the tour-opener will commence on December 26 with the first Test at Centurion. ALSO READ | A new era! 3 reasons why Rohit Sharma's appointment as ODI captain can be a good move for Team India The ICC title wait, unearthing of young stars, change in leadership group Overall, India had a topsy-turvy ride in 2021. While they continued to remain a solid unit across formats, they particularly flourished in bilateral series as an ICC title continues to evade them. Young stars such as Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Ishan Kishan, Pant, etc. made a mark whereas KL Rahul rose in prominence and stature. Kohli lost limited-overs captaincy altogether as Rohit-Dravid-era has commenced in the white-ball formats. Team India will hope to continue their dominance at home and conquer more Test series away from home. However, their biggest aim would be to end their eight-year-long ICC-title drought.

From conquering Aussies Down Under to T20 World Cup debacle: Team India in 2021

Virat Kohli-led Team India have plenty of quality bowlers who have stood tall and delivered the goods for the national side, especially in the Test format. India have maintained their dominant run in Tests for quite sometime and maximum credit needs to be given to their current crop of bowlers.

At present, India have senior pacers in the form of Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah along with spin duo R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. However, the likes of Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj and Jayant Yadav have also made a mark in their given chances. Hence, all eyes are on them ahead of India's upcoming three-match Test series versus South Africa in the African nation, from December 26.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/harbhajan-singh-likely-to-announce-retirement-set-to-join-support-staff-of-high-profile-ipl-team-report-434854">Harbhajan Singh likely to announce retirement, set to join support staff of high-profile IPL team - Report</a>

Veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh opined on India's bowling combination for the SA series and lavished praise on Siraj. Stating that Shami and Bumrah will be automatic picks along with Ashwin and Jadeja, Bhajji has his eyes on Siraj and stated that he will be India's&nbsp; No. 1 bowler in near future.

"Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj... what an outstanding bowler. In the time to come, he will be India's No. 1 bowler. With him, I feel Shardul Thakur will return because in South Africa you will require a seamer who can bat as well. Along with them, we shall certainly see R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja playing and perhaps, Axar Patel could also be seen operating with them," Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/dravid-will-go-with-tried-and-tested-method-karthik-feels-pujara-rahane-will-feature-in-1st-test-vs-sa-434844">Dravid will go with tried and tested method: Karthik feels Pujara, Rahane will feature in 1st Test vs SA</a>

For the unversed, Siraj has had a dream start to his Test career. He ended as India's leading wicket-taker in the 2020/21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy versus Australia (with 13 scalps) and also returned with 14 wickets in the four Tests versus England in the United Kingdom. He featured in the second and final Test versus New Zealand recently, where he ended with 3 for 19 in NZ's first essay.

So far, Siraj has accounted for 33 wickets in 10 Tests, at an average of 27.69, and is expected to continue his inspiring run in South Africa.

The three-match Test series versus the Proteas is set to commence on December 26 at Centurion, followed by the remaining two Tests.

Virat Kohli-led Team India have plenty of quality bowlers who have stood tall and delivered the goods for the national side, especially in the Test format. India have maintained their dominant run in Tests for quite sometime and maximum credit needs to be given to their current crop of bowlers.

Virat Kohli-led Team India have plenty of quality bowlers who have stood tall and delivered the goods for the national side, especially in the Test format. India have maintained their dominant run in Tests for quite sometime and maximum credit needs to be given to their current crop of bowlers. At present, India have senior pacers in the form of Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah along with spin duo R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. However, the likes of Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj and Jayant Yadav have also made a mark in their given chances. Hence, all eyes are on them ahead of India's upcoming three-match Test series versus South Africa in the African nation, from December 26. ALSO READ | Harbhajan Singh likely to announce retirement, set to join support staff of high-profile IPL team - Report Veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh opined on India's bowling combination for the SA series and lavished praise on Siraj. Stating that Shami and Bumrah will be automatic picks along with Ashwin and Jadeja, Bhajji has his eyes on Siraj and stated that he will be India's No. 1 bowler in near future. "Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj... what an outstanding bowler. In the time to come, he will be India's No. 1 bowler. With him, I feel Shardul Thakur will return because in South Africa you will require a seamer who can bat as well. Along with them, we shall certainly see R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja playing and perhaps, Axar Patel could also be seen operating with them," Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel. ALSO READ | Dravid will go with tried and tested method: Karthik feels Pujara, Rahane will feature in 1st Test vs SA For the unversed, Siraj has had a dream start to his Test career. He ended as India's leading wicket-taker in the 2020/21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy versus Australia (with 13 scalps) and also returned with 14 wickets in the four Tests versus England in the United Kingdom. He featured in the second and final Test versus New Zealand recently, where he ended with 3 for 19 in NZ's first essay. So far, Siraj has accounted for 33 wickets in 10 Tests, at an average of 27.69, and is expected to continue his inspiring run in South Africa. The three-match Test series versus the Proteas is set to commence on December 26 at Centurion, followed by the remaining two Tests.

Not Jasprit Bumrah or R Ashwin! Harbhajan Singh names who could be India's No. 1 bowler in future

The D-Day is finally here. The existing eight IPL franchises have released their set of retained players ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction. In this regard, the five-time winners Mumbai Indians (MI) have also shared their list.&nbsp;

Skipper Rohit Sharma and pacer Jasprit Bumrah, all-rounder and vice-captain Kieron Pollard and No. 3 batter Suryakumar Yadav have been retained by the Men in Blue. Hence, some of the big names in their line-up such as&nbsp;Pandya brothers, Quinton de Kock, Trent Boult&nbsp;and Ishan Kishan have missed the cut; shocking many of their loyal fans worldwide.&nbsp;

Talking about Rohit and Bumrah, they remain their most important players. While Rohit has been their seasoned campaigner and led them to five titles, Bumrah has also made a resounding name for himself worldwide while playing for the franchise. He has been a regular for the MI line-up, with 130 wickets so far, and his retention isn't surprising. On the other hand, Pollard's association with the MI line-up started since the IPL 2010 edition and has been a vital cog of the franchise ever since. He has amassed&nbsp;3,268 in 178 matches for the MI franchise along with accounting for&nbsp;65 wickets.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ms-dhoni-to-rohit-sharma-complete-list-of-reported-retentions-for-all-8-franchises-ahead-of-ipl-mega-auction-432931">MS Dhoni to Rohit Sharma: Complete list of reported retentions for all 8 franchises ahead of IPL mega auction</a>

Meanwhile, SKY has been one of their most consistent players since IPL 2018. Surya scored in excess of 400 runs from IPL 2018-2020 but had a ordinary season by his standards in IPL 14. Nonetheless, he has been backed by the MI team management.

For the unversed, MI now have 48 crores (480 million) left in their purse ahead of the mega auction in 2022.&nbsp; The franchise will now like to create a new core for themselves -- and also try to bring back some of their non-retained players -- for the upcoming seasons in&nbsp;the IPL 2022 auction.&nbsp;

The auction is reportedly scheduled to take place early in January, 2022.

The D-Day is finally here. The existing eight IPL franchises have released their set of retained players ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction. In this regard, the five-time winners Mumbai Indians (MI) have also shared their list.

The D-Day is finally here. The existing eight IPL franchises have released their set of retained players ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction. In this regard, the five-time winners Mumbai Indians (MI) have also shared their list. Skipper Rohit Sharma and pacer Jasprit Bumrah, all-rounder and vice-captain Kieron Pollard and No. 3 batter Suryakumar Yadav have been retained by the Men in Blue. Hence, some of the big names in their line-up such as Pandya brothers, Quinton de Kock, Trent Boult and Ishan Kishan have missed the cut; shocking many of their loyal fans worldwide. Talking about Rohit and Bumrah, they remain their most important players. While Rohit has been their seasoned campaigner and led them to five titles, Bumrah has also made a resounding name for himself worldwide while playing for the franchise. He has been a regular for the MI line-up, with 130 wickets so far, and his retention isn't surprising. On the other hand, Pollard's association with the MI line-up started since the IPL 2010 edition and has been a vital cog of the franchise ever since. He has amassed 3,268 in 178 matches for the MI franchise along with accounting for 65 wickets. ALSO READ | MS Dhoni to Rohit Sharma: Complete list of reported retentions for all 8 franchises ahead of IPL mega auction Meanwhile, SKY has been one of their most consistent players since IPL 2018. Surya scored in excess of 400 runs from IPL 2018-2020 but had a ordinary season by his standards in IPL 14. Nonetheless, he has been backed by the MI team management. For the unversed, MI now have 48 crores (480 million) left in their purse ahead of the mega auction in 2022. The franchise will now like to create a new core for themselves -- and also try to bring back some of their non-retained players -- for the upcoming seasons in the IPL 2022 auction. The auction is reportedly scheduled to take place early in January, 2022.

MI complete retention list: Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav and Kieron Pollard retained

Former India pacer Irfan Pathan recently named four players he feels Mumbai Indians (MI) should retain ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction. The deadline for the existing eight franchises to submit their final list of retentions is November 30. Each of the eight teams has been allowed a maximum of only four retentions with no right to match option in the auction this time around.

While reports have confirmed about some franchises having made up their minds on who to retain and whom to let go, there has been no official word from any of the eight teams yet. Five-time champions Mumbai Indians, who are the most successful team in the history of IPL, have a star-studded squad at their disposal and are set to face a tricky situation as far as their four retentions are concerned.

Pathan recently picked the four players he thinks MI should retain ahead of IPL 2022. The former pacer picked captain Rohit Sharma as the first-choice retention followed by ace fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah. He also backed West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard to be retained by the side considering his all-round abilities and experience over the years.

Pathan picked Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya as his fourth-choice retention for Mumbai Indians. Despite his recent form being questionable and doubts over his bowling in the long-term, Pathan feels MI should not let go of Hardik, who can be a match-winner with both the bat and the ball on his day.

“Among overseas players, it will be Kieron Pollard. No doubt about that; at least in my mind. I don’t know what Mumbai Indians are thinking. He is the guy that has won you games for so many years and consistently. His batting is still top-notch and is still the powerhouse when it comes to big-hitting as well as finishing the games," Pathan told Star Sports.

"So, Pollard will definitely be on the radar. I would definitely go for Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya. I can actually name the other two guys as well. No. 1 would be Rohit Sharma and No. 2 would be Jasprit Bumrah," he added.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ms-dhoni-not-keen-to-be-csks-first-choice-retention-wants-higher-salary-for-other-players-report-432296">Dhoni not keen to be CSK's first-choice retention, wants higher salary for other players</a>

Pathan also said young wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan could be one of the retentions for Mumbai Indians. However, he snubbed the likes of Trent Boult and Suryakumar Yadav among others, who have been vital cogs of the Mumbai Indians line-up over the last few years.

While Suryakumar has been one of the most consistent batters for the side, Boult has been exceptional since joining the five-time champions in the 2020 season. It remains to be seen who will Mumbai Indians keep and who will they let go of&nbsp;ahead of the mega auction.

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Former India pacer Irfan Pathan recently named four players he feels Mumbai Indians (MI) should retain ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction. The deadline for the existing eight franchises to submit their final list of retentions is November 30.

Former India pacer Irfan Pathan recently named four players he feels Mumbai Indians (MI) should retain ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction. The deadline for the existing eight franchises to submit their final list of retentions is November 30. Each of the eight teams has been allowed a maximum of only four retentions with no right to match option in the auction this time around. While reports have confirmed about some franchises having made up their minds on who to retain and whom to let go, there has been no official word from any of the eight teams yet. Five-time champions Mumbai Indians, who are the most successful team in the history of IPL, have a star-studded squad at their disposal and are set to face a tricky situation as far as their four retentions are concerned. Pathan recently picked the four players he thinks MI should retain ahead of IPL 2022. The former pacer picked captain Rohit Sharma as the first-choice retention followed by ace fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah. He also backed West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard to be retained by the side considering his all-round abilities and experience over the years. Pathan picked Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya as his fourth-choice retention for Mumbai Indians. Despite his recent form being questionable and doubts over his bowling in the long-term, Pathan feels MI should not let go of Hardik, who can be a match-winner with both the bat and the ball on his day. “Among overseas players, it will be Kieron Pollard. No doubt about that; at least in my mind. I don’t know what Mumbai Indians are thinking. He is the guy that has won you games for so many years and consistently. His batting is still top-notch and is still the powerhouse when it comes to big-hitting as well as finishing the games," Pathan told Star Sports. "So, Pollard will definitely be on the radar. I would definitely go for Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya. I can actually name the other two guys as well. No. 1 would be Rohit Sharma and No. 2 would be Jasprit Bumrah," he added. Also Read: Dhoni not keen to be CSK's first-choice retention, wants higher salary for other players Pathan also said young wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan could be one of the retentions for Mumbai Indians. However, he snubbed the likes of Trent Boult and Suryakumar Yadav among others, who have been vital cogs of the Mumbai Indians line-up over the last few years. While Suryakumar has been one of the most consistent batters for the side, Boult has been exceptional since joining the five-time champions in the 2020 season. It remains to be seen who will Mumbai Indians keep and who will they let go of ahead of the mega auction.

No Suryakumar, Boult! Irfan Pathan names 4 players Mumbai Indians might retain ahead of IPL 2022

'Absolutely, you need a break," said Jasprit Bumrah in the&nbsp;aftermath of India's loss against New Zealand in the recently-concluded T20 World Cup 2021, when asked if the team would have preferred a bigger break between the second leg of the&nbsp;Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 and the start of the World Cup in the UAE.

India's campaign got underway less than two weeks after the conclusion of IPL 2021 and it didn't take long for the players to realise the implications of having spent months playing continuous cricket in bio-bubbles across the world. In the past year, the 'new normal' as the bio bubble life&nbsp;has often been labelled as, has taken a massive toll on the mental health of cricketers.

It all started in August last year when the IPL got underway in the UAE after a long hiatus due to COVID-19. The challenges of living in a bubble were quite evident right from the beginning but the excitement of cricket returning after a long gap meant the ill effects were ignored.

But, as India's campaign derailed in the T20 World Cup, the mental health of the players took centre stage. As much as the form&nbsp;and priorities of each player were discussed in the aftermath of India's consecutive defeats in their first two Super 12 matches, mental health was one of the decisive factors in the team's poor start.

Mental health has never been taken as seriously in cricket as it has been in the past few months after the introduction of 'bio-bubbles' to combat the invisible virus. From Ben Stokes taking a break to Indian players and support staff talking openly of the fatigue caused by the bubble life, mental health has become one of the biggest talking points in cricket post COVID-19.

India's campaign in the T20 World Cup 2021 was all but over after their back-to-back defeats against Pakistan and New Zealand in the first two games but they hung on till the end. Only to eventually bow out despite winning the remaining three matches comprehensively.&nbsp;

While they didn't bring home the second T20 World Cup trophy but the tournament did enough to awaken the senses of Indian cricket which has for long ignored mental health and the issues surrounding it. India are one of the most active teams in world cricket and excessive cricket in these tough times can easily become mentally challenging for even the toughest of characters.

Here is a look at how much rest did each of the Indian players got ahead of the T20 World Cup 2021:

Before we start looking at the amount of rest each of the 15 members of the Indian T20 World Cup 2021 squad got ahead of the tournament, we need to take into account the common break periods for the team since IPL 2020.

The IPL 2020 final was played on November 10 and the Indian team had almost no break ahead of the Australia tour which kicked off on November 27 and lasted till January 19 2021. India got a six-day break before the start of the England series at home.

The team then got a break of two weeks after the cancellation of IPL 2021 in May ahead of the England tour and a 21-day break in England in between the World Test Championship final and the start of the Test series. Each of the 15 players were part of the IPL bio bubble in April-May and then September-October.

1) Virat Kohli - The former Indian T20I captain took just one break in between IPL 2020 and the start of the T20 World Cup this year. He missed the last three Tests against Australia due to paternity leave from December 21 to January 27.

2) Rohit Sharma - Rohit Sharma was injured ahead of the start of the Australia tour and had missed the ODI and T20I series Down Under along with the first two Test matches. He was out due to injury from November 11 to December 18.

3) KL Rahul - The Indian opener was ruled out of the Australia Test series after the conclusion of the firs two games and was on an injury break from January 05 to January 28.

4) Suryakumar Yadav -&nbsp;The batter was not part of India's tour of Australia but was in a bio-bubble during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in India. He got a 45-day break post IPL 2020 ahead of the start of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He then played the England series at home but was not part of the England tour and got&nbsp;40 days rest before the Sri Lanka tour in July. He had then travelled to England post the SL tour.

5) Rishabh Pant - The wicket-keeper batter has been one of the busiest cricketers for Team India and has had no break since the IPL 2020. Pant has been part of each of India's series since the conclusion of the IPL last year without taking any rest.

6) Ishan Kishan - India's backup wicket-keeper and opener in the T20 World Cup this year, Ishan also got a 45-day break after IPL 2020 ahead of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He then got a 40-day break ahead of the Sri Lanka tour in May and a three-week break after the Sri Lanka tour before the start of IPL 2021's second leg.

7) Hardik Pandya - Hardik Pandya was on a break after the T20I series in Australia. He got a rest period of 50 days before the England series at home. He then had a 40-day break ahead of the Sri Lanka tour and a three-week break post that.

8) Ravindra Jadeja - The star all-rounder was out with an injury for 60 days from January 11. His Australia tour was cut short in between. Jadeja made his comeback in the England series at home and didn't get any break till the T20 World Cup 2021.

9) R Ashwin - R Ashwin was also in a bubble continuously throughout the Australia tour before entering another bubble during the England Test series at home. He then was part of the Test squad for the England tour ahead of IPL 2021's second leg and didn't get any break before the start of the T20 World Cup 2021.

10) Shardul Thakur - The Indian pacer didn't get any break from IPL 2020 to the start of the T20 World Cup 2021 this year as he was part of the Australia tour, England series at home, IPL 2021 and the England tour.

11) Mohammed Shami - Shami had an injury break of 90 days after getting ruled out following the first Test against Australia in December. He made a comeback during the first leg of IPL 2021 and stayed in bubbles continuously post that.

12) Jasprit Bumrah - One of India's best fast bowlers at present, Bumrah got a two-week break for his wedding when he left the bio-bubble midway through the England series at home. He has also been one of India's most active cricketers in the past year.

13) Varun Chakaravarthy - The spinner was initially named in India's T20 squad for the Australia tour but ended up missing the tour due to an injury. He was out for four months due to his injury and made his comeback in IPL 2021. Chakaravarthy then got a 40-day break after IPL 2021 was cancelled in May before the Sri Lanka tour. He then got a three-week rest post the SL tour.

14) Bhuvneshwar Kumar - The senior pacer was also out injured for quite a while and had missed the Australia tour entirely. He spent 60 days on the sidelines due to his injury and made his comeback in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He then joined Team India's bubble for the England series at home and got the rest of 40 days after that before the Sri Lanka tour. He then got a three-week rest post the SL tour.

15) Rahul Chahar - The spinner got a two-month break post IPL 2020 as he was also not part of the Australia tour. Chahar then got a 40-day break after the IPL 2021 was suspended in May and a three-week break after the Sri Lanka tour.

&nbsp;

'Absolutely, you need a break," said Jasprit Bumrah in the aftermath of India's loss against New Zealand in the recently-concluded T20 World Cup 2021, when asked if the team would have preferred a bigger break between the second leg of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 and the start of the World Cup in the UAE.

'Absolutely, you need a break," said Jasprit Bumrah in the aftermath of India's loss against New Zealand in the recently-concluded T20 World Cup 2021, when asked if the team would have preferred a bigger break between the second leg of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 and the start of the World Cup in the UAE. India's campaign got underway less than two weeks after the conclusion of IPL 2021 and it didn't take long for the players to realise the implications of having spent months playing continuous cricket in bio-bubbles across the world. In the past year, the 'new normal' as the bio bubble life has often been labelled as, has taken a massive toll on the mental health of cricketers. It all started in August last year when the IPL got underway in the UAE after a long hiatus due to COVID-19. The challenges of living in a bubble were quite evident right from the beginning but the excitement of cricket returning after a long gap meant the ill effects were ignored. But, as India's campaign derailed in the T20 World Cup, the mental health of the players took centre stage. As much as the form and priorities of each player were discussed in the aftermath of India's consecutive defeats in their first two Super 12 matches, mental health was one of the decisive factors in the team's poor start. Mental health has never been taken as seriously in cricket as it has been in the past few months after the introduction of 'bio-bubbles' to combat the invisible virus. From Ben Stokes taking a break to Indian players and support staff talking openly of the fatigue caused by the bubble life, mental health has become one of the biggest talking points in cricket post COVID-19. India's campaign in the T20 World Cup 2021 was all but over after their back-to-back defeats against Pakistan and New Zealand in the first two games but they hung on till the end. Only to eventually bow out despite winning the remaining three matches comprehensively. While they didn't bring home the second T20 World Cup trophy but the tournament did enough to awaken the senses of Indian cricket which has for long ignored mental health and the issues surrounding it. India are one of the most active teams in world cricket and excessive cricket in these tough times can easily become mentally challenging for even the toughest of characters. Here is a look at how much rest did each of the Indian players got ahead of the T20 World Cup 2021: Before we start looking at the amount of rest each of the 15 members of the Indian T20 World Cup 2021 squad got ahead of the tournament, we need to take into account the common break periods for the team since IPL 2020. The IPL 2020 final was played on November 10 and the Indian team had almost no break ahead of the Australia tour which kicked off on November 27 and lasted till January 19 2021. India got a six-day break before the start of the England series at home. The team then got a break of two weeks after the cancellation of IPL 2021 in May ahead of the England tour and a 21-day break in England in between the World Test Championship final and the start of the Test series. Each of the 15 players were part of the IPL bio bubble in April-May and then September-October. 1) Virat Kohli - The former Indian T20I captain took just one break in between IPL 2020 and the start of the T20 World Cup this year. He missed the last three Tests against Australia due to paternity leave from December 21 to January 27. 2) Rohit Sharma - Rohit Sharma was injured ahead of the start of the Australia tour and had missed the ODI and T20I series Down Under along with the first two Test matches. He was out due to injury from November 11 to December 18. 3) KL Rahul - The Indian opener was ruled out of the Australia Test series after the conclusion of the firs two games and was on an injury break from January 05 to January 28. 4) Suryakumar Yadav - The batter was not part of India's tour of Australia but was in a bio-bubble during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in India. He got a 45-day break post IPL 2020 ahead of the start of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He then played the England series at home but was not part of the England tour and got 40 days rest before the Sri Lanka tour in July. He had then travelled to England post the SL tour. 5) Rishabh Pant - The wicket-keeper batter has been one of the busiest cricketers for Team India and has had no break since the IPL 2020. Pant has been part of each of India's series since the conclusion of the IPL last year without taking any rest. 6) Ishan Kishan - India's backup wicket-keeper and opener in the T20 World Cup this year, Ishan also got a 45-day break after IPL 2020 ahead of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He then got a 40-day break ahead of the Sri Lanka tour in May and a three-week break after the Sri Lanka tour before the start of IPL 2021's second leg. 7) Hardik Pandya - Hardik Pandya was on a break after the T20I series in Australia. He got a rest period of 50 days before the England series at home. He then had a 40-day break ahead of the Sri Lanka tour and a three-week break post that. 8) Ravindra Jadeja - The star all-rounder was out with an injury for 60 days from January 11. His Australia tour was cut short in between. Jadeja made his comeback in the England series at home and didn't get any break till the T20 World Cup 2021. 9) R Ashwin - R Ashwin was also in a bubble continuously throughout the Australia tour before entering another bubble during the England Test series at home. He then was part of the Test squad for the England tour ahead of IPL 2021's second leg and didn't get any break before the start of the T20 World Cup 2021. 10) Shardul Thakur - The Indian pacer didn't get any break from IPL 2020 to the start of the T20 World Cup 2021 this year as he was part of the Australia tour, England series at home, IPL 2021 and the England tour. 11) Mohammed Shami - Shami had an injury break of 90 days after getting ruled out following the first Test against Australia in December. He made a comeback during the first leg of IPL 2021 and stayed in bubbles continuously post that. 12) Jasprit Bumrah - One of India's best fast bowlers at present, Bumrah got a two-week break for his wedding when he left the bio-bubble midway through the England series at home. He has also been one of India's most active cricketers in the past year. 13) Varun Chakaravarthy - The spinner was initially named in India's T20 squad for the Australia tour but ended up missing the tour due to an injury. He was out for four months due to his injury and made his comeback in IPL 2021. Chakaravarthy then got a 40-day break after IPL 2021 was cancelled in May before the Sri Lanka tour. He then got a three-week rest post the SL tour. 14) Bhuvneshwar Kumar - The senior pacer was also out injured for quite a while and had missed the Australia tour entirely. He spent 60 days on the sidelines due to his injury and made his comeback in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He then joined Team India's bubble for the England series at home and got the rest of 40 days after that before the Sri Lanka tour. He then got a three-week rest post the SL tour. 15) Rahul Chahar - The spinner got a two-month break post IPL 2020 as he was also not part of the Australia tour. Chahar then got a 40-day break after the IPL 2021 was suspended in May and a three-week break after the Sri Lanka tour.

Too much cricket for Team India? Who got how much rest before T20 World Cup 2021

Since 2013, Team India have entered the knockouts in every ICC event. They won the Champions Trophy in 2013, ended as runners-up in 2014 T20 World Cup, 2017 Champions Trophy and inaugural World Test Championship. Further, they lost the semi-finals in the 2015 and 2019 ODI World Cup as well as in the 2016 T20 WC.&nbsp;

Being the dominant force at home, winning bilateral series across formats while being on the road and having played the IPL 14 final leg in UAE, Virat Kohli's Team India entered the 2021 T20 WC as one of the strongest contenders. In addition, they entered the showpiece event as the second-best side in terms of ICC T20I rankings (still hold the same position) but failed to make it to the last four.&nbsp;

While such one-off blips are&nbsp;always inevitable, how did India manage to falter when they had all the boxes ticked? Or, did they really have all bases covered before entering the multi-nation tournament?&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ravi-shastri-takes-a-dig-at-meme-creators-on-social-media-i-would-like-to-invite-some-of-them-for-a-drink-428926">Ravi Shastri takes a dig at meme creators on social media: 'I would like to invite some of them for a drink'</a>

Before we analyse how India managed to fall like nine pins, let's go through the pros attached to the Men in Blue camp. For starters, India had a solid top three -- Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Captain Virat Kohli. In addition, they had power-hitters in abundance in the form of Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja. Moreover, all their power-hitters were able finishers as well. In the bowling department, India comprised ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, seasoned campaigner Bhuvneshwar Kumar and were bolstered by the return of R Ashwin in the spin department. 'Mystery bowler' Varun Chakravarthy and Mumbai Indians' (MI) wicket-taker Rahul Chahar also had enough experience in UAE conditions (courtesy their recent IPL stints).

The one-time winners were surely extra motivated to give a proper send-off to the outgoing coaching staff, led by Ravi Shastri, and Captain Kohli (who had already announced that the T20 WC will be his last assignment as India's skipper in the shortest format). Above all, the national side also comprised MS Dhoni -- the most successful international captain with all three major ICC titles in his cabinet -- as mentor.

HOW DID INDIA STILL MANAGE TO FALTER?

CONTINUOUS CRICKET, TIRED LEGS, BIO-BUBBLE ISSUES

For the unversed, Team India players have been super busy&nbsp;in the post Covid-19 era. Competitive cricket returned with IPL 2020 in the UAE. The gruelling 60 matches kept the Indian players on their toes as they returned to the 22-yard cricket strip after a long gap. In addition, they were acclimatising with the bio-bubble demands. The mega event was followed by an full-fledged&nbsp;Australia tour (from November 27, 2020 to January 19, 2021).

The Australia trip was followed by England's all-format tour of India in early 2021, from February 5 to March 28. Soon, IPL 14's first leg followed suit, from April 09.

The Covid-19's second wave led to this year's IPL season's postponement on May 4. Hence, it did serve&nbsp;as some respite for the Indian players, giving them more time before the United Kingdom tour.&nbsp;The original IPL 2021 schedule was supposed to end on May 30. On the other hand, India were scheduled to play the WTC final on June 18 at Southampton. Hence, their break would've been minimal given how teams have to report early&nbsp;for mandatory quarantines and entering a bio-bubble environment.&nbsp;

Let's get back to how things actually shaped up! Indian players got a break with IPL 14's postponement but had to enter the bio-bubble in Mumbai, on May 19, for UK tour. They left for the UK on June 2 and departed for the UAE, in mid-September, after the fifth and final England Test got cancelled on September 10.

Note: Indian players were given a 20-day bio-bubble break post the WTC final, before reassembling for the England Tests.

Coming to the UAE, Indian players reported to their respective IPL franchises, as the tournament lasted till October 15. Soon, India played their Super 12 opener in the T20 WC, on October 24, before they bowed out with their last league stage match on November 8.

India's cricketing schedule in post-pandemic era

India tour of Australia: Nov 27, 2020- Jan 19, 2021

England tour of India:&nbsp;Feb 5- March 28

IPL 14 first leg: April 9-May 4

India vs New Zealand, WTC final: June 18-23

India vs England Tests in the UK: August 4-September 10&nbsp;

IPL 14 final leg: Sep 19-Oct 15

T20 WC: Oct 24-Nov 8

Barring the WTC final, India dominated and enjoyed considerable success in the post Covid-era. Somewhere down the line, the law of averages was always going to catch up with them.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/exclusive-mayank-agarwal-heaps-praise-on-coach-rahul-dravid-virat-kohli-and-rohit-sharma-opines-on-pbks-journey-428841">EXCLUSIVE! Mayank Agarwal heaps praise on coach Rahul Dravid, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, opines on PBKS journey</a>

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NOT MANAGING 'PROBLEMS OF PLENTY', QUESTIONABLE SELECTIONS, APPALLING STRATEGIES

Apart from the continuous cricket, it is important to note that India's main squad assembled for the first time in T20Is for the World Cup. They had last played together in the format&nbsp;during the England home series, which ended on March 28. Thus, there was a staggering gap of 201 days (counting till the IPL&nbsp;finale on October 15). One can argue that the Indian players were still in the T20 groove by playing in the IPL. However, that they were performing different roles donning varied jerseys in the cash-rich league.&nbsp;

While the bio-bubble strain and fatigue factor had already kicked in, which was clearly evident the Pakistan and New Zealand face-offs, some eye-catching selections and poor strategies added to an exhausted side's woes. For instance, overlooking Yuzvendra Chahal -- who has been India's spin spearhead -- despite his form in IPL 14's final leg, not even including him in the standby list, putting Deepak Chahar (who has second-best figures overall in T20Is: 6 for 7) among standby players, suddenly adding R Ashwin (overlooked in limited-overs since 2017), preferring Varun Chakravarthy in the opening two games cost Kohli &amp; Co. severely.

Note: Prior to the World Cup, the KKR spinner Chakravarthy had represented India in only three T20Is.&nbsp;

Having problems of plenty is surely a headache teams would like to afford&nbsp;While India have been blessed with plenty of T20I stars, are they managing them wisely? In order to unleash Ishan Kishan versus New Zealand, after the Pakistan mauling, India demoted Rohit Sharma at No. 3. Their best batsman was dropped down in the batting order at the expense of a young batter. Appalling! (Remember how India had auditioned several players for the No. 4 spot for the 2019 ODI World Cup before claiming that they will remain flexible with the batting slot in their campaign?)

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/might-happen-in-odis-ravi-shastri-hints-at-virat-kohli-leaving-50-over-formats-captaincy-after-t20is-428796">'Might happen in ODIs' - Ravi Shastri hints at Virat Kohli leaving 50-over format's captaincy after T20Is</a>

TOO MANY COOKS SPOIL THE BROTH

Lastly, the whole of Indian cricket fraternity was in jubilant mood following MS Dhoni's appointment as team mentor for the mega event. After all, Dhoni had led India to their last ICC title in 2013 and enjoys huge respect among the current crop of players. As feared and already pointed out by Sunil Gavaskar, it seems it did lead to having several strong minds within&nbsp;the Team India dressing room, causing more ruckus in a 'problems of plenty' squad.

Undoubtedly, there is no question being raised about 'rift' issues. However, the tired minds and exhausted squad also couldn't gain much from Dhoni's presence.&nbsp;

Since 2013, Team India have entered the knockouts in every ICC event. They won the Champions Trophy in 2013, ended as runners-up in 2014 T20 World Cup, 2017 Champions Trophy and inaugural World Test Championship.

Since 2013, Team India have entered the knockouts in every ICC event. They won the Champions Trophy in 2013, ended as runners-up in 2014 T20 World Cup, 2017 Champions Trophy and inaugural World Test Championship. Further, they lost the semi-finals in the 2015 and 2019 ODI World Cup as well as in the 2016 T20 WC. Being the dominant force at home, winning bilateral series across formats while being on the road and having played the IPL 14 final leg in UAE, Virat Kohli's Team India entered the 2021 T20 WC as one of the strongest contenders. In addition, they entered the showpiece event as the second-best side in terms of ICC T20I rankings (still hold the same position) but failed to make it to the last four. While such one-off blips are always inevitable, how did India manage to falter when they had all the boxes ticked? Or, did they really have all bases covered before entering the multi-nation tournament? ALSO READ | Ravi Shastri takes a dig at meme creators on social media: 'I would like to invite some of them for a drink' Before we analyse how India managed to fall like nine pins, let's go through the pros attached to the Men in Blue camp. For starters, India had a solid top three -- Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Captain Virat Kohli. In addition, they had power-hitters in abundance in the form of Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja. Moreover, all their power-hitters were able finishers as well. In the bowling department, India comprised ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, seasoned campaigner Bhuvneshwar Kumar and were bolstered by the return of R Ashwin in the spin department. 'Mystery bowler' Varun Chakravarthy and Mumbai Indians' (MI) wicket-taker Rahul Chahar also had enough experience in UAE conditions (courtesy their recent IPL stints). The one-time winners were surely extra motivated to give a proper send-off to the outgoing coaching staff, led by Ravi Shastri, and Captain Kohli (who had already announced that the T20 WC will be his last assignment as India's skipper in the shortest format). Above all, the national side also comprised MS Dhoni -- the most successful international captain with all three major ICC titles in his cabinet -- as mentor. HOW DID INDIA STILL MANAGE TO FALTER? CONTINUOUS CRICKET, TIRED LEGS, BIO-BUBBLE ISSUES For the unversed, Team India players have been super busy in the post Covid-19 era. Competitive cricket returned with IPL 2020 in the UAE. The gruelling 60 matches kept the Indian players on their toes as they returned to the 22-yard cricket strip after a long gap. In addition, they were acclimatising with the bio-bubble demands. The mega event was followed by an full-fledged Australia tour (from November 27, 2020 to January 19, 2021). The Australia trip was followed by England's all-format tour of India in early 2021, from February 5 to March 28. Soon, IPL 14's first leg followed suit, from April 09. The Covid-19's second wave led to this year's IPL season's postponement on May 4. Hence, it did serve as some respite for the Indian players, giving them more time before the United Kingdom tour. The original IPL 2021 schedule was supposed to end on May 30. On the other hand, India were scheduled to play the WTC final on June 18 at Southampton. Hence, their break would've been minimal given how teams have to report early for mandatory quarantines and entering a bio-bubble environment. Let's get back to how things actually shaped up! Indian players got a break with IPL 14's postponement but had to enter the bio-bubble in Mumbai, on May 19, for UK tour. They left for the UK on June 2 and departed for the UAE, in mid-September, after the fifth and final England Test got cancelled on September 10. Note: Indian players were given a 20-day bio-bubble break post the WTC final, before reassembling for the England Tests. Coming to the UAE, Indian players reported to their respective IPL franchises, as the tournament lasted till October 15. Soon, India played their Super 12 opener in the T20 WC, on October 24, before they bowed out with their last league stage match on November 8. India's cricketing schedule in post-pandemic era India tour of Australia: Nov 27, 2020- Jan 19, 2021 England tour of India: Feb 5- March 28 IPL 14 first leg: April 9-May 4 India vs New Zealand, WTC final: June 18-23 India vs England Tests in the UK: August 4-September 10 IPL 14 final leg: Sep 19-Oct 15 T20 WC: Oct 24-Nov 8 Barring the WTC final, India dominated and enjoyed considerable success in the post Covid-era. Somewhere down the line, the law of averages was always going to catch up with them. ALSO READ | EXCLUSIVE! Mayank Agarwal heaps praise on coach Rahul Dravid, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, opines on PBKS journey × NOT MANAGING 'PROBLEMS OF PLENTY', QUESTIONABLE SELECTIONS, APPALLING STRATEGIES Apart from the continuous cricket, it is important to note that India's main squad assembled for the first time in T20Is for the World Cup. They had last played together in the format during the England home series, which ended on March 28. Thus, there was a staggering gap of 201 days (counting till the IPL finale on October 15). One can argue that the Indian players were still in the T20 groove by playing in the IPL. However, that they were performing different roles donning varied jerseys in the cash-rich league. While the bio-bubble strain and fatigue factor had already kicked in, which was clearly evident the Pakistan and New Zealand face-offs, some eye-catching selections and poor strategies added to an exhausted side's woes. For instance, overlooking Yuzvendra Chahal -- who has been India's spin spearhead -- despite his form in IPL 14's final leg, not even including him in the standby list, putting Deepak Chahar (who has second-best figures overall in T20Is: 6 for 7) among standby players, suddenly adding R Ashwin (overlooked in limited-overs since 2017), preferring Varun Chakravarthy in the opening two games cost Kohli & Co. severely. Note: Prior to the World Cup, the KKR spinner Chakravarthy had represented India in only three T20Is. Having problems of plenty is surely a headache teams would like to afford While India have been blessed with plenty of T20I stars, are they managing them wisely? In order to unleash Ishan Kishan versus New Zealand, after the Pakistan mauling, India demoted Rohit Sharma at No. 3. Their best batsman was dropped down in the batting order at the expense of a young batter. Appalling! (Remember how India had auditioned several players for the No. 4 spot for the 2019 ODI World Cup before claiming that they will remain flexible with the batting slot in their campaign?) ALSO READ | 'Might happen in ODIs' - Ravi Shastri hints at Virat Kohli leaving 50-over format's captaincy after T20Is TOO MANY COOKS SPOIL THE BROTH Lastly, the whole of Indian cricket fraternity was in jubilant mood following MS Dhoni's appointment as team mentor for the mega event. After all, Dhoni had led India to their last ICC title in 2013 and enjoys huge respect among the current crop of players. As feared and already pointed out by Sunil Gavaskar, it seems it did lead to having several strong minds within the Team India dressing room, causing more ruckus in a 'problems of plenty' squad. Undoubtedly, there is no question being raised about 'rift' issues. However, the tired minds and exhausted squad also couldn't gain much from Dhoni's presence.

How India under-performed in T20 WC? A quick look at the recipe that left a bad taste in our mouth

Team India bowed out of the T20 World Cup 2021 edition in the Super 12 round. With their exit, the respective tenures of head coach Ravi Shastri, bowling coach Bharat Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar also came to an end. The famed trio have been part of the Indian team setup for long and helped the national side scale new heights across formats, both at home and away assignments.

As the outgoing coaching staff bid an emotional farewell, the Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah has now shared a heartfelt post for Shastri &amp; Co.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rahul-dravid-addresses-indias-fatigue-issue-with-cac-to-work-on-rotation-policy-with-jay-shah-report-428239">Rahul Dravid addresses India's fatigue issue with CAC, to work on rotation policy with Jay Shah: Report</a>

"For the words of support, motivation and encouragement. For the guidance and the tireless work behind the scenes. Thank you Ravi Shastri, Bharat Arun,&nbsp;and R Sridhar&nbsp;for your invaluable contribution and good luck for your future endeavours,"&nbsp;Bumrah wrote on Instagram.&nbsp;

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ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/your-contribution-will-virat-kohli-pens-down-heartfelt-post-for-team-indias-outgoing-coaching-staff-428160">'Your contribution will...' - Virat Kohli pens down heartfelt post for Team India's outgoing coaching staff</a>

Earlier, Virat Kohli had also&nbsp;expressed his gratitude for India's outgoing coaching staff and wrote on social media, "Thank you for all the memories and the amazing journey we've had as a team with you all. Your contribution has been immense and will always be remembered in Indian cricket history. Wish you the best moving forward in life. Until next time."

Under Shastri, India continued to dominate across formats and ended as the semi-finals in the 2019 ODI World Cup and runners-up in the inaugural WTC. Talking about Arun and Sridhar, the former played a huge role in Indian pacers' rise and their performances overseas whereas Sridhar ensured that India became a force to reckon with in the fielding department.

India are now set to start a new era under Shastri's successor Rahul Dravid. He will turn up with his own set of support staff members, however, Vikram Rathour is likely continue to serve as the batting coach after reapplying for the top post recently.&nbsp;

Team India bowed out of the T20 World Cup 2021 edition in the Super 12 round. With their exit, the respective tenures of head coach Ravi Shastri, bowling coach Bharat Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar also came to an end.

Team India bowed out of the T20 World Cup 2021 edition in the Super 12 round. With their exit, the respective tenures of head coach Ravi Shastri, bowling coach Bharat Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar also came to an end. The famed trio have been part of the Indian team setup for long and helped the national side scale new heights across formats, both at home and away assignments. As the outgoing coaching staff bid an emotional farewell, the Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah has now shared a heartfelt post for Shastri & Co. ALSO READ | Rahul Dravid addresses India's fatigue issue with CAC, to work on rotation policy with Jay Shah: Report "For the words of support, motivation and encouragement. For the guidance and the tireless work behind the scenes. Thank you Ravi Shastri, Bharat Arun, and R Sridhar for your invaluable contribution and good luck for your future endeavours," Bumrah wrote on Instagram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by jasprit bumrah (@jaspritb1) × ALSO READ | 'Your contribution will...' - Virat Kohli pens down heartfelt post for Team India's outgoing coaching staff Earlier, Virat Kohli had also expressed his gratitude for India's outgoing coaching staff and wrote on social media, "Thank you for all the memories and the amazing journey we've had as a team with you all. Your contribution has been immense and will always be remembered in Indian cricket history. Wish you the best moving forward in life. Until next time." Under Shastri, India continued to dominate across formats and ended as the semi-finals in the 2019 ODI World Cup and runners-up in the inaugural WTC. Talking about Arun and Sridhar, the former played a huge role in Indian pacers' rise and their performances overseas whereas Sridhar ensured that India became a force to reckon with in the fielding department. India are now set to start a new era under Shastri's successor Rahul Dravid. He will turn up with his own set of support staff members, however, Vikram Rathour is likely continue to serve as the batting coach after reapplying for the top post recently.

'Thank you for.....' - Jasprit Bumrah lavishes huge praise on Ravi Shastri-led India's outgoing coaching staff

The T20 World Cup 2021 edition's Super 12 round came to an end on Monday evening (November 8). Team India defeated Namibia in style, by nine wickets, to finish their dismal campaign on a high as the action will now shift towards the semi-finals, where England will take on New Zealand in the first semi-final whereas Australia will lock horns with Pakistan in the second semi-final.

Ahead of the semi-finals round, from November 10-11, India's veteran wicketkeeper-batsman-turned-commentator Dinesh Karthik made heads turn by sharing his team of the tournament. In the list, DK didn't include some big names such as India's Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, David Warner, Mohammad Rizwan, Aiden Markram, David Wiese, Anrich Nortje, etc.&nbsp;

Karthik's team of the tournament had Pakistan's Babar Azam as captain. While he has led the team exceptionally well as the Men in Green remain the only unbeaten side heading into the semi-finals, some would be surprised that England's Eoin Morgan didn't feature as captain in the XI. To this, Karthik told on Cricbuzz, "Would have ideally liked Morgan as he has been the best captain for me, but has not done enough as a batter. So, I went for Azam."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/goosebumps-shastri-shares-heartfelt-speech-as-outgoing-coach-post-indias-t20-wc-campaign-watch-427919">GOOSEBUMPS! Shastri shares heartfelt speech as outgoing coach post India's T20 WC campaign- WATCH</a>

DK's team included Babar and England's Jos Buttler as openers. Buttler has been in splendid form, with a scintillating unbeaten half-century and a match-winning ton versus Australia and Sri Lanka, respectively. In the middle and lower order, he included Charith Asalanka (who impressed one and all with his free-flowing approach for the Islanders), Rassie van der Dussen (who slammed an unbeaten 94 vs England), Shakib Al Hasan, Moeen Ali and all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga (leading wicket-taker with 16 scalps). In the bowling department, he chose Adam Zampa (11 wickets), Trent Boult (who returned with a 3-fer each versus India and Afghanistan), Jasprit Bumrah (seven wickets for India in five games) and Shaheen Afridi (Player-of-the-Match in Pakistan's win over India).

Nonetheless, the likes of Pakistan's Malik and Asif Ali have also done very well for the Men in Green, with their finishing skills and power-hitting. They, however, weren't included.

DK's team of the tournament

Babar Azam (C), Jos Buttler, Charith Asalanka, Rassie van der Dussen, Shakib Al Hasan, Moeen Ali, Wanindu Hasaranga, Adam Zampa, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Shaheen Afridi

The T20 World Cup 2021 edition's Super 12 round came to an end on Monday evening (November 8). Team India defeated Namibia in style, by nine wickets, to finish their dismal campaign on a high as the action will now shift towards the semi-finals, where England will take on New Zealand in the first semi-final whereas Australia will lock horns with Pakistan in the second semi-final.

The T20 World Cup 2021 edition's Super 12 round came to an end on Monday evening (November 8). Team India defeated Namibia in style, by nine wickets, to finish their dismal campaign on a high as the action will now shift towards the semi-finals, where England will take on New Zealand in the first semi-final whereas Australia will lock horns with Pakistan in the second semi-final. Ahead of the semi-finals round, from November 10-11, India's veteran wicketkeeper-batsman-turned-commentator Dinesh Karthik made heads turn by sharing his team of the tournament. In the list, DK didn't include some big names such as India's Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, David Warner, Mohammad Rizwan, Aiden Markram, David Wiese, Anrich Nortje, etc. Karthik's team of the tournament had Pakistan's Babar Azam as captain. While he has led the team exceptionally well as the Men in Green remain the only unbeaten side heading into the semi-finals, some would be surprised that England's Eoin Morgan didn't feature as captain in the XI. To this, Karthik told on Cricbuzz, "Would have ideally liked Morgan as he has been the best captain for me, but has not done enough as a batter. So, I went for Azam." ALSO READ | GOOSEBUMPS! Shastri shares heartfelt speech as outgoing coach post India's T20 WC campaign- WATCH DK's team included Babar and England's Jos Buttler as openers. Buttler has been in splendid form, with a scintillating unbeaten half-century and a match-winning ton versus Australia and Sri Lanka, respectively. In the middle and lower order, he included Charith Asalanka (who impressed one and all with his free-flowing approach for the Islanders), Rassie van der Dussen (who slammed an unbeaten 94 vs England), Shakib Al Hasan, Moeen Ali and all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga (leading wicket-taker with 16 scalps). In the bowling department, he chose Adam Zampa (11 wickets), Trent Boult (who returned with a 3-fer each versus India and Afghanistan), Jasprit Bumrah (seven wickets for India in five games) and Shaheen Afridi (Player-of-the-Match in Pakistan's win over India). Nonetheless, the likes of Pakistan's Malik and Asif Ali have also done very well for the Men in Green, with their finishing skills and power-hitting. They, however, weren't included. DK's team of the tournament Babar Azam (C), Jos Buttler, Charith Asalanka, Rassie van der Dussen, Shakib Al Hasan, Moeen Ali, Wanindu Hasaranga, Adam Zampa, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Shaheen Afridi

T20 WC: No Rohit, Kohli in Dinesh Karthik's team of the tournament; Babar Azam named captain

Virat Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri had both hinted at Rohit Sharma taking over as the new captain of the Indian team in T20Is post the end of the Shastri-Kohli era. While Shastri has stepped down as the head coach of the Indian team, Kohli will not be leading India again in T20Is having relinquished the post of captain in the shortest format after India's final game against Namibia in the T20 World Cup 2021 on Monday.

India endured a disappointing campaign in the T20 World Cup 2021 as the Men in Blue bowed out of the tournament from the group stages after three wins and two defeats in their five Super 12 matches. Rohit is reportedly set to be appointed as India's full-time captain in T20Is beginning from the New Zealand series at home later this month after Kohli's decision to leave captaincy.

As per a report in the Times of India, Rohit, who is currently the vice-captain of the Indian team in the limited-overs format, will lead the side in the T20I series against Kane Williamson's men in India. The likes of Kohli, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah are likely to be rested from the T20I series against New Zealand.

As per the report, Kohli will be also taking rest and not playing the first Test match against New Zealand where Rohit will lead the side while vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane will remain his deputy. Kohli will return to lead the side in the second Test against the Kiwis. India are scheduled to play three T20Is and two Tests against New Zealand at home post the conclusion of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021.

BCCI is expected to announce the squad for the T20I series against New Zealand this week along with India's permanent skipper in the T20Is keeping the next T20 World Cup in mind which will be played in Australia in 2022. Rohit, who is the most successful captain in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with five titles to his name, has been backed by many to take over the mantle from Kohli.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/there-wont-be-another-virat-virender-sehwag-says-wont-be-right-to-question-kohlis-spot-in-t20i-team-427968">'There won't be another Virat': Sehwag says won't be right to question Kohli's spot in T20I team</a>

Meanwhile, Shastri will be replaced by the legendary Rahul Dravid as the head coach of the Indian team. Dravid will take over the reins from Shastri in the New Zealand series and will look to get India off to a winning start in their first white-ball assignment since the T20 World Cup 2021.

Virat Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri had both hinted at Rohit Sharma taking over as the new captain of the Indian team in T20Is post the end of the Shastri-Kohli era.

Virat Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri had both hinted at Rohit Sharma taking over as the new captain of the Indian team in T20Is post the end of the Shastri-Kohli era. While Shastri has stepped down as the head coach of the Indian team, Kohli will not be leading India again in T20Is having relinquished the post of captain in the shortest format after India's final game against Namibia in the T20 World Cup 2021 on Monday. India endured a disappointing campaign in the T20 World Cup 2021 as the Men in Blue bowed out of the tournament from the group stages after three wins and two defeats in their five Super 12 matches. Rohit is reportedly set to be appointed as India's full-time captain in T20Is beginning from the New Zealand series at home later this month after Kohli's decision to leave captaincy. As per a report in the Times of India, Rohit, who is currently the vice-captain of the Indian team in the limited-overs format, will lead the side in the T20I series against Kane Williamson's men in India. The likes of Kohli, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah are likely to be rested from the T20I series against New Zealand. As per the report, Kohli will be also taking rest and not playing the first Test match against New Zealand where Rohit will lead the side while vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane will remain his deputy. Kohli will return to lead the side in the second Test against the Kiwis. India are scheduled to play three T20Is and two Tests against New Zealand at home post the conclusion of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021. BCCI is expected to announce the squad for the T20I series against New Zealand this week along with India's permanent skipper in the T20Is keeping the next T20 World Cup in mind which will be played in Australia in 2022. Rohit, who is the most successful captain in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with five titles to his name, has been backed by many to take over the mantle from Kohli. Also Read: 'There won't be another Virat': Sehwag says won't be right to question Kohli's spot in T20I team Meanwhile, Shastri will be replaced by the legendary Rahul Dravid as the head coach of the Indian team. Dravid will take over the reins from Shastri in the New Zealand series and will look to get India off to a winning start in their first white-ball assignment since the T20 World Cup 2021.

Rohit Sharma to lead India in New Zealand T20I series; Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami likely to be rested

As New Zealand defeated Afghanistan by 8 wickets to end the latter's campaign in the T20 World Cup 2021 edition, Team India also bowed out of the mega event on Sunday evening (November 7). The one-time winners Men in Blue were hoping for Afghanistan to beat New Zealand so that they could've remained alive in the showpiece event and given their all against Namibia, their final group stage encounter, to pip Afghanistan in NRR (with a big win) and march to the semi-finals.

As India's dream of winning the T20 WC, for the second time, has come to an end, the Virat Kohli-led national side will now face Namibia in their last group stage encounter in Pool B and hope to sign off on a high from the marquee tournament. This will also be Kohli's last match as India's T20I captain, and probably as white-ball captain altogether, as the 33-year-old had already announced that the World Cup will be his last as the captain in the shortest format.&nbsp;

For Namibia, they have shown remarkable growth in the mega event. Playing the qualifiers, they stunned Ireland to enter the main draw and had their moments versus New Zealand and Pakistan (only for a brief period) whereas beat Scotland and will now aim to upset the mighty Indian team. Namibia will feel that they have a chance against India, who are already down and out and exhausted following a gruelling last few months on the road.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hits-and-flops-from-indias-t20-world-cup-2021-campaign-427237">Hits and flops from India's T20 World Cup 2021 campaign</a>

Match prediction for India versus Namibia encounter:&nbsp;Once again, the team batting second might have a big advantage due to the dew factor at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on Monday evening. Hence, toss will play a crucial role. A moderate-scoring match on cards, in the range of 155-160, with India most likely to use their experience and firepower to beat Namibia.&nbsp;

As New Zealand defeated Afghanistan by 8 wickets to end the latter's campaign in the T20 World Cup 2021 edition, Team India also bowed out of the mega event on Sunday evening (November 7).

As New Zealand defeated Afghanistan by 8 wickets to end the latter's campaign in the T20 World Cup 2021 edition, Team India also bowed out of the mega event on Sunday evening (November 7). The one-time winners Men in Blue were hoping for Afghanistan to beat New Zealand so that they could've remained alive in the showpiece event and given their all against Namibia, their final group stage encounter, to pip Afghanistan in NRR (with a big win) and march to the semi-finals. As India's dream of winning the T20 WC, for the second time, has come to an end, the Virat Kohli-led national side will now face Namibia in their last group stage encounter in Pool B and hope to sign off on a high from the marquee tournament. This will also be Kohli's last match as India's T20I captain, and probably as white-ball captain altogether, as the 33-year-old had already announced that the World Cup will be his last as the captain in the shortest format. For Namibia, they have shown remarkable growth in the mega event. Playing the qualifiers, they stunned Ireland to enter the main draw and had their moments versus New Zealand and Pakistan (only for a brief period) whereas beat Scotland and will now aim to upset the mighty Indian team. Namibia will feel that they have a chance against India, who are already down and out and exhausted following a gruelling last few months on the road. ALSO READ | Hits and flops from India's T20 World Cup 2021 campaign Match prediction for India versus Namibia encounter: Once again, the team batting second might have a big advantage due to the dew factor at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on Monday evening. Hence, toss will play a crucial role. A moderate-scoring match on cards, in the range of 155-160, with India most likely to use their experience and firepower to beat Namibia.

IND vs NAM, T20 World Cup 2021 prediction: Who will win today's match between India and Namibia?

Team India will end their campaign in the T20 World Cup 2021 edition on Monday evening (November 8). Being touted as one of the strongest contenders, Virat Kohli-led India failed to live upto expectations and will now play their last league stage match versus Namibia and hope to sign off on a high.

India started their campaign in Pool B with a ten-wicket loss to Pakistan. They then lost to New Zealand by eight wickets, which very well ended their chances of reaching the semi-finals. While the Men in Blue have pulled back in style with two big wins, versus Afghanistan and Scotland respectively, they became out of contention on Sunday evening (November 7) as soon as Afghan side lost to Kane Williamson-led Black Caps by eight wickets.

Namibia, on the other hand, are coming into this game after some good performances in the qualifiers and have remained competitive in the Super 12. They will hope to learn aplenty by locking horns with Team India and also aim to pull off an upset versus Kohli &amp; Co.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-nam-t20-world-cup-2021-prediction-who-will-win-todays-match-between-india-and-namibia-427598">IND vs NAM, T20 World Cup 2021 prediction: Who will win today's match between India and Namibia?</a>

Let's take a look at the means on how to live stream or view the match:

Where is the T20 World Cup match between India vs Namibia taking place?

The T20 World Cup match between India vs Namibia will take place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai.

What time does the T20 World Cup match between India vs Namibia begin?

The T20 World Cup match between India vs Namibia begins at 7:30 PM IST on Monday.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-pak-continue-to-win-hearts-as-babar-co-celebrate-haris-raufs-birthday-with-scotland-players-427612">WATCH: PAK continue to win hearts as Babar &amp; Co. celebrate Haris Rauf's birthday with Scotland players</a>

Where and how to watch live coverage of the T20 World Cup match between India vs Namibia?

The T20 World Cup match between India vs Namibia will be aired live on Star Sports channels - Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2, Star Sports 3, Star Sports 3 HD. The online streaming of the T20 World Cup match between IND vs SCO&nbsp;will be available on Hotstar. The T20 World Cup matches will be shown on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2, Star Sports 3, Star Sports HD, and DD Sports.

Team India will end their campaign in the T20 World Cup 2021 edition on Monday evening (November 8). Being touted as one of the strongest contenders, Virat Kohli-led India failed to live upto expectations and will now play their last league stage match versus Namibia and hope to sign off on a high.

Team India will end their campaign in the T20 World Cup 2021 edition on Monday evening (November 8). Being touted as one of the strongest contenders, Virat Kohli-led India failed to live upto expectations and will now play their last league stage match versus Namibia and hope to sign off on a high. India started their campaign in Pool B with a ten-wicket loss to Pakistan. They then lost to New Zealand by eight wickets, which very well ended their chances of reaching the semi-finals. While the Men in Blue have pulled back in style with two big wins, versus Afghanistan and Scotland respectively, they became out of contention on Sunday evening (November 7) as soon as Afghan side lost to Kane Williamson-led Black Caps by eight wickets. Namibia, on the other hand, are coming into this game after some good performances in the qualifiers and have remained competitive in the Super 12. They will hope to learn aplenty by locking horns with Team India and also aim to pull off an upset versus Kohli & Co. ALSO READ | IND vs NAM, T20 World Cup 2021 prediction: Who will win today's match between India and Namibia? Let's take a look at the means on how to live stream or view the match: Where is the T20 World Cup match between India vs Namibia taking place? The T20 World Cup match between India vs Namibia will take place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai. What time does the T20 World Cup match between India vs Namibia begin? The T20 World Cup match between India vs Namibia begins at 7:30 PM IST on Monday. ALSO READ | WATCH: PAK continue to win hearts as Babar & Co. celebrate Haris Rauf's birthday with Scotland players Where and how to watch live coverage of the T20 World Cup match between India vs Namibia? The T20 World Cup match between India vs Namibia will be aired live on Star Sports channels - Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2, Star Sports 3, Star Sports 3 HD. The online streaming of the T20 World Cup match between IND vs SCO will be available on Hotstar. The T20 World Cup matches will be shown on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2, Star Sports 3, Star Sports HD, and DD Sports.

T20 World Cup, IND vs NAM live streaming: When and where to watch India vs Namibia match?

India were one of the overwhelming favourites heading into the T20 World Cup 2021. Expectations were high from Virat Kohli's men, who had played some amazing cricket in the build-up to the World Cup and dominated across formats. However, what unfolded in the UAE was hard to believe for many as India's campaign came crashing down in a matter of just two games.

Two games was all it took as the Men in Blue found themselves on the verge of an early exit from the competition. A lot was said about India's unbeaten record against Pakistan in World Cups with not many writing off the Babar Azam-led side even before they took the field against their arch-rivals in the opener in Dubai on October 24.

Pakistan produced a brilliant all-round performance to thoroughly outclass India and win the game by ten wickets to get off to a perfect start in the tournament. India's defeat not only marked an end to their flawless streak in World Cup matches against Pakistan but did enough damage to the team's confidence as they looked out of sorts in the next game against New Zealand.

In what was a painful repeat of the thrashing at the hands of Pakistan, New Zealand crushed India by eight wickets to further dent their hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals. Just when it looked like Kohli's team was set for an early exit from the tournament, India bounced back emphatically to thrash Afghanistan and Scotland in their next two games and keep their hopes alive.

However, their fate was no more in their hands with the Kohli-led side in desperate need of a favour from Afghanistan to finish above them and New Zealand in terms of net run rate. India needed Afghanistan to beat New Zealand to help them salvage their campaign, however, the Mohammad Nabi-led side suffered an 8-wicket defeat in their final Super 12 clash on Sunday to confirm India's exit from the tournament.

Not many Indian players have so far managed to impress in the ongoing T20 World Cup but there have been a few who have risen after a disappointing start and have helped the team stage a fightback after what was a disastrous start. Here we take a look at the hits and flops from Team India's campaign so far in the T20 World Cup 2021 with a game to spare against Namibia.

<h2>Hits</h2>

1) KL Rahul

Opening batter KL Rahul has been one of the few sparks in the Indian team from what has been an abysmal campaign so far in the T20 World Cup. Rahul faltered in the first two matches against Pakistan and New Zealand with 21 runs combined, before redeeming himself with two brilliant knocks in the next two games.

The stylish right-hander roared back to form with a classy 69 off 48 balls against Afghanistan where he slammed two sixes and six fours to help India register a big win by 66 runs. He continued his stunning form against Scotland as he took the Scottish bowlers to the cleaners to race away to a fifty off just 18 balls, helping India chase down 89 runs in just 39 balls.

Rahul smashed six fours and three sixes in his fiery cameo as India absolutely mauled Scotland. Rahul is India's highest run-getter so far in the tournament with 140 runs from 4 matches.

2) Jasprit Bumrah&nbsp;

After a disappointing outing against Pakistan where all Indian bowlers went wicket-less, Bumrah was the first Indian to pick up a wicket in the tournament. He dismissed Martin Guptill in the game against New Zealand to open India's wicket account in the tournament and followed it up with the dismissal of Daryl Mitchell in the same game.

Bumrah bowled at an economy of 4.80 and was India's best bowler against the Kiwis but his efforts were not enough to push India over the line.

He finished with excellent figures of 1/25 in his 4 overs against Afghanistan before wreaking havoc against Scotland. Bumrah bowled at an economy of just 2.70 in his two overs against Scotland, conceding 10 runs to return with two wickets. Fair to say, Bumrah has been one of the most consistent bowlers for the Men in Blue so far and has 5 wickets to his name in four matches.

Also Read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ravi-shastri-to-coach-an-ipl-team-ahmedabad-franchise-approach-outgoing-india-head-coach-report-427373">&nbsp;Ravi Shastri to coach an IPL team? Ahmedabad franchise approach outgoing India head coach - Report</a>

3) Mohammed Shami&nbsp;

Trolled viciously after an off day against Pakistan, Mohammed Shami has since scripted a remarkable turnaround in the tournament. Shami was targeted over his faith and was on the receiving end of horrific abuse on social media after his poor outing against Babar Azam's men. He once again went wicket-less against New Zealand as questions were raised over his place in the team.

Shami's redemption came against Afghanistan where he picked up the important wickets of Mohammad Shehzad and Mohammad Nabi to derail their batting line-up and finish with sublime figures of 3/32 in his four overs. That was just the start as Shami once again wreaked havoc against Scotland.

The senior pacer responded to his critics in style as he picked up another three-wicket haul against Scotland while conceding only 15 runs from his 3 overs. Shami has been India's highest wicket-taker so far in the tournament with six wickets from four matches.

<h2>Flops</h2>

1) Bhuvneshwar Kumar

One of the senior-most members of the Indian squad in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021, Buvneshwar has been around for several years now. He was once undroppable in T20s for India but the right-arm speedster has been struggling with his form ever since his return from injury last year.

Bhuvneshwar played in India's ten-wicket loss against Pakistan in the opener and was taken to the cleaners by Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan to concede 25 runs in his three overs without taking a wicket. He was dropped for Shardul Thakur in the next game against New Zealand before sitting out in the next two games as well.&nbsp;

There were a lot of expectations from Bhuvneshwar as one of India's prominent bowlers in the T20 World Cup but he has had a disappointing campaign.

2) Hardik Pandya

The star all-rounder didn't bowl at all in the second leg of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 for Mumbai Indians but was picked purely as a batter in the World Cup squad despite question marks over his place in the side. While he didn't bowl in the first game against Pakistan, Hardik clearly struggled with the bat.

He also picked up a shoulder injury during the game and was later taken for scans leading to questions over his fitness. Hardik was expected to be one of the vital cogs of India's wheel in the T20 World Cup and be a game-changer for the Kohli-led side, however, he has failed to deliver with both the bat and the ball in the tournament.

Though he has resumed bowling from the New Zealand game, Hardik is yet to make a significant contribution with the ball and his 13-ball 35 against Afghanistan has been his only major contribution with the bat so far in this year's T20 World Cup.

3) Varun Chakaravarthy

Touted as a rising mystery spinner, Varun Chakaravarthy has been a huge letdown for Team India at the T20 World Cup so far. He was picked over the likes of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav in the T20 World Cup squad but has failed to live up to the expectations in what has been a woeful campaign for him so far.

After going wicket-less in the first two games against Pakistan and New Zealand, Chakaravarthy was rightfully dropped from the playing XI against Afghanistan before making a comeback in the Scotland encounter. He once again failed to pick up a wicket against Scotland and is yet to open his account despite having bowled 11 overs in the tournament so far.

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India were one of the overwhelming favourites heading into the T20 World Cup 2021. Expectations were high from Virat Kohli's men, who had played some amazing cricket in the build-up to the World Cup and dominated across formats.

India were one of the overwhelming favourites heading into the T20 World Cup 2021. Expectations were high from Virat Kohli's men, who had played some amazing cricket in the build-up to the World Cup and dominated across formats. However, what unfolded in the UAE was hard to believe for many as India's campaign came crashing down in a matter of just two games. Two games was all it took as the Men in Blue found themselves on the verge of an early exit from the competition. A lot was said about India's unbeaten record against Pakistan in World Cups with not many writing off the Babar Azam-led side even before they took the field against their arch-rivals in the opener in Dubai on October 24. Pakistan produced a brilliant all-round performance to thoroughly outclass India and win the game by ten wickets to get off to a perfect start in the tournament. India's defeat not only marked an end to their flawless streak in World Cup matches against Pakistan but did enough damage to the team's confidence as they looked out of sorts in the next game against New Zealand. In what was a painful repeat of the thrashing at the hands of Pakistan, New Zealand crushed India by eight wickets to further dent their hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals. Just when it looked like Kohli's team was set for an early exit from the tournament, India bounced back emphatically to thrash Afghanistan and Scotland in their next two games and keep their hopes alive. However, their fate was no more in their hands with the Kohli-led side in desperate need of a favour from Afghanistan to finish above them and New Zealand in terms of net run rate. India needed Afghanistan to beat New Zealand to help them salvage their campaign, however, the Mohammad Nabi-led side suffered an 8-wicket defeat in their final Super 12 clash on Sunday to confirm India's exit from the tournament. Not many Indian players have so far managed to impress in the ongoing T20 World Cup but there have been a few who have risen after a disappointing start and have helped the team stage a fightback after what was a disastrous start. Here we take a look at the hits and flops from Team India's campaign so far in the T20 World Cup 2021 with a game to spare against Namibia. Hits 1) KL Rahul Opening batter KL Rahul has been one of the few sparks in the Indian team from what has been an abysmal campaign so far in the T20 World Cup. Rahul faltered in the first two matches against Pakistan and New Zealand with 21 runs combined, before redeeming himself with two brilliant knocks in the next two games. The stylish right-hander roared back to form with a classy 69 off 48 balls against Afghanistan where he slammed two sixes and six fours to help India register a big win by 66 runs. He continued his stunning form against Scotland as he took the Scottish bowlers to the cleaners to race away to a fifty off just 18 balls, helping India chase down 89 runs in just 39 balls. Rahul smashed six fours and three sixes in his fiery cameo as India absolutely mauled Scotland. Rahul is India's highest run-getter so far in the tournament with 140 runs from 4 matches. 2) Jasprit Bumrah After a disappointing outing against Pakistan where all Indian bowlers went wicket-less, Bumrah was the first Indian to pick up a wicket in the tournament. He dismissed Martin Guptill in the game against New Zealand to open India's wicket account in the tournament and followed it up with the dismissal of Daryl Mitchell in the same game. Bumrah bowled at an economy of 4.80 and was India's best bowler against the Kiwis but his efforts were not enough to push India over the line. He finished with excellent figures of 1/25 in his 4 overs against Afghanistan before wreaking havoc against Scotland. Bumrah bowled at an economy of just 2.70 in his two overs against Scotland, conceding 10 runs to return with two wickets. Fair to say, Bumrah has been one of the most consistent bowlers for the Men in Blue so far and has 5 wickets to his name in four matches. Also Read: Ravi Shastri to coach an IPL team? Ahmedabad franchise approach outgoing India head coach - Report 3) Mohammed Shami Trolled viciously after an off day against Pakistan, Mohammed Shami has since scripted a remarkable turnaround in the tournament. Shami was targeted over his faith and was on the receiving end of horrific abuse on social media after his poor outing against Babar Azam's men. He once again went wicket-less against New Zealand as questions were raised over his place in the team. Shami's redemption came against Afghanistan where he picked up the important wickets of Mohammad Shehzad and Mohammad Nabi to derail their batting line-up and finish with sublime figures of 3/32 in his four overs. That was just the start as Shami once again wreaked havoc against Scotland. The senior pacer responded to his critics in style as he picked up another three-wicket haul against Scotland while conceding only 15 runs from his 3 overs. Shami has been India's highest wicket-taker so far in the tournament with six wickets from four matches. Flops 1) Bhuvneshwar Kumar One of the senior-most members of the Indian squad in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021, Buvneshwar has been around for several years now. He was once undroppable in T20s for India but the right-arm speedster has been struggling with his form ever since his return from injury last year. Bhuvneshwar played in India's ten-wicket loss against Pakistan in the opener and was taken to the cleaners by Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan to concede 25 runs in his three overs without taking a wicket. He was dropped for Shardul Thakur in the next game against New Zealand before sitting out in the next two games as well. There were a lot of expectations from Bhuvneshwar as one of India's prominent bowlers in the T20 World Cup but he has had a disappointing campaign. 2) Hardik Pandya The star all-rounder didn't bowl at all in the second leg of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 for Mumbai Indians but was picked purely as a batter in the World Cup squad despite question marks over his place in the side. While he didn't bowl in the first game against Pakistan, Hardik clearly struggled with the bat. He also picked up a shoulder injury during the game and was later taken for scans leading to questions over his fitness. Hardik was expected to be one of the vital cogs of India's wheel in the T20 World Cup and be a game-changer for the Kohli-led side, however, he has failed to deliver with both the bat and the ball in the tournament. Though he has resumed bowling from the New Zealand game, Hardik is yet to make a significant contribution with the ball and his 13-ball 35 against Afghanistan has been his only major contribution with the bat so far in this year's T20 World Cup. 3) Varun Chakaravarthy Touted as a rising mystery spinner, Varun Chakaravarthy has been a huge letdown for Team India at the T20 World Cup so far. He was picked over the likes of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav in the T20 World Cup squad but has failed to live up to the expectations in what has been a woeful campaign for him so far. After going wicket-less in the first two games against Pakistan and New Zealand, Chakaravarthy was rightfully dropped from the playing XI against Afghanistan before making a comeback in the Scotland encounter. He once again failed to pick up a wicket against Scotland and is yet to open his account despite having bowled 11 overs in the tournament so far.

Hits and flops from India's T20 World Cup 2021 campaign

Indian skipper Virat Kohli visited Scotland's dressing room after the Men In Blue registered a thumping eight-wicket victory against the Scots in a crucial T20 World Cup contest on Friday (November 5) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli visited Scotland's dressing room after the Men In Blue registered a thumping eight-wicket victory against the Scots in a crucial T20 World Cup contest on Friday (November 5) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai. After winning the toss and electing to field first, the Indian bowling department produced a mind-blowing show and bundled out Scotland for 85 in 17.4 overs. Thanks to fiery knocks by the openers Rohit Sharma (30) and KL Rahul (50), India chased down the target in 6.3 overs, which has boosted their net run rate and also their slim hopes of making it to the semis. IN PICS | Happy Birthday Virat Kohli: Top five records owned by the Indian captain The fate of Virat Kohli & Co. is beyond their control in the tournament after thrashings by Pakistan and New Zealand in their first two games, however, they bounced back in matches against Afghanistan and Scotland with factors that are in their control. Besides matches and the World Cup, the Indian team is also keeping the spirit of the game high as Kohli and some other team members like KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah were spotted visiting the Scotland dressing room. The players were seen interacting with each other. WATCH | India vs Scotland: Birthday luck! Virat Kohli finally wins the toss, his reaction is unmissable "Huge respect to @imVkohli and co. for taking the time. Priceless," Scotland Cricket captioned the post in a series of tweets. See pictures here: Huge respect to @imVkohli and co. for taking the time 🤜🤛 pic.twitter.com/kdFygnQcqj — Cricket Scotland (@CricketScotland) November 5, 2021 × “So guys how do you go about playing on a green one in Aberdeen in April?” pic.twitter.com/jej5ignlp7 — Cricket Scotland (@CricketScotland) November 5, 2021 × Priceless. pic.twitter.com/fBEz6Gp5fL — Cricket Scotland (@CricketScotland) November 5, 2021 × From Group 2, Pakistan have already qualified with eight points and New Zealand beat Namibia earlier on Friday (November 5) to sit in second place with six points. India are placed at third with four points. Importantly for Kohli's team, they now have the best net run-rate in the group should it be required in case of any qualification. After the match, Kohli said that it will be "interesting" to see what happens on November 7, when New Zealand will take on Afghanistan because the result will decide India's fate. "I don't want to say too much about today because we know how we can play. We spoke about 100-120 max, but we restricted them to a total that allowed us to leapfrog everyone else. We spoke about finishing in the 8-10 over bracket," said Kohli.

'Huge respect': Virat Kohli and other team members visit Scotland dressing room after the game - see pics

Virat Kohli is all set to step down as Indian cricket team's captain from the T20I format post the conclusion of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021. Kohli is leading the Men in Blue in his final T20 assignment as the captain of the side and will be playing the shortest format as a pure batter after the showpiece event. The team is also expected to undergo a major overhaul as far as T20Is are concerned after a poor show in the World Cup this year.

India lost their first two matches of the Super 12 in a row against Pakistan and New Zealand and are currently on the verge of getting eliminated from the tournament from Super 12 despite having won comprehensively against Afghanistan and Scotland in their last two matches. India's fate rests in the hands of Afghanistan, who will have to beat New Zealand in their last Super 12 encounter to keep India alive in the race for semi-finals.

While Kohli is set to step aside as a captain after the T20 World Cup, there have been a lot of names that have come up to replace him as the leader of Team India in the shortest format. While many experts have backed Rohit Sharma to be the next T20 captain of Team India, the likes of Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul among others have also emerged as captaincy contenders.

Former Indian pacer Ashish Nehra has named a surprise pick to succeed Kohli as the captain of the Indian team. He feels premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah can be an ideal candidate for captaincy since he is a regular member in the playing XI across all formats and is an important member of the squad.

"After Rohit Sharma, we are hearing the names of Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul [as contendors]. Rishabh Pant has travelled around the world but has also carried drinks and has even been left out from the team before. KL Rahul returned to Test cricket because Mayank Agarwal was injured... So Jasprit Bumrah can be an option too,"&nbsp;Nehra told Cricbuzz.

"As Ajay [Jadeja] said, he's sturdy, a certainty in the team, and is always in the XI for all formats. It's nowhere written in the rule book that fast bowlers can't be captains," he added.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/explainer-what-india-new-zealand-afghanistan-need-to-do-to-qualify-for-t20-world-cup-2021-semi-finals-427196">Explainer - What India, NZ&nbsp;&amp; Afghanistan need to do to qualify for T20 World Cup 2021 semi-finals</a>

While Bumrah is one of the vital cogs of the Indian bowling line-up across formats, he is unlikely to be promoted as a captain anytime soon. Rohit appears to be the likely one to take over the batton from Kohli in T20Is keeping the T20 World Cup 2022 in mind.

&nbsp;

Virat Kohli is all set to step down as Indian cricket team's captain from the T20I format post the conclusion of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021. Kohli is leading the Men in Blue in his final T20 assignment as the captain of the side and will be playing the shortest format as a pure batter after the showpiece event.

Virat Kohli is all set to step down as Indian cricket team's captain from the T20I format post the conclusion of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021. Kohli is leading the Men in Blue in his final T20 assignment as the captain of the side and will be playing the shortest format as a pure batter after the showpiece event. The team is also expected to undergo a major overhaul as far as T20Is are concerned after a poor show in the World Cup this year. India lost their first two matches of the Super 12 in a row against Pakistan and New Zealand and are currently on the verge of getting eliminated from the tournament from Super 12 despite having won comprehensively against Afghanistan and Scotland in their last two matches. India's fate rests in the hands of Afghanistan, who will have to beat New Zealand in their last Super 12 encounter to keep India alive in the race for semi-finals. While Kohli is set to step aside as a captain after the T20 World Cup, there have been a lot of names that have come up to replace him as the leader of Team India in the shortest format. While many experts have backed Rohit Sharma to be the next T20 captain of Team India, the likes of Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul among others have also emerged as captaincy contenders. Former Indian pacer Ashish Nehra has named a surprise pick to succeed Kohli as the captain of the Indian team. He feels premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah can be an ideal candidate for captaincy since he is a regular member in the playing XI across all formats and is an important member of the squad. "After Rohit Sharma, we are hearing the names of Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul [as contendors]. Rishabh Pant has travelled around the world but has also carried drinks and has even been left out from the team before. KL Rahul returned to Test cricket because Mayank Agarwal was injured... So Jasprit Bumrah can be an option too," Nehra told Cricbuzz. "As Ajay [Jadeja] said, he's sturdy, a certainty in the team, and is always in the XI for all formats. It's nowhere written in the rule book that fast bowlers can't be captains," he added. Also Read: Explainer - What India, NZ & Afghanistan need to do to qualify for T20 World Cup 2021 semi-finals While Bumrah is one of the vital cogs of the Indian bowling line-up across formats, he is unlikely to be promoted as a captain anytime soon. Rohit appears to be the likely one to take over the batton from Kohli in T20Is keeping the T20 World Cup 2022 in mind.

'He is always in the XI': Ashish Nehra names surprise pick to replace Virat Kohli as India's T20I captain

India thrashed Scotland by eight wickets in their penultimate Super 12 clash of the T20 World Cup 2021 on Friday (November 05) to keep their semi-final hopes alive in the tournament. India produced a dominant performance with the bat and the ball to register an emphatic victory and massively improve their net run-rate to remain in the race for a top-two finish in Group 2.

Indian bowlers wreaked havoc on the Scottish batting line-up after the Kyle Coetzer-led side were asked to bat first at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai on Friday. Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami picked up three wickets apiece as Scotland were bundled out cheaply for a paltry 85.

In reply, Indian openers KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma went bonkers in the run-chase as they help the team chase down the target in just 39 balls. Rahul smashed 50 off 19 balls laced with three sixes and six fours while Rohit scored a quickfire 30 off 16 balls with the help of five fours and a solitary six. India won the game comprehensively with as many as 13.3 overs to spare.

Post the game, Scotland players requested to visit the Indian dressing room and the Indian players obliged. It was a great gesture from the Indian stars to acknowledge and appreciate the Scotland players, who looked excited to meet and chat with some of the best cricketers in the world.&nbsp;

The likes of MS Dhoni, who is the mentor of the team for the tournament, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, R Ashwin and Hardik Pandya among others were seen sharing their experiences with the Scotland players. BCCI shared a video of the Scotland players visiting the Indian dressing room on their official Twitter handle.

Watch video:

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MUST WATCH: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SpiritOfCricket?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SpiritOfCricket</a> was at its best as Scotland expressed their wish to visit the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> dressing room &amp; our boys made them feel at home - By <a href="https://twitter.com/Moulinparikh?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Moulinparikh</a> 
 
Special feature <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/T20WorldCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#T20WorldCup</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvSCO?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvSCO</a> <a href="https://t.co/pfY3r9evwH">https://t.co/pfY3r9evwH</a> <a href="https://t.co/g6g6A86zve">pic.twitter.com/g6g6A86zve</a>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1456847577010167811?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-will-pack-our-bags-go-ravindra-jadejas-cheeky-response-to-question-on-nz-afghanistan-game-427126">'Will pack our bags &amp; go': Jadeja's cheeky response to question on NZ-Afghanistan game - WATCH</a>

India have now registered two back-to-back dominant victories against Afghanistan and Scotland respectively but their hopes of finishing in the top two in Group 2 depend on the fate of the Afghanistan-New Zealand game. If New Zealand manage to beat Afghanistan they will move to eight points and will finish second to qualify for the semi-finals.

However, if Afghanistan manage to beat New Zealand, India will have to win by a big margin in their last game against Namibia to make it to the next round.

&nbsp;

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India thrashed Scotland by eight wickets in their penultimate Super 12 clash of the T20 World Cup 2021 on Friday (November 05) to keep their semi-final hopes alive in the tournament.

India thrashed Scotland by eight wickets in their penultimate Super 12 clash of the T20 World Cup 2021 on Friday (November 05) to keep their semi-final hopes alive in the tournament. India produced a dominant performance with the bat and the ball to register an emphatic victory and massively improve their net run-rate to remain in the race for a top-two finish in Group 2. Indian bowlers wreaked havoc on the Scottish batting line-up after the Kyle Coetzer-led side were asked to bat first at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai on Friday. Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami picked up three wickets apiece as Scotland were bundled out cheaply for a paltry 85. In reply, Indian openers KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma went bonkers in the run-chase as they help the team chase down the target in just 39 balls. Rahul smashed 50 off 19 balls laced with three sixes and six fours while Rohit scored a quickfire 30 off 16 balls with the help of five fours and a solitary six. India won the game comprehensively with as many as 13.3 overs to spare. Post the game, Scotland players requested to visit the Indian dressing room and the Indian players obliged. It was a great gesture from the Indian stars to acknowledge and appreciate the Scotland players, who looked excited to meet and chat with some of the best cricketers in the world. The likes of MS Dhoni, who is the mentor of the team for the tournament, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, R Ashwin and Hardik Pandya among others were seen sharing their experiences with the Scotland players. BCCI shared a video of the Scotland players visiting the Indian dressing room on their official Twitter handle. Watch video: MUST WATCH: #SpiritOfCricket was at its best as Scotland expressed their wish to visit the #TeamIndia dressing room & our boys made them feel at home - By @Moulinparikh Special feature #T20WorldCup #INDvSCO https://t.co/pfY3r9evwH pic.twitter.com/g6g6A86zve — BCCI (@BCCI) November 6, 2021 × Also Read: 'Will pack our bags & go': Jadeja's cheeky response to question on NZ-Afghanistan game - WATCH India have now registered two back-to-back dominant victories against Afghanistan and Scotland respectively but their hopes of finishing in the top two in Group 2 depend on the fate of the Afghanistan-New Zealand game. If New Zealand manage to beat Afghanistan they will move to eight points and will finish second to qualify for the semi-finals. However, if Afghanistan manage to beat New Zealand, India will have to win by a big margin in their last game against Namibia to make it to the next round.

Spirit of cricket! Scotland players request to visit Indian dressing room, chat with Dhoni, Kohli - WATCH

Pacer Jasprit Bumrah on Friday became India`s leading wicket-taker in men`s T20Is as he surpassed spinner Yuzvendra Chahal's tally.

Bumrah achieved the feat in the ongoing match against Scotland in ICC men`s T20 World Cup here at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday.

Bumrah dismissed Mark Watt to wrap up Scotland innings in the 18th over and went past Chahal`s tally of 63 wickets.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/you-are-my-guiding-force-virat-kohli-reacts-as-wife-anushka-sharma-wishes-him-on-his-33rd-birthday-427013">'You are my guiding force' - Virat Kohli reacts as wife Anushka Sharma wishes him on his 33rd birthday</a>

Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is third in the list with 55 wickets under his belt as Bumrah tops the chart with 64 scalps for India.

Bumrah also has most maiden overs in men`s T20Is. The India pacer has bowled 8 maiden overs while former Sri Lanka bowler Nuwan Kulasekara has six maidens.

Coming to the match, India starred with the bowl as Scotland were restricted to 85/10 in the Group 2 match. Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja were the picks of the bowlers as they scalped three wickets each for India.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/happy-birthday-skipper-indian-captain-virat-kohli-turns-33-426825">Happy Birthday, skipper: Indian captain Virat Kohli turns 33</a>

For Scotland, George Munsey and Michael Leask played the innings of 24 and 21 as no batter of their side crossed the 30-run mark.

Pacer Jasprit Bumrah on Friday became India`s leading wicket-taker in men`s T20Is as he surpassed spinner Yuzvendra Chahal's tally. Bumrah achieved the feat in the ongoing match against Scotland in ICC men`s T20 World Cup here at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday.

Pacer Jasprit Bumrah on Friday became India`s leading wicket-taker in men`s T20Is as he surpassed spinner Yuzvendra Chahal's tally. Bumrah achieved the feat in the ongoing match against Scotland in ICC men`s T20 World Cup here at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday. Bumrah dismissed Mark Watt to wrap up Scotland innings in the 18th over and went past Chahal`s tally of 63 wickets. ALSO READ: 'You are my guiding force' - Virat Kohli reacts as wife Anushka Sharma wishes him on his 33rd birthday Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is third in the list with 55 wickets under his belt as Bumrah tops the chart with 64 scalps for India. Bumrah also has most maiden overs in men`s T20Is. The India pacer has bowled 8 maiden overs while former Sri Lanka bowler Nuwan Kulasekara has six maidens. Coming to the match, India starred with the bowl as Scotland were restricted to 85/10 in the Group 2 match. Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja were the picks of the bowlers as they scalped three wickets each for India. ALSO READ | Happy Birthday, skipper: Indian captain Virat Kohli turns 33 For Scotland, George Munsey and Michael Leask played the innings of 24 and 21 as no batter of their side crossed the 30-run mark.

Jasprit Bumrah becomes India's leading wicket-taker in men's T20Is

Team India will face Scotland in match 37 of the T20 World Cup 2021 edition, being held in the UAE. The Virat Kohli-led Indian team will be squaring off with the Scotland cricket team for the second time in T20 WC history. However, the last face-off was during the 2007 T20 WC, when the match got abandoned due to rain without a ball being bowled.

India are coming into this game on the back of a 66-run win over Afghanistan. After two flop games, the Men in Blue finally looked in their zone versus the Mohammad Nabi-led Afghan side. Their batters finally played with a lot of freedom and looked in their comfort zone despite being asked to set up a target. While the pitch was also favouring them, as compared to the ones offered in Dubai, they will like to follow the same approach as Virat Kohli &amp; Co. still need to work on their NRR and attain two big wins in the remaining two encounters for the semi-finals spot.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/happy-birthday-skipper-indian-captain-virat-kohli-turns-33-426825">Happy Birthday, skipper: Indian captain Virat Kohli turns 33</a>

Scotland, on the other hand, have been disappointing in the Super 12 round. After a solid start in the warm-up games and the qualifiers, the&nbsp;Kyle Coetzer-led side haven't lived upto expectations with a big defeat versus Afghanistan and two close losses, against Namibia and New Zealand. They will hope to produce their best performance versus India and then sign off on a high against Pakistan.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/t20-world-cup-nz-vs-nam-live-streaming-when-and-where-to-watch-new-zealand-vs-namibia-match-426863">T20 World Cup, NZ vs NAM live streaming: When and where to watch New Zealand vs Namibia match?</a>

Match prediction for India-Scotland encounter:&nbsp;The pitch in Dubai has been favouring the chasing side. Both teams will be eager to bat second, with dew also likely to play a part in the evening fixture. However, in the last game New Zealand defeated Scotland at the same venue, batting first (by a slender 16-run margin). Hence, toss will again play a crucial role. India will be eager to bat first and work on their NRR by posting a big score.

While the margin of victory cannot be predicted, India is expected to continue their winning win and keep their slim chances alive of entering the semi-finals.

Team India will face Scotland in match 37 of the T20 World Cup 2021 edition, being held in the UAE. The Virat Kohli-led Indian team will be squaring off with the Scotland cricket team for the second time in T20 WC history.

Team India will face Scotland in match 37 of the T20 World Cup 2021 edition, being held in the UAE. The Virat Kohli-led Indian team will be squaring off with the Scotland cricket team for the second time in T20 WC history. However, the last face-off was during the 2007 T20 WC, when the match got abandoned due to rain without a ball being bowled. India are coming into this game on the back of a 66-run win over Afghanistan. After two flop games, the Men in Blue finally looked in their zone versus the Mohammad Nabi-led Afghan side. Their batters finally played with a lot of freedom and looked in their comfort zone despite being asked to set up a target. While the pitch was also favouring them, as compared to the ones offered in Dubai, they will like to follow the same approach as Virat Kohli & Co. still need to work on their NRR and attain two big wins in the remaining two encounters for the semi-finals spot. ALSO READ | Happy Birthday, skipper: Indian captain Virat Kohli turns 33 Scotland, on the other hand, have been disappointing in the Super 12 round. After a solid start in the warm-up games and the qualifiers, the Kyle Coetzer-led side haven't lived upto expectations with a big defeat versus Afghanistan and two close losses, against Namibia and New Zealand. They will hope to produce their best performance versus India and then sign off on a high against Pakistan. ALSO READ | T20 World Cup, NZ vs NAM live streaming: When and where to watch New Zealand vs Namibia match? Match prediction for India-Scotland encounter: The pitch in Dubai has been favouring the chasing side. Both teams will be eager to bat second, with dew also likely to play a part in the evening fixture. However, in the last game New Zealand defeated Scotland at the same venue, batting first (by a slender 16-run margin). Hence, toss will again play a crucial role. India will be eager to bat first and work on their NRR by posting a big score. While the margin of victory cannot be predicted, India is expected to continue their winning win and keep their slim chances alive of entering the semi-finals.

IND vs SCO, T20 World Cup 2021 prediction: Who will win today's match between India and Scotland?

After India's eight-wicket loss at the hands of Kane Williamson-led New Zealand, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai, the Virat Kohli-led Men in Blue are struggling to survive in the T20 World Cup. The one-time winners India still have three games to play in the Super 12 round, however, they need to win all games and also depend upon other results to progress ahead into the last four.

Post India's drubbing versus the Black Caps, speedster Jasprit Bumrah addressed the reporters in the post-match press conference. Replying to a question, Bumrah blamed the bio-bubble fatigue as one of the striking factors behind India's dismal run in the seventh edition of the T20 WC, being held in the UAE.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-set-to-lose-odi-captaincy-as-india-on-verge-of-early-exit-in-t20-world-cup-reports-426160">Virat Kohli set to lose ODI captaincy as India on verge of early exit in T20 World Cup: Reports</a>

Bumrah told reporters, "Absolutely, sometimes you need a break. You miss your family. You've been on the road for six months. So all of that sometimes play on the back of your mind. But when you're on the field, you don't think of all those things .. Obviously staying in a bubble and staying away from your family for such a long period of time does play a role.

"The BCCI also tried their best to make us feel comfortable .. It's a difficult time. There's a pandemic going on, so we try to adapt but sometimes bubble fatigue, mental fatigue also creeps in."

While India have been on the road since last year's tour of Australia, and have moved from one bio-bubble to another, Little Master Sunil Gavaskar isn't impressed with Bumrah's statements.

He told on Sports Today, "Well look, when you are playing for India, everything has got to recede to the background. It's as simple as that. It's an unbelievable privilege and a huge honor to be playing for and representing your country. There are millions who you know, want to get the India cap, the India colors...

“Nobody should be saying that this [bubble fatigue] is there. There should be no real excuse. You should go out there and give it your best. It's as simple as that. And that's all the Indian fans are expecting. We all know that you can't win every game. This is a sport, you are going to lose. Even the greatest of players in individual sports, even the greatest of teams lose. And this is a great team, make no mistake. The way they have played over the years, it's a top team, this Indian team is a top champion team.

“But it's only in the multi-country tournaments where they have not found their feet. So I think that's something they need to do and not talk about anything else," the original Little Master explained.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-didnt-trust-rohit-sharma-against-trent-boult-sunil-gavaskar-baffled-by-hitmans-demotion-vs-nz-425962">'India didn't trust Rohit Sharma against Trent Boult' - Sunil Gavaskar baffled by Hitman's demotion vs NZ</a>

For the unversed, India toured Australia last year -- shortly after the IPL 2020 edition -- hosted England in all formats early this year, which was followed by the first leg of IPL 2021. Soon after the India leg, the national team headed to the United Kingdom, where they stayed from mid-May to mid-September. After that, the Indian players played the second and final leg of IPL 2021 before shifting their focus on the T20 WC. Thus, things have been tough on the Indian players, even though their dismal performances have left fans disappointed.

India are playing Afghanistan in their third match in the Super 12 round and need to win at all costs. Another defeat will end their campaign in the T20 WC 2021 edition.

After India's eight-wicket loss at the hands of Kane Williamson-led New Zealand, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai, the Virat Kohli-led Men in Blue are struggling to survive in the T20 World Cup.

After India's eight-wicket loss at the hands of Kane Williamson-led New Zealand, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai, the Virat Kohli-led Men in Blue are struggling to survive in the T20 World Cup. The one-time winners India still have three games to play in the Super 12 round, however, they need to win all games and also depend upon other results to progress ahead into the last four. Post India's drubbing versus the Black Caps, speedster Jasprit Bumrah addressed the reporters in the post-match press conference. Replying to a question, Bumrah blamed the bio-bubble fatigue as one of the striking factors behind India's dismal run in the seventh edition of the T20 WC, being held in the UAE. ALSO READ | Virat Kohli set to lose ODI captaincy as India on verge of early exit in T20 World Cup: Reports Bumrah told reporters, "Absolutely, sometimes you need a break. You miss your family. You've been on the road for six months. So all of that sometimes play on the back of your mind. But when you're on the field, you don't think of all those things .. Obviously staying in a bubble and staying away from your family for such a long period of time does play a role. "The BCCI also tried their best to make us feel comfortable .. It's a difficult time. There's a pandemic going on, so we try to adapt but sometimes bubble fatigue, mental fatigue also creeps in." While India have been on the road since last year's tour of Australia, and have moved from one bio-bubble to another, Little Master Sunil Gavaskar isn't impressed with Bumrah's statements. He told on Sports Today, "Well look, when you are playing for India, everything has got to recede to the background. It's as simple as that. It's an unbelievable privilege and a huge honor to be playing for and representing your country. There are millions who you know, want to get the India cap, the India colors... “Nobody should be saying that this [bubble fatigue] is there. There should be no real excuse. You should go out there and give it your best. It's as simple as that. And that's all the Indian fans are expecting. We all know that you can't win every game. This is a sport, you are going to lose. Even the greatest of players in individual sports, even the greatest of teams lose. And this is a great team, make no mistake. The way they have played over the years, it's a top team, this Indian team is a top champion team. “But it's only in the multi-country tournaments where they have not found their feet. So I think that's something they need to do and not talk about anything else," the original Little Master explained. ALSO READ | 'India didn't trust Rohit Sharma against Trent Boult' - Sunil Gavaskar baffled by Hitman's demotion vs NZ For the unversed, India toured Australia last year -- shortly after the IPL 2020 edition -- hosted England in all formats early this year, which was followed by the first leg of IPL 2021. Soon after the India leg, the national team headed to the United Kingdom, where they stayed from mid-May to mid-September. After that, the Indian players played the second and final leg of IPL 2021 before shifting their focus on the T20 WC. Thus, things have been tough on the Indian players, even though their dismal performances have left fans disappointed. India are playing Afghanistan in their third match in the Super 12 round and need to win at all costs. Another defeat will end their campaign in the T20 WC 2021 edition.

'Nobody should be.....': Gavaskar unimpressed with Jasprit Bumrah's bubble-fatigue remark post NZ loss

India lost their second game on the trot in the Super 12 round of the T20 World Cup 2021 edition, being held in the UAE, after going down to Kane Williamson-led New Zealand by eight wickets on Sunday (October 31). After having lost to Pakistan in their opening fixture, by ten wickets, the Virat Kohli-led side were expected to comeback in style and beat the Kiwis. However, India are now on the brink of elimination after losing two consecutive ties by big margins.

After the encounter, Jasprit Bumrah came for the post-match press conference from Team India. While Kohli had come out for the post-match presser after India were thrashed by Pakistan, the 32-year-old chose to skip the post-match meeting after the New Zealand game as Bumrah answered the questions. While the speedster was firm in his replies, former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin feels head coach Ravi Shastri should've come for the post-match press conference, if not Kohli.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/youll-have-to-face-the-nation-md-azharuddin-slams-virat-kohli-for-skipping-presser-after-nz-loss-425910">You'll have to face the nation: Md Azharuddin slams Virat Kohli for skipping presser after NZ loss</a>

"In my view the coach should have come for the press conference. If Virat Kohli doesn't want to attend the press conference, that's fine. But, Ravi (Shastri) bhai should've attended the press conference," Azharuddin said during a discussion on ABP News.

"You can't just attend press conferences after victories, you must give an explanation for defeats too. Sending Bumrah for the press conference was not right. Either the captain or the coach should have come for the presser or someone from the coaching staff," he added.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/never-seen-captaincy-potential-in-virat-kohli-says-danish-kaneria-as-india-near-elimination-in-t20-wc-426089">Never seen captaincy potential in Virat Kohli, says Danish Kaneria as India near elimination in T20 WC</a>

"If you lose a game or two, there's nothing to be ashamed of. But the captain or the coach must come and explain to the nation why the team lost. How can you expect Bumrah to answer these questions? If you are ready to face the media when the team wins then you should also step forward when your team is going through a rough phase," Azharuddin asserted.

India have their back against the wall in the T20 WC. They need to win their remaining games by big margins and hope for some other results to favour them in order to enter the semi-finals. The Men in Blue will now face Afghanistan on Wednesday (November 3) at Abu Dhabi and another defeat will end their campaign in the marquee tournament.

India's group, i.e. Pool B, is topped by Pakistan, who are followed by Afghanistan, New Zealand, Namibia. Kohli &amp; Co. and Scotland occupy the bottom-two spots, respectively.

India lost their second game on the trot in the Super 12 round of the T20 World Cup 2021 edition, being held in the UAE, after going down to Kane Williamson-led New Zealand by eight wickets on Sunday (October 31).

India lost their second game on the trot in the Super 12 round of the T20 World Cup 2021 edition, being held in the UAE, after going down to Kane Williamson-led New Zealand by eight wickets on Sunday (October 31). After having lost to Pakistan in their opening fixture, by ten wickets, the Virat Kohli-led side were expected to comeback in style and beat the Kiwis. However, India are now on the brink of elimination after losing two consecutive ties by big margins. After the encounter, Jasprit Bumrah came for the post-match press conference from Team India. While Kohli had come out for the post-match presser after India were thrashed by Pakistan, the 32-year-old chose to skip the post-match meeting after the New Zealand game as Bumrah answered the questions. While the speedster was firm in his replies, former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin feels head coach Ravi Shastri should've come for the post-match press conference, if not Kohli. ALSO READ | You'll have to face the nation: Md Azharuddin slams Virat Kohli for skipping presser after NZ loss "In my view the coach should have come for the press conference. If Virat Kohli doesn't want to attend the press conference, that's fine. But, Ravi (Shastri) bhai should've attended the press conference," Azharuddin said during a discussion on ABP News. "You can't just attend press conferences after victories, you must give an explanation for defeats too. Sending Bumrah for the press conference was not right. Either the captain or the coach should have come for the presser or someone from the coaching staff," he added. ALSO READ | Never seen captaincy potential in Virat Kohli, says Danish Kaneria as India near elimination in T20 WC "If you lose a game or two, there's nothing to be ashamed of. But the captain or the coach must come and explain to the nation why the team lost. How can you expect Bumrah to answer these questions? If you are ready to face the media when the team wins then you should also step forward when your team is going through a rough phase," Azharuddin asserted. India have their back against the wall in the T20 WC. They need to win their remaining games by big margins and hope for some other results to favour them in order to enter the semi-finals. The Men in Blue will now face Afghanistan on Wednesday (November 3) at Abu Dhabi and another defeat will end their campaign in the marquee tournament. India's group, i.e. Pool B, is topped by Pakistan, who are followed by Afghanistan, New Zealand, Namibia. Kohli & Co. and Scotland occupy the bottom-two spots, respectively.

Sending Jasprit Bumrah wasn't right: Md Azharuddin feels Ravi Shastri should have come for post-match PC

After being thrashed by Pakistan in their T20 World Cup 2021 opener, Virat Kohli-led Team India were hammered by Kane Williamson-led New Zealand on Sunday (October 31), at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in their second game in Super 12.

Being asked to bat first, nothing clicked for India as they managed a below-par 110/7 in 20 overs. In reply, New Zealand sailed past the Men in Blue by 8 wickets courtesy vital knocks from Daryl Mitchell and Captain Williamson. With another defeat, the one-time winners India are almost on the verge of being eliminated from the marquee tournament.&nbsp;

With several experts and former cricketers questioning India's poor run and their tactics, Jasprit Bumrah pointed out that the bubble-life has taken a toll on the Indian cricketers. In their defence, Team India have been on the road since mid-May, 2021 and have played regular cricket since then. To move from one bio-bubble to the other isn't easy by any means and it has started to affect the players.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/54-dot-balls-71-deliveries-without-a-boundary-shocking-stats-numbers-from-indias-flop-show-against-nz-425787">54 dot balls, 71 deliveries without a boundary: Shocking stats &amp; numbers from India's flop show against NZ</a>

Bumrah told reporters post India's thrashing versus New Zealand, "Absolutely, sometimes you need a break. You miss your family. You've been on the road for six months. So all of that sometimes play on the back of your mind. But when you're on the field, you don't think of all those things .. Obviously staying in a bubble and staying away from your family for such a long period of time does play a role.

"The BCCI also tried their best to make us feel comfortable .. It's a difficult time. There's a pandemic going on, so we try to adapt but sometimes bubble fatigue, mental fatigue also creeps in."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/why-did-rohit-bat-at-3-shoaib-akhtar-questions-indias-game-plan-says-it-was-a-lost-squad-against-nz-425758">'Why did Rohit bat at 3?': Shoaib Akhtar questions India's game plan, says it was a lost squad against NZ</a>

India need a miracle now to progress to the semi-finals from Pool B. At present, Pakistan look certain to top the group whereas the fight for the second spot is between the Black Caps and Mohammad Nabi-led Afghanistan.

After being thrashed by Pakistan in their T20 World Cup 2021 opener, Virat Kohli-led Team India were hammered by Kane Williamson-led New Zealand on Sunday (October 31), at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in their second game in Super 12.

After being thrashed by Pakistan in their T20 World Cup 2021 opener, Virat Kohli-led Team India were hammered by Kane Williamson-led New Zealand on Sunday (October 31), at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in their second game in Super 12. Being asked to bat first, nothing clicked for India as they managed a below-par 110/7 in 20 overs. In reply, New Zealand sailed past the Men in Blue by 8 wickets courtesy vital knocks from Daryl Mitchell and Captain Williamson. With another defeat, the one-time winners India are almost on the verge of being eliminated from the marquee tournament. With several experts and former cricketers questioning India's poor run and their tactics, Jasprit Bumrah pointed out that the bubble-life has taken a toll on the Indian cricketers. In their defence, Team India have been on the road since mid-May, 2021 and have played regular cricket since then. To move from one bio-bubble to the other isn't easy by any means and it has started to affect the players. ALSO READ | 54 dot balls, 71 deliveries without a boundary: Shocking stats & numbers from India's flop show against NZ Bumrah told reporters post India's thrashing versus New Zealand, "Absolutely, sometimes you need a break. You miss your family. You've been on the road for six months. So all of that sometimes play on the back of your mind. But when you're on the field, you don't think of all those things .. Obviously staying in a bubble and staying away from your family for such a long period of time does play a role. "The BCCI also tried their best to make us feel comfortable .. It's a difficult time. There's a pandemic going on, so we try to adapt but sometimes bubble fatigue, mental fatigue also creeps in." ALSO READ | 'Why did Rohit bat at 3?': Shoaib Akhtar questions India's game plan, says it was a lost squad against NZ India need a miracle now to progress to the semi-finals from Pool B. At present, Pakistan look certain to top the group whereas the fight for the second spot is between the Black Caps and Mohammad Nabi-led Afghanistan.

'Sometimes you need a break: Jasprit Bumrah feels bubble-fatigue behind Team India's T20 WC struggles

The star all-rounder Hardik Pandya of the Mumbai Indians might not get retained by his current franchise as he is likely to be sent back into the Indian Premier League auction pool, media reports have suggested. The five-time champions will have to make some difficult choices to make in the upcoming mega auction that is likely to happen in December. A recent report has also suggested that teams will be able to retain a maximum of four players.&nbsp;

After the addition of two new teams — Lucknow and Ahmedabad — the narratives of the tournament has been changed. The two new franchises reportedly can acquire three players from the rest of the player pool before the 2022 auction.&nbsp;

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wont-be-retained-by-srh-david-warner-looking-for-fresh-start-to-put-his-name-in-ipl-2022-auction-424812">'Won’t be retained by SRH' - David Warner looking for 'fresh start', to put his name in IPL 2022 auction</a>

Now, talking about the Mumbai Indians team, the news is not good if reports are to be believed as it has been stated that MI will not retain him. As per the report, the top three players who will be retained are skipper Rohit Sharma, India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrsh and West Indies star Kieron Pollard.&nbsp;

"I think BCCI will have three-player retention formula with one Right to Match card. If RTM is not there, there could be four retention," PTI reported citing a senior IPL official, who is tracking the retention market of franchises. &nbsp;

"Rohit Sharma and India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrsh are automatic picks. Kieron Pollard will be third retention. MI's strength is their continuity as these three are pillars of MI," the official added.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/t20-wc-ajay-jadeja-disappointed-with-kohlis-remarks-post-pakistan-clash-says-it-shows-indias-approach-424768">T20 WC: Ajay Jadeja 'disappointed' with Kohli's remarks post Pakistan clash, says 'It shows India's approach'</a>

"At this point in time, there is less than 10 per cent chance that Hardik will be retained by MI. Yes, he might just outperform everybody in the next few T20 World Cup games but even then, chances are dim. If there are four retention or 1 RTM, then Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan are the contenders for that slot," the official added.&nbsp;

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Hardik might still be picked by MI from the auction if he comes within the budget earmarked for him. "Yes, obviously there is a market dynamics and if required MI will pick him from the auction, provided he fits within a specific budget. In order of preference, the first five MI players are Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Kieron Pollard, Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan," the IPL insider stated.&nbsp;

The star all-rounder Hardik Pandya of the Mumbai Indians might not get retained by his current franchise as he is likely to be sent back into the Indian Premier League auction pool, media reports have suggested.

The star all-rounder Hardik Pandya of the Mumbai Indians might not get retained by his current franchise as he is likely to be sent back into the Indian Premier League auction pool, media reports have suggested. The five-time champions will have to make some difficult choices to make in the upcoming mega auction that is likely to happen in December. A recent report has also suggested that teams will be able to retain a maximum of four players. After the addition of two new teams — Lucknow and Ahmedabad — the narratives of the tournament has been changed. The two new franchises reportedly can acquire three players from the rest of the player pool before the 2022 auction. ALSO READ | 'Won’t be retained by SRH' - David Warner looking for 'fresh start', to put his name in IPL 2022 auction Now, talking about the Mumbai Indians team, the news is not good if reports are to be believed as it has been stated that MI will not retain him. As per the report, the top three players who will be retained are skipper Rohit Sharma, India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrsh and West Indies star Kieron Pollard. "I think BCCI will have three-player retention formula with one Right to Match card. If RTM is not there, there could be four retention," PTI reported citing a senior IPL official, who is tracking the retention market of franchises. "Rohit Sharma and India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrsh are automatic picks. Kieron Pollard will be third retention. MI's strength is their continuity as these three are pillars of MI," the official added. ALSO READ | T20 WC: Ajay Jadeja 'disappointed' with Kohli's remarks post Pakistan clash, says 'It shows India's approach' "At this point in time, there is less than 10 per cent chance that Hardik will be retained by MI. Yes, he might just outperform everybody in the next few T20 World Cup games but even then, chances are dim. If there are four retention or 1 RTM, then Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan are the contenders for that slot," the official added. 🚨 NEWS 🚨: BCCI announces the successful bidders for two new Indian Premier League Franchises More Details 🔽https://t.co/FSU4LsAxzj — BCCI (@BCCI) October 25, 2021 × Hardik might still be picked by MI from the auction if he comes within the budget earmarked for him. "Yes, obviously there is a market dynamics and if required MI will pick him from the auction, provided he fits within a specific budget. In order of preference, the first five MI players are Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Kieron Pollard, Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan," the IPL insider stated.

IPL auction: Hardik Pandya unlikely to be retained by Mumbai Indians - Reports

Mohammad Amir, who is a former star pacer of Pakistan, has lauded an Indian bowler ahead of India vs Pakistan clash in the T20 World Cup, which is underway in UAE and Oman.&nbsp;

Amir praised speedster Jasprit Bumrah, hailing him as the best T20 bowler in the world. The 29-year-old also opened up on the ongoing debate between Pak's Shaheen Afridi and Bumrah as he called it "foolish".

On the YouTube channel 'Uncut', Amir said, "See, comparing Shaheen with Bumrah at this point would be foolish because Shaheen is young and he is learning. And Bumrah has been doing well for India since so long and currently, I think he is the best T20 bowler, especially in the death over."

IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/mentor-ms-dhoni-and-billion-cheers-jersey-why-indias-t20-world-cup-2021-campaign-will-be-remembered-forever-422991">Mentor MS Dhoni and Billion cheers jersey: Why India's T20 World Cup 2021 campaign will be remembered forever</a>

"But Shaheen is Pakistan's best bowler at the moment, given the way he has been performing in the last year, year-and-a-half. So, this promises to be a good contest. Bumrah bowls brilliantly with the new ball and among youngsters, Shaheen is the best when the ball is new."

"As far as fast bowling is concerned, Pakistan are better. Hasan Ali and Shaheen are doing well and Haris Rauf too. These are the best T20 bowlers in the death overs. From India's point of view, Bhuvi was struggling in the IPL, so Bumrah is the only one you can say is bowling well," added the former pacer.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/from-javed-miandads-mimicry-to-gautam-gambhir-shahid-afridi-spat-5-epic-moments-from-indo-pak-ties-422722">From Javed Miandad's mimicry to Gautam Gambhir-Shahid Afridi spat: 5 epic moments from Indo-Pak ties</a>

Pakistan's bowling department is led by Shaheen Shah Afridi and Hasan Ali, which looks potent to trouble any opposition in the Super 12 stage.

India and Pakistan are set to lock horns in a high-octane clash on Sunday (October 24). &nbsp;

Mohammad Amir, who is a former star pacer of Pakistan, has lauded an Indian bowler ahead of India vs Pakistan clash in the T20 World Cup, which is underway in UAE and Oman.

Mohammad Amir, who is a former star pacer of Pakistan, has lauded an Indian bowler ahead of India vs Pakistan clash in the T20 World Cup, which is underway in UAE and Oman. Amir praised speedster Jasprit Bumrah, hailing him as the best T20 bowler in the world. The 29-year-old also opened up on the ongoing debate between Pak's Shaheen Afridi and Bumrah as he called it "foolish". On the YouTube channel 'Uncut', Amir said, "See, comparing Shaheen with Bumrah at this point would be foolish because Shaheen is young and he is learning. And Bumrah has been doing well for India since so long and currently, I think he is the best T20 bowler, especially in the death over." IN PICS | Mentor MS Dhoni and Billion cheers jersey: Why India's T20 World Cup 2021 campaign will be remembered forever "But Shaheen is Pakistan's best bowler at the moment, given the way he has been performing in the last year, year-and-a-half. So, this promises to be a good contest. Bumrah bowls brilliantly with the new ball and among youngsters, Shaheen is the best when the ball is new." "As far as fast bowling is concerned, Pakistan are better. Hasan Ali and Shaheen are doing well and Haris Rauf too. These are the best T20 bowlers in the death overs. From India's point of view, Bhuvi was struggling in the IPL, so Bumrah is the only one you can say is bowling well," added the former pacer. ALSO READ | From Javed Miandad's mimicry to Gautam Gambhir-Shahid Afridi spat: 5 epic moments from Indo-Pak ties Pakistan's bowling department is led by Shaheen Shah Afridi and Hasan Ali, which looks potent to trouble any opposition in the Super 12 stage. India and Pakistan are set to lock horns in a high-octane clash on Sunday (October 24).

T20 World Cup: Former Pak pacer opens up on Jasprit Bumrah and Shaheen Afridi's comparison

India and England will lock horns with each other in their first of the two warm-up games before the main draw of the T20 World Cup 2021 commences from October 23. Virat Kohli-led Men in Blue have a stern task in the warm-up encounters, playing strong contenders such as England and Australia, respectively.&nbsp;

For the unversed, both India and England met each other during early 2021 for a five-match T20I series. It will be interesting to see what will be the team combination for both sides as majority of their players were seen in the final leg of IPL 2021 and are well aware of the conditions to be on offer in the UAE. The match will be played at the ICC Academy Ground, Dubai.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/icc-world-t20-shardul-chakravarthy-to-get-a-look-in-indias-predicted-playing-xi-for-warm-up-game-vs-england-421758">ICC World T20: Shardul, Chakravarthy to get a look-in? India's predicted playing XI for warm-up game vs England</a>

Team India will like to make the most of their two warm-up encounters as they have plenty of questions to answer. Their opening combination, bowling attack, Hardik Pandya's availability as a bowler, etc. will be in focus. For England, Eoin Morgan &amp; Co. will hope for their skipper to get some runs under his belt before the main draw of the tournament starts, from October 23. On the other hand, Dawid Malan, Liam Livingstone, etc. will want to make the most of the two games as well after they struggled to get their timing right in the UAE leg of IPL 14. Jos Buttler will turn up on the 22-yard cricket strip after a long gap. Hence, it will be interesting to see how he approaches the warm-up tie.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/t20-world-cup-ind-vs-eng-live-streaming-when-and-where-to-watch-india-vs-england-warm-up-match-421727">T20 World Cup, IND vs ENG live streaming: When and where to watch India vs England warm-up match?</a>

Match prediction for India-England T20 WC match:&nbsp;It will be interesting to see how the two teams approach these warm-up encounters. Needless to say, they will like to get a win under their belt but it also serves as a chance to test their bench strength or tweak few of their combinations. On paper, both sides are very strong but England have some serious power-hitters in their line-up. India isn't far behind by any means and will like to make use of the slow and sluggish surfaces in UAE. Much will depend on how much bounce will the track provide. England might edge past India in the warm-up encounter, given most of the Indian players are still coming out of a gruelling second and final leg of IPL 2021.

India and England will lock horns with each other in their first of the two warm-up games before the main draw of the T20 World Cup 2021 commences from October 23.

India and England will lock horns with each other in their first of the two warm-up games before the main draw of the T20 World Cup 2021 commences from October 23. Virat Kohli-led Men in Blue have a stern task in the warm-up encounters, playing strong contenders such as England and Australia, respectively. For the unversed, both India and England met each other during early 2021 for a five-match T20I series. It will be interesting to see what will be the team combination for both sides as majority of their players were seen in the final leg of IPL 2021 and are well aware of the conditions to be on offer in the UAE. The match will be played at the ICC Academy Ground, Dubai. ALSO READ | ICC World T20: Shardul, Chakravarthy to get a look-in? India's predicted playing XI for warm-up game vs England Team India will like to make the most of their two warm-up encounters as they have plenty of questions to answer. Their opening combination, bowling attack, Hardik Pandya's availability as a bowler, etc. will be in focus. For England, Eoin Morgan & Co. will hope for their skipper to get some runs under his belt before the main draw of the tournament starts, from October 23. On the other hand, Dawid Malan, Liam Livingstone, etc. will want to make the most of the two games as well after they struggled to get their timing right in the UAE leg of IPL 14. Jos Buttler will turn up on the 22-yard cricket strip after a long gap. Hence, it will be interesting to see how he approaches the warm-up tie. ALSO READ | T20 World Cup, IND vs ENG live streaming: When and where to watch India vs England warm-up match? Match prediction for India-England T20 WC match: It will be interesting to see how the two teams approach these warm-up encounters. Needless to say, they will like to get a win under their belt but it also serves as a chance to test their bench strength or tweak few of their combinations. On paper, both sides are very strong but England have some serious power-hitters in their line-up. India isn't far behind by any means and will like to make use of the slow and sluggish surfaces in UAE. Much will depend on how much bounce will the track provide. England might edge past India in the warm-up encounter, given most of the Indian players are still coming out of a gruelling second and final leg of IPL 2021.

IND vs ENG, T20 World Cup 2021 prediction: Who will win today's warm-up match between India and England?

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