3 England players who could be a threat to India in the Semi-final
India will take on England in the second semifinal of the T20 World Cup 2024 in Guyana. Both teams played some terrific cricket in the league stage and were ruthless for most part of the tournament. However, the real test will begin now, for both sides will have no room for error and must be on top of their game.
England are a dangerous side, with plenty of match-winners having ample experience of the format. Most of their players are capable of winning the game singlehandedly for their team. The last time these two sides met in the T20 World Cup, England outplayed India with a clinical 10-wicket victory.
We look at three England players who will be a threat to India in this game.
Jos Buttler
Jos Buttler is always a threat to any side in T20s and often does well against India. He has the fifth-most runs (475) at an average of 33.92 and a strike rate of 145.25 in 18 T20I innings against India, including four fifties. Jos Buttler’s main role would be to provide a stable start from the top and take high-flying Indian pacers down.
Among all the teams, Indian pacers have the second-most wickets (35) at a fabulous average of 14.20 and a strike rate of 13.71 in the T20 World Cup 2024. However, Jos Buttler has the highest average (115) among batters to have faced at least 50 balls vs pace in this edition. He has been dismissed only once in the powerplay, striking at 144.04 and must step up against India.
Also Read: WATCH: England pacer concedes 43 runs in one over, second-highest in first-class cricket
Adil Rashid
Adil Rashid has the joint-most wickets (9) at 16 balls apiece for England in the T20 World Cup 2024. He will have the onus to bring wickets for England in the middle overs, a phase Rashid has dominated this T20 World Cup. He has 8 wickets at an average of 17.25, conceding only 6.57 runs per over.
Further, the track in Guyana will also suit his craft. The spinners have snared 27 wickets at 15.96 runs apiece, giving only 5.57 runs every over. With the morning start, the surface might be slightly slow, which would aid Rashid, who has extracted anything out of the surfaces throughout the competition. He also has previous experience of playing against most Indian batters, which would be handy in this game.
Reece Topley
Reece Topley might be the dark horse in the game. He has four wickets in two T20I outings against India, and his left-arm angle will be a massive threat to the top-order batters. The surface will have some moisture, which would help Topley get some seam movement, and an early start will also bring some swing into play.
His balls coming into the RHBs will trouble Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who have often struggled to counter them. Further, he has been equally potent against LHBs, snaring 4 wickets at 14.50 balls apiece in T20Is since 2023. It will help him counter the likes of Rishabh Pant, Shivam Dube, and Axar Patel, giving India no space to breathe easy.
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