Former batting legend Sanjay Manjrekar claimed that the Indian team never admitted that the major loss was a wake-up call for them, as India's star batting players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohlinever talked about their low strike rate knock, which cost the team in the semi-final game.
Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar believes that Rohit Sharma and Co.’s 10-wicket loss against England during the semi-final game of the 2022 T20 World Cup, which took place in Adelaide, was the major turning point for India’s T20 squad. The cricketer-turned-commentator further highlighted how there has been a big change in the approach since the defeat. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma and Co. will once again lock their horns against the defending champions in the second semi-final game of the 2024 T20 World Cup, which is slated to take place on June 27 in Guyana. Both sides aim to win this clash, as the winner of this battle sets to face the Aiden Markram-led Proteas camp in the final game.
During the 2022 T20 World Cup semifinal, it was Indian skipper Rohit Sharma who won the toss and invited Jos Buttler and Co. to field first in the game. After opting to bat first, the Men in Blue were able to post just 168/6 in the given 20 overs thanks to India’s all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who made 63 runs from 33 balls. However, India’s skipper Rohit Sharma made just 27 runs from 28 balls, while former India captain Virat Kohli scored 50 runs from 40 balls, which cost them the game. Meanwhile, during the chase, England opening batters Jos Buttler and Alex Hales made unbeaten 80 and 86 runs, respectively, which helped them win the match with 4 overs to spare and 10 wickets in their hands.
Also Read: What happens if India vs England semi-final is a washout
In the same vein, former batting legend Sanjay Manjrekar claimed that the Indian team never admitted that the major loss was a wake-up call for them, as India’s star batting players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli never talked about their low strike rates, which cost the team in the semi-final game. Notably, the England openers made a mockery of the target and chased it down with 16 overs to spare.
“India is completely changed as a T20 side. That was a wake-up call for India. They may not admit it. Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have never confessed that they helped India lose the semifinals, but this new India is a completely different India,” Sanjay Manjrekar said on ESPNCricinfo.
Furthermore, the cricket analyst feels that the Men in Blue have a terrific chance to take revenge for their previous edition loss. The 58-year-old believes that England have a weaker line-up this time as compared to 2022, which is a big boost for the Indian team.
“What’s also good for India is that England is looking a little weaker than they were a couple of years back. So that just helps India’s cause,” he added further.
Also Read: Sanjay Manjrekar lauds Indian team for shedding dependency on Rohit and Virat
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