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So how has Team India fared in T20Is this year so far?
India have in fact emerged as the most successful team in the shortest format this year which also saw them break Pakistan’s record for most T20I wins in a calendar year when they beat Australia by six wickets to clinch the three-match series clinching matches 2-1 in Hyderabad. last month.
The win was India’s 21st T20I win, breaking Pakistan’s record of 20 wins in 2021. In 2022, India have played 32 T20Is against 10 different teams so far. They won 23 and lost eight with one ending in a draw.
How India’s golden run started this year
India started the year on a brilliant note with a 3-0 whitewash of the West Indies in February. It was then Sri Lanka’s turn to get the same 3-0 in the three-match series as India continued its dominant run.
against South Africa
The men in blue’s new season in June after the IPL initially did not achieve the same success as they faced a tough opponent in South Africa at home. India were staring down the barrel and trailing 0-2 in the five-match series.
But the hosts, playing without some of the first-choice players and led by Rishabh Pant, bounced back convincingly with big wins to level the series. The series was split after the fifth and final match was washed out in Bengaluru.
(Five-game series ended in a 2-2 tie)
vs Ireland
India’s next assignment was a two-match series against Ireland in Ireland in which Hardik Pandya was given the responsibility of leading the second string team. India did win the series 2-0 but Ireland gave India a run for their money as they fell short by just 4 runs in a mammoth chase of 226 in the second match.
(India win 2-0)
vs England
No matter who the opponent is, India’s juggernaut in the shortest format has continued to roll on, with full-time captain Rohit Sharma also back in the side. The Men in Blue emerged victorious in the three-match series against a strong English team in their own backyard.
(India win 2-1)
against the West Indies
After a 3-0 drubbing of the West Indies earlier in February, India gave the same treatment to the Windies by clinching the five-match series 4-1 when they traveled to the Caribbean and the USA.
(India win 4-1)
Asia Cup
India’s ongoing problem of not doing well in multi-team tournaments came to the fore again in the Asia Cup. They started the tournament with a convincing win over arch-rivals Pakistan. But in the Super Four stage, Pakistan exacted sweet revenge to dent India’s chances of reaching the final. The eventual winners Sri Lanka also got the better of India to knock them out of the tournament.
vs Australia
After an unexpected early exit from the Asia Cup, India restored parity with a 2-1 series win over defending champions and hosts of the ongoing T20 World Cup, Australia, at home.
(India win 2-1)
against South Africa
India was then again at home against South Africa in less than four months and this time the hosts ended with a series victory of 2-1.
(India win 2-1)
Areas of concern
India suffered a major blow when pace is at the top Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the World Cup with a back injury, further depleting the stock of a team that lacked steam in the final overs in the T20 format.
Skipper Rohit Sharma also recently expressed his concern thanks to the bowlers’ inability to stop runs in the death overs and said – “areas of concern, we have to look at our bowling, what more options can we find in the powerplay, middle and death. ”
Adding to India’s woes was all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja’s absence from the marquee event with a knee injury.
While Team India is number one in the ICC team rankings for the shortest format, they have not lifted the T20 World Cup trophy since 2007 and failed to reach the semi-finals in the last edition.
This time they have Pakistan, South Africa, Bangladesh and two qualifiers in their group.