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Cricket PlayersTeam India's two T20 stars who need to up their game at home ahead of World Cup
India vs England: Under Virat Kohli, India's performance in limited overs cricket has been extremely consistent, but they have failed in the crucial stages of big tournaments.
The five-match T20I series against England begins from Friday in Ahmedabad and with that begins Team India's preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup at home. Five years ago India lost in the semi-final of the last global T20 event, which too was played in India.
The Indian team has not won an ICC tournament since winning the 2013 Champions Trophy and the fans and the players themselves are getting impatient. Under Virat Kohli, India's performance in limited overs cricket has been extremely consistent, but they have failed in the crucial stages of big tournaments. Losses in the 2017 Champions Trophy final and the 2019 World Cup semi-final have left this talented bunch hurt and hungry for success.
But for India to win a global trophy at home, they need all the cogs in the wheel to function well. While the team has a good pace attack and a strong top order, they need to strengthen two areas.
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The dramatic loss of form of India's wrist spinners has left the team management in a bit of a spot. Both Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal have seen a massive drop in their performances and that has left India without any big wicket-takers in the middle overs.
While Kuldeep has struggled to keep his place in his IPL franchise too, Chahal has managed to hold his own for Royal Challengers Bangalore and needs to up his game to get back to wicket-taking form in international cricket.
Chahal made a big impact as a concussion substitute in the first T20I against Australia but didn't do too well thereafter. He in fact has one of the worst averages in T20Is since 2019 and his home form too has taken a huge hit.
India need Chahal to bowl well in the middle overs and pick wickets, to have control over the opposition's scoring rate. Kohli would hope his RCB mate gets his mojo back in the England series and carries the form into IPL 2021.
The other player who needs to hit form in home conditions is Hardik Pandya. While the jury is still out on whether he can be a capable enough bowler after his back injury, Pandya showed his ability with the bat in the series down under as he won matches with his big hitting.
Hardik's power-hitting was a major contributor to Mumbai Indians' title winning campaign in UAE last year and he carried the form to Australia for the national team.
But his home form in T20Is has been terrible. Not only has he failed to score big runs down the order, his strike rate too has been abysmal and that will be a big worry for the team.
Pandya is a bona fide match winner with the bat and India need him to do the job of a finisher, like he does for Mumbai Indians.
If both Chahal and Pandya can get going in home conditions for the Indian team, then Virat Kohli can be confident of holding an ICC trophy in his hands very soon.
And the series against England is when the clock starts ticking for these two players to get back to their best on home soil.
