Rohit Sharma-led Team India has enjoyed a supreme run at the T20 World Cup, with players firing in both the departments. KL Rahul, who looked out of sorts in the initial matches, has found the lost mojo, while talismanic batter Virat Kohli is ruling the batting charts.
Another name, who has made a massive impact, is Suryakumar Yadav. Batting at a strike-rate of almost 200, the number ranked T20I batter has accumulated 225 runs from five matches and is currently India's second-highest run-getter at the tournament. Despite the stellar show, there are a few chinks the management will look to cover ahead of the bumper semifinal tie against England, which is scheduled to be played in Adelaide on Thursday.
Sharing his thoughts on the same line, former India spinner Pragyan Ojha feels the entire unit need to step up and not rely on any individual. Sharing a word of caution for Rohit and Co., the ex-cricketer feels that opposition will specifically be targeting Suryakumar, while highlighting his contribution in helping India pile massive totals on the board.
"Whatever happened in the past you can be really happy about it, but in the future, in the semifinal or if India go ahead and play the final, people will start targeting someone like Suryakumar Yadav.
{{/usCountry}}"Whatever happened in the past you can be really happy about it, but in the future, in the semifinal or if India go ahead and play the final, people will start targeting someone like Suryakumar Yadav.
{{/usCountry}}"They have been watching him very closely. I am very sure England would have planned really well against him because they know he is a guy who has been really doing it for the Indian team when they needed him the most," Ojha noted during an interaction with India Today.
Citing the example of Suryakumar's blazing 25-ball 61 against Zimbabwe, Ojha stated that India would have found themselves below 150 had the star batter not fired big. "In the last game the fifty that Suryakumar Yadav got, had he not got that, I think India was well under 150. That is something which all the teams must be noting down. That is the reason I am saying when you are playing knockouts it is not one individual," the former spinner said.
While Rahul scored consecutive half-centuries, and Kohli is enjoying imperious form, team skipper Rohit is yet to fire big at the tournament. Now with the World Cup entering the business end, Ojha feels the top order need to equally distribute the responsibility against England.
"It's the entire top order that has to come and deliver. They should equally divide the pressure amongst themselves. You will not want a superhero, you will want four to five heroes for the last two days where they can manage everything in between themselves," he said.