New Delhi. The Indian cricket team has qualified for the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup 2026, but the ‘Men in Blue’ have not been at their best in the tournament so far. The team was reduced to 77/6 against America. Despite a strong score of 120/2 in 10 overs against Namibia, India could only reach 209 runs whereas against Pakistan, the batting was not very impressive except for Ishan Kishan.
Still, India won all its matches, which shows how strong the host team is and yes, this may be a bit of ‘cherry picking’. When you have a balanced team like India, you are not satisfied with just winning, you want the team to completely destroy the opposition, which has not happened so far.
But the road ahead will not be easy. India has already been placed in Group A along with West Indies, South Africa and either Australia or Zimbabwe. In such a situation, India is going to face a tough challenge in Super 8. This means that India will have to come with full preparation. For this, the team led by Suryakumar Yadav can test itself in its last group match against Netherlands. This match has no special significance for India, and that makes it the perfect opportunity for experimentation.
Rest for Bumrah and Pandya?
The best way would be to rest Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya. Bumrah did not play against America due to fever, while Pandya has played in all three matches so far. We know how important both are, this was clearly visible in the India vs Pakistan match. If Bumrah is given rest, Mohammed Siraj will get a chance to test him. He was good against America, but the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad has been one of the most favorable pitches for batsmen in the T20 World Cup. In such a situation, there will be a real test for Siraj and other Indian bowlers. The same thing applies in the case of Pandya, he is starting bowling with the new ball for India. In his place, Shivam Dubey can be tried in this role, as he did in the 2025 Asia Cup final. Whatever the result, Dubey should be given full 4 overs. This will help in assessing whether they can be trusted against top teams or not.
Other possible changes
In the absence of Pandya, Rinku Singh and Akshar Patel may also get additional batting time. Apart from this, other changes are also possible. Washington Sundar can be given a chance. He has not played for a long time due to injury, Varun Chakraborty can be rested in his place, because he has played in every match so far.
India’s probable playing XI against Netherlands
Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Tilak Verma, Rinku Singh, Akshar Patel (vice-captain), Shivam Dubey, Washington Sundar, Mohammad Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.
India has this golden opportunity to improve itself before the Super 8 and if the team makes proper use of this opportunity, then its path to the title can become stronger.