Even ardent England fans won’t proclaim they are beating India in the second T20 World Cup 2026 semifinal. Coming into the tournament, India was not just the reigning champion but also the heavy favourite. The oddsmakers gave India a 30% chance of lifting the trophy on March 8.
Anything but perfect
But the ride to the semifinals has not been easy. After 7 matches, even the Indian team won’t say they’ve had even 1 perfect game. The one loss they had, to South Africa, was a heavy thumping. Even in heavy victories for Zimbabwe and Namibia, one could find several issues.
Yet here we are. Despite underperforming, India has dropped just one game and is in the semifinal. Meanwhile, England almost lost to Nepal and New Zealand. The West Indies did beat them. Stumbling just a bit, India is here. On paper, they are still on the better side.
What’s going on with Abhishek Sharma?
But there’s a lot to address before the India vs England semifinal. Let’s start with form. Abhishek Sharma and Varun Chakaravarthy were the best in their respective fields, at least in the ICC ranking. Yet both have been no-shows. Abhishek has scored 80 runs in 6 innings, which includes 3 ducks.
The issue isn’t a lack of scoring but how he’s playing. Against the West Indies, Abhishek was tentative. That isn’t a good sign. He isn’t someone who waits. He’s happy to register a golden duck rather than scoring a sluggish 15-run knock. But that’s what happened in Kolkata.
India’s bowling assistant coach, Morne Morkel, spoke about Abhishek’s slump before the game. Morkel said these failures will help Abhishek grow. This suggests India will persist with him. Perhaps he just needs support, because he’ll come good sooner rather than later.
“I think just sometimes this game can be hard on you, cruel on you. It’s a similar situation to what Sanju (Samson) found himself in. In your career, you’re going to find moments like this, and this is good growth for him. For a young guy finding his feet in international cricket, this will only help him down the line,” Morkel told reporters in Mumbai.
Are India worried about Varun?
On similar lines, Chakaravarthy’s performance has been a major issue. After taking 9 wickets in the group stage, the mystery spinner struggled in the Super 8, conceding 10.16 runs per over and claiming only 3 wickets. South Africa handled him well, as did the West Indies.
The Wankhede pitch might assist him, but he hasn’t been finding his length. Varun has gone too full or too short far too often. Players are now also looking to just play him off the backfoot. To make amends, he trained hard on the eve of the semifinal. Morkel, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate, and the fielding coach T. Dilip were all assisting him.
“He really enjoys just having a single-wicket practice a day before the game, where he can mentally just go through his process. The conversations we’ve had are just about sort of clarity, and for him just to walk away feeling good about his bowling,” Morkel said.
Butterfingers
Although Varun and Abhishek’s form is an issue. It might not be ‘the issue’ for India. Fielding takes that. After 7 matches, the Men in Blue have dropped the most catches, 13. Among Super 8 teams, India ranked the lowest. It’s been a major issue. Against England, if India remains sloppy, the game could quite literally slip out of hand.
As expected, Morkel was asked about India’s fielding woes. He admitted that India has been guilty of leaking 15-20 runs in games due to poor ground fielding and catching, especially. But he’s certain that players will step up.
“Nobody looks to drop a catch on purpose. It isn’t that we don’t train; we put a lot of focus on it. At times, it’s a mindset thing; I cannot answer that. For us, it is about working hard on it. The players need to take on responsibility on the field. Fielding is something we speak about a lot. At times, we are guilty of giving away 15-20 runs, and it is one aspect we keep working hard on,” Morkel answered.
Catching efficiency (semifinalists)
| Team | Catching Efficiency |
|---|---|
| England | 87.2% |
| New Zealand | 83.9% |
| South Africa | 81.1% |
| India | 72.7% |
6th bowler problem
Considering Varun hasn’t been in form. India has relied upon the 5th and 6th bowlers too much. Shivam Dube, who gets the ball when things do go well, has gone for 113 runs in 9.2 overs. He’s taken 5 wickets while going at 13.28 runs per over. If Varun, or someone else like Hardik Pandya or Axar Patel, doesn’t click, India will have to rely upon Dube.
That won’t be great. Especially since he’s gone for 78 runs in his last 4 overs, 46 in 2 overs against Zimbabwe, and 32 in 2 overs against South Africa. If Dube’s the fallback option, England will be licking their chops.
But the team management continues to back the all-rounder. Morkel, who’s the fast-bowling coach, believes Dube’s execution has been an issue. That, combined with the team’s going after him, has led to these abysmal figures. But the team still considers Dube someone who can deliver a couple of overs when in need.
“I don’t think it’s a loss of bowling form. Shivam knows the game pretty well. At times, our execution wasn’t great, and maybe the thinking behind some deliveries could have been better, but in terms of form, he is a guy who can still give us a couple of overs. For him, it’s about making smarter decisions with the ball. That’s an area we want to improve because, let’s be honest, teams are going to go after him and try to put him under pressure. If we can improve his execution and thinking with the ball, that will help us a lot,” Morkel said.
Cricket
IND vs ENG, T20 World Cup semifinal: Business End but not end of business for India
