The India cricket team has qualified for the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup 2026. But the Men in Blue haven’t been at their best in the tournament. Against the USA, they were 77/6. Despite being 120/2 in 10 overs against Namibia, they went on to score 209. Against Pakistan, the batting, barring Ishan Kishan, was slightly underwhelming.
Perfect time to experiment
Yet India won each match. That just shows how strong the hosts are. And yes, this is cherry picking. When you have a team as perfect as India does, no one’s happy with just a win. You want them to demolish teams. That hasn’t been the case.
But things are about to get difficult. Two of the teams India have beaten, the USA and Namibia, aren’t likely to qualify for the Super 8. Pre-seeded in Group A alongside the West Indies, South Africa, and one of Australia or Zimbabwe, India will be challenged more than before.
That means India must be prepared. To ensure that, Suryakumar Yadav‘s team can challenge themselves against the Netherlands, which will be their last group stage match of the T20 World Cup. The game holds no significance for India. Which means it’s the perfect time to test yourself.
Who should India rest against the Netherlands?
The best way to do that is to rest Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya. The former didn’t play against the USA due to a fever. While the latter has featured in all 3 matches. We know how important both of them are; everyone saw that in the India vs Pakistan match.
But by resting Bumrah, India can test how well Mohammed Siraj does. He was good against the USA, but the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad has been the best ground for batters in the T20 World Cup. Which means Siraj and other Indian bowlers will be tested more.
The same goes for Pandya. The all-rounder has been opening the bowling for India. Shivam Dube can be tested in that role, just like he did in the 2025 Asia Cup final. Irrespective of how he goes, Dube should be allowed to bowl 4 overs. That way, it can be gauged whether he can be backed/used against the top sides.
Pandya’s absence would allow Rinku Singh and Axar Patel some extra batting time as well. There could be other changes as well. Maybe Washington Sundar could be given a game. The spinner hasn’t played in a while due to his injury. Varun Chakaravarthy might be the one benched for him, since he’s featured in every game so far.
India squad for T20 World Cup 2026
Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel (vc), Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Sanju Samsom (wk), Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh
