Plenty of gains for the Men in Blue

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India could not person  hoped for a amended  show  heading into the World Cup.

India could not person hoped for a amended show heading into the World Cup. | Photo Credit: NIRMAL HARINDRAN

The sky, admitted Suryakumar Yadav, hadn’t been blue. It is now.

The clouds person lifted. Just successful clip for the ICC T20 World Cup.

Three half-centuries, the Player-of-the-Series award, and a thumping 4-1 win. Captain SKY’s instrumentality to signifier is 1 of the respective gains for the Men successful Blue from the five-match T20I bid against New Zealand, which concluded present connected Saturday night.

No squad would privation to spell into a large lawsuit similar the World Cup with its skipper successful mediocre form, much truthful erstwhile the antheral has been the world’s champion batter successful the format for rather immoderate time. He had travel into the bid without a 50 since October, 2024.

Of course, this mighty Indian batting line-up doesn’t beryllium connected individuals. There is truthful overmuch depth, and style, too.

Ishan Kishan underlined that depth, arsenic helium grabbed his chances with some hands. He has staked a assertion for the ’keeper’s spot arsenic well, pursuing Sanju Samson’s full nonaccomplishment with bat.

Kishan, who didn’t adjacent person a BCCI cardinal declaration not truthful agelong ago, got to play 4 matches due to the fact that of the wounded to Tilak Varma. He has go a beardown contender to unfastened the innings alongside the terrific Abhishek Sharma. With a mates of blinders, Abhishek reminded the World Cup bowlers what they could expect from his blade.

Rinku Singh showed successful the archetypal crippled of the bid however effectual helium could beryllium arsenic the finisher. The bid besides saw the catches pursuing him, and helium didn’t caput that astatine all.

Both the seaming all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube person looked good, too. Significantly, Dube’s 23-ball 65 came successful the lone crippled successful which India’s batting failed to click. The 2 hard-hitting men bring equilibrium to the team.

Axar Patel is besides much than a susceptible T20I batter, too, and his left-arm rotation produced 3 wickets present connected his instrumentality from injury. The different spinning options, Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav person had capable overs nether their belt.

Arshdeep Singh’s maiden five-wicket haul successful T20Is could not person been timed better. That spell came successful the last crippled of the series, arsenic helium became the archetypal Indian to instrumentality 50 wickets successful PowerPlay. He and the magnificent Jasprit Bumrah signifier a formidable duo.

The Indians should beryllium pleased with the formal rehearsal that this bid has been. The injuries to Washington Sundar and Tilak were among the fewer disappointments.

Published - February 01, 2026 06:45 p.m. IST

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