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T20s are all about match-ups. The New Zealand versus South Africa semifinal just proved it. New Zealand did not have mystery spinners but they banked on match-ups and it turned the tide in their favour. While several players have defied match-ups in the past, there are going to be a few key battles in the India-England ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 semifinal. While there is plenty of talk on how Jasprit Bumrah may counter skipper Harry Brook or whether Jofra Archer will trouble Sanju Samson with his raw pace and short-pitched deliveries like he did last year, former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is waiting to see what will be the result of the showdown between captain Suryakumar Yadav and veteran leg-spinner Adil Rashid.
“Surya will be a very crucial point against this England bowling. Adil Rashid is bowling very slowly. You will have to sweep him and the batter who can do it is Surya. This is one match-up I am looking forward to,” Ashwin said on ‘Ash ki Baat’.
“If I were in Surya’s shoes, I would not be worried at all. I am the captain of the team. There is nothing to be worried. It’s okay that the form is a little bit here and there. I know in two-three games he has not scored but the best way to do it is to stay ahead of the game. He needs to think tactically. I am sure he would have done his homework. I think he should go with a blank and clear mind. I don’t see concerns with his batting at all,” the legendary off-spinner added.
Who won the semifinal battles in last 2 semifinals?
In the T20 World Cup 2022 semifinal, a free-flowing Suryakumar was stopped in his tracks by leggie Rashid. The slower, dipping stock ball enticed Suryakumar to go for a big shot. He did not placed it where he had wanted to and got caught in the deep.
In the previous edition, when they met again, Suryakumar did not score a single boundary against him. Despite being relatively quiet against the leggie, he managed to score 47 runs from 39 deliveries. He was eventually dismissed by Archer.
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