3 min learnUp to date: Feb 24, 2026 05:50 PM IST
Following their heavy defeat to South Africa within the first Tremendous 8 conflict on the ongoing ICC Males’s T20 World Cup, the Indian cricket workforce discover themselves backed right into a nook. They now must win each their video games, towards Zimbabwe and the West Indies to qualify for the semis. After the Tremendous-8 defeat to South Africa, the Indian suppose tank (and their followers) will preserve one eye on the permutations and combos.
Historical past suggests this isn’t unfamiliar territory for Group India. At the least thrice in current previous, the Indian workforce has fought its means out of back-to-the-wall conditions:
2007: When India fought their technique to T20 WC title
In 2007, on the inaugural ICC Males’s T20 World Cup in South Africa, India’s marketing campaign started with a washout and a tie towards Pakistan, determined by a bowl out. With solely restricted factors on the board, the England conflict grew to become decisive. India responded with a commanding win in Durban, powered by Yuvraj Singh’s six sixes in an over. “We simply needed to remain constructive and again ourselves,” MS Dhoni stated of that younger aspect’s mindset. The title got here later; qualification first required nerve.
2016: When India wanted three wins in three video games
In 2016, throughout the ICC Males’s T20 World Cup at residence, India opened the Tremendous 10 stage with a heavy, 47-run defeat to New Zealand. The equation shortly turned unforgiving: the Males in Blue wanted three wins from three matches. India delivered by beating Pakistan by six wickets in Kolkata, edging Bangladesh by only one run in Bengaluru, after which defeated Australia in Mohali in what was successfully a knockout to make it by way of to the following spherical. Their run lastly ended within the semis, the place the Males in Blue misplaced to the West Indies.
2022: When rain sophisticated India’s path
The sample resurfaced in Australia in 2022. On the ICC Males’s T20 World Cup, India’s marketing campaign started with a nerve shredding final ball win over Pakistan on the MCG, sealed by Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 82-an innings that redefined management amid chaos. However the group tightened after a defeat to South Africa in Perth, which meant that India’s marketing campaign was now not a procession. India then navigated a rain-affected, DLS-adjusted end towards Bangladesh in Adelaide-a match that swung on a late burst from Kohli. “Fairly shut sport, not as shut as we’d’ve appreciated it to be,” Kohli stated within the post-match presentation.
Every of these years — 2007, 2016 and 2022 — featured a window to make it by way of to the following spherical that was shrinking and but Indian groups pulled off escapes. Suryakumar Yadav’s India might want to take heed.