- February 21, 2026
India Asked To Work On One Department Ahead Of T20 World Cup Super 8s: ‘Slightly Under Par’
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India may have won all of their four Group A matches to enter the Super Eights but there’s room for improvement.
India face South Africa in their first Super Eights clash on Sunday. (PTI Photo)
Four wins from four matches. India’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign has begun in ideal fashion and, as the tournament moves into its next phase, the stakes are only getting higher. India face South Africa in their first Super Eights match in Ahmedabad on Sunday, and a victory would go a long way towards securing a semi-final place.
India have made a “steady start” to the tournament, former coach Sanjay Bangar said, though he added that their performances so far have been “slightly under par”.
In their opener against USA, India suffered a top-order collapse before captain Suryakumar Yadav bailed them out with a match-winning knock. Against Namibia, they looked set for a mammoth total at one stage, only to lose wickets in a heap.
A similar pattern unfolded against Pakistan in Colombo. Ishan Kishan provided a blistering start, before the bowlers delivered a scintillating performance to seal a 61-run win.
India’s batters and bowlers have stepped up at different moments to pull the team out of difficult situations. In their final Group A match against the Netherlands, Shivam Dube’s blazing half-century from No. 5 helped them recover from another scratchy start.
“It’s been a steady start – not quite the kind we were expecting because the expectations were sky-high. India not necessarily bulldozing opponents can make it seem as though they have been slightly under par. However, the good thing is that their best is yet to come,” Bangar said on JioHotstar.
“Another positive is that all the players have had a chance to feature in the playing XI, which augurs well in case there are any injury concerns later in the tournament. All the players are match-ready,” he added.
However, in their last two matches, one area has resurfaced as a concern – catching. After a spotless record in the first two games, India put down as many as six chances in the next two. It is not a new issue.
Bangar believes it is an area that needs attention.
“If there is one department where they would want to improve, it would be catching, because we saw a few chances being dropped against Pakistan and the Netherlands,” he said.
February 21, 2026, 07:11 IST
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