2016 World T20: Team India Report Card

Tags: T20 World Cup 2016, India

Published on: Apr 04, 2016

MS Dhoni's Team India went into the 2016 ICC World T20 as overwhelming favourites, but came unstuck in the wake of a brutal assault on their bowlers by West Indies in the semi-finals at

MS Dhoni's Team India went into the 2016 ICC World T20 as overwhelming favourites, but came unstuck in the wake of a brutal assault on their bowlers by West Indies in the semi-finals at Mumbai. Presenting Team India's report card.
Virat Kohli (9/10): There was only one reason why India deserved to win the title. And that reason was Kohli. The Indian number three continued his stupendous form, and almost singlehandedly pulled India into the semis, with a blazing knock against Pakistan, and sensational one against Australia. He was in his elements in the semis as well, and even delivered with the ball. But, he could only watch in horror as Windies dumped India out of the World T20.
Ashish Nehra (7.5/10): The veteran left-arm seamer continued his good run with the ball, doing what he was brought back into the side for -- getting early wickets. His consistency too was acceptable. Nehra gave it all he had. If anything, he could have been tighter in the semis, but it wasn't to be.
Yuvraj Singh (6/10): Perhaps, Yuvraj was more than just a lucky charm in the team. An ankle injury kept him out of the semis, and India missed him badly. Although, Yuvraj did not score a lot of runs, he kept Kohli company in two key partnerships against Pakistan and Australia. He also claimed Steven Smith's wicket against the latter. The injury may however have ended his international career as India may now look ahead.
Jasprit Bumrah (5/10): After a memorable debut in Australia, Bumrah found out how tough international cricket can be. He misfielded, dropped catches and was taken for runs on a couple of occasions. But, the bright side of it all is that Bumrah fought hard, and kept coming back from tricky situations. One of the future.
Ajinkya Rahane (5/10): Rahane got a deserved chance in the semis after Shikhar Dhawan was dropped. And he played a typical knock, scoring a fluent 40 at an acceptable rate. In hindsight, some may opine that he should have batted quicker. But then, it will be unfair to blame Rahane, for he was actually batting for his place in the team.
MS Dhoni (5/10): The Indian skipper, almost every time, came in with the team needing quick runs at the end. And, he delivered with some breezy cameos. His captaincy though looked at bit jaded, apart from the smart work he pulled off against Bangladesh.
Ravindra Jadeja (4.5/10): When there was help on offer, the left-arm spinner bowled very well, at times he was even unplayable. But, under batsman-friendly conditions he was found out. In the semi-finals against West Indies, he was completely torn apart. With the bat, Jadeja continued to be a disappointment, as he could not make use of his opportunities.
Ravichandran Ashwin (4/10): The offie was expected to be India's match-winner with the ball in the tournament. And, he delivered according to reputation in the initial stages. But, in the two big matches, against Australia and West Indies, he was a failure, and that hurt India badly.
Hardik Pandya (3/10): He held his nerve in the nail-biter against Bangladesh, and also played a nice cameo in one of the league games. But, his inexperience and lack of control with the ball got exposed in the semis against the big-hitting Windies.
Rohit Sharma (2/10): The Indian opener had a torturous time in the series as he kept falling to poor strokes. It was only in the semis that he showed glimpses of form in his 43, but that knock too was cut short by Samuel Badree's brilliance.
Suresh Raina (1.5/10): The experienced left-hander had a point to prove in the World T20, but he could not, getting out to rash strokes. Once again, the short ball proved to be his undoing. Following the disappointing show, his T20 spot could also come under the scanner.
Shikhar Dhawan (1/0): He was the man of the match in the Asia Cup final, and was in form in the warm-ups as well. But, Dhawan completely struggled for runs in the main event, and eventually had to be replaced by Rahane in the semis.
-- By A Cricket Analyst

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