T20 World Cup: These players crucial for India to reach semi-finals, Ravi Shastri makes BIG prediction

Team India is among the favourites at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022. India, who will start the campaign against Pakistan on October 23, will look to reach the semi-finals and then go all the way. While the team’s preparations are in full flow with practice matches, former coach and 1983 ODI World Cup winner Ravi Shastri has made a massive prediction of players who will prove to be crucial.

Instead of naming the usual suspects in skipper Rohit Sharma and star batsman Virat Kohli, Sharma has named 3 spots and 4 players who are likely to play the most important role. The spots named are the middle order wickets.

“With Surya (Yadav) at No.4, Hardik (Pandya) at No.5, and Rishabh Pant or Dinesh Karthik at No.6 it makes a massive difference as it allows the top order to play the way they are playing,” Shastri predicted.

Highlighting the importance of the backbone, he said that batters could bring the cup to India. He believes that the importance increases as India is without key pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who is out due to injury.

He also backed the current crop of batters as being good enough to help India reach the semifinals at the T20 World Cup.

“I have been part of the system for the last six-seven years, first as a coach and now I am watching from the outside, and I think this is as good a line-up as India has ever had in T20 cricket,” Shastri said at an event on Wednesday.

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