All posts tagged: Cricket analysis

BCCI calls this a ‘bad phase’. Trent Bridge suggests it’s a method problem

BCCI calls this a ‘bad phase’. Trent Bridge suggests it’s a method problem

Published by Webster

Four months ago, Suryakumar Yadav lifted a T20 World Cup trophy in Ahmedabad. On Saturday, he will watch from outside the XI as India try to salvage pride at Southampton, having already lost this series, their second straight defeat in a fortnight after a three-year run without one ended in a shock whitewash to Ireland. A loss here also costs India the world No. 1 T20I ranking they’ve held since 2022. In between, he lost the captaincy, then his place in the team altogether. Nothing about his batting changed. What changed is that India, having won a tournament playing one way, discovered it does not know how to play any other way, and needed someone to blame for that first. The clearest proof came at Trent Bridge, where India folded for 76, their second-lowest total in T20I history. Five wickets went down inside the powerplay alone, 54 for 5, the earliest India have ever lost five in a men’s T20I. Abhishek Sharma mistimed a top edge to point. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi gloved an Archer bouncer behind. …

Shreyas Iyer remains winless as India T20I captain after record 125-run defeat

Shreyas Iyer remains winless as India T20I captain after record 125-run defeat

Published by Webster

It feels like 2011 again. Where an empire that looked unshakable only months back has been brought to the ground in the most stunning fashion. Three months after becoming the first team ever to successfully defend the T20 World Cup, India remain winless on their trip to Ireland and the UK and are staring at a second successive series defeat, having already lost to Ireland. Set 202 to win in Nottingham, with MS Dhoni watching from the stands on his 45th birthday, India folded for 76 in 11.4 overs, losing by a record 125 margin – their worst ever- on Tuesday, and go 0-2 down in the series. As has been the case throughout this tour, India failed to bring their A-game to the fore and paid for it. It is the first instance where India are without a win in five successive matches. A new T20 cycle calls for changes in personnel. But given India’s depth, the fact that they have been listless so far is a concern. A series that promised fireworks is …

Which new shots has Vaibhav Sooryavanshi added to his armoury this year?

Which new shots has Vaibhav Sooryavanshi added to his armoury this year?

Published by Webster

Vikram Rathour told Saba Karim when the former stumper wondered aloud if Vaibhav Sooryavanshi might face second-season blues this year, ‘Saba, just wait and watch.’ I think he is equally prepared to handle any kind of delivery.” Speaking to JioHotstar, Karim said Sooryavanshi is reading bowlers quickly – calling it his best quality. While the world awaits his inauguration in international cricket, Sooryavanshi has added a broad swath of shots to his repertoire in 2026, and looks ready, Karim said. “This is the best trait of Vaibhav’s batting. He realises very quickly where the bowlers might target him, takes a few balls to assess whether he has the shots in his armoury to score against those deliveries, and prepares accordingly,” Karim explained, elaborating, “That kind of preparation is what he has done. That’s why this year we have seen him start to play the upper cut against shorter deliveries, hit through the covers with a strong base, go over long-off, over cover, and play inside-out shots. All these shots that he has added to his …

No transition in sight as India back T20 World Cup core

No transition in sight as India back T20 World Cup core

Published by Webster

The first squad announcement after a disappointing ICC tournament usually offers clues about where a team is headed. Sometimes it marks the beginning of a rebuild. Sometimes it rewards domestic performers. Sometimes it signals that the next cycle has begun. India’s squad for the Asian Games in Japan does none of that. Barely two days after crashing out in the group stage of the Women’s T20 World Cup, the selectors have retained virtually the entire squad. The only change sees wicketkeeper G. Kamalini replace Yastika Bhatia, while Harmanpreet Kaur remains captain and Smriti Mandhana vice-captain. The message is clear: despite another underwhelming ICC campaign, the management continues to back the same core. There is nothing inherently wrong with that. Successful teams do not rip up their plans after every setback. Australia, for instance, have often resisted the temptation to make wholesale changes after a poor tournament because they trust proven players to respond. The difference is that Australia’s core has consistently repaid that faith. India have repeatedly flattered to deceive on the biggest stage. ALSO …

Not playing in the V hurt Indian batsmen during Ireland series

Not playing in the V hurt Indian batsmen during Ireland series

Published by Webster

5 min readJun 29, 2026 02:20 PM IST An honest assessment of India’s series loss to Ireland, the first in three years, came from their assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate. Candid and frank, the former Dutch captain said there is disbelief in the camp. But equally important was what he said next. “That (the conditions) was essentially our undoing. It’s things we spoke about before, but we just didn’t address it well enough out in the middle. I think the big thing was the wind. Again, absolutely no excuses, but when presented with a different challenge we have to find solutions of playing in a different manner, in a better manner,” Ten Doeschate said after the series loss that came just three months after India won their second successive T20 World Cup. Over two days in Belfast, where they failed to chase 183 and 155, the batsmen’s performance before the England series begins Wednesday is worrisome. This batting group has been together for a while. Before landing in Ireland, they played all their cricket in …

Former opener says Gill-Rohit partnership is ‘Greatest pair in ODI cricket’

Former opener says Gill-Rohit partnership is ‘Greatest pair in ODI cricket’

Published by Parlour News

2 min readJun 12, 2026 02:34 PM IST Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma have dovetailed pretty well at the top of the order. While Rohit has been more aggressive with his batting, Gill played the second fiddle in the initial overs but went on to make consistent scores and anchor the middle overs, becoming a reliable batter. Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra lauded the pairing. “Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma’s opening partnership, it is right now the greatest pair in ODI cricket. We are talking about more than 2,000 runs. I am looking at the average. Theirs is 63.8, Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy had an average of 58.4, Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes had an average of 52.6, and Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar had an average of 49.3,” the former India opener said. “They have scored 2,360 runs, and have 14 fifty-plus stands and seven century partnerships. So, this is the modern-day best opening combination in terms of the average. That actually is a good story,” he added. “Rohit Sharma is only six …

Gill, Sai, Buttler_ _ _ _Rabada, Siraj, Rashid: The glaring GT gap

Gill, Sai, Buttler_ _ _ _Rabada, Siraj, Rashid: The glaring GT gap

Published by Webster

Ever since they joined the Indian Premier League (IPL) fold in 2022, Gujarat Titans (GT) have built a reputation as one of the smartest, most methodical franchises in the league. They built their squad around a strong bowling attack, an efficient top-order and the right balance of experienced Indian and overseas players. Yet, when the dust settles on another season where they remained largely consistent before faltering in the final, GT will be left circling back to the same question they have been asking for a while now: how to build a middle-order that supports the opening duo? Much of the Titans’ identity in IPL 2026 again revolved around two names that have now become synonymous with the franchise: Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan. Between them, they don’t just open the innings but also form the batting backbone. Gill finished with 732 runs, Sudharsan with 722, and the opposition targeted their wickets more than those of anyone else in the team. Yet, beyond them, the transition between consolidation to late-innings explosion remained GT’s most glaring …

Stuart Broad on GT’s tactics

Stuart Broad on GT’s tactics

Published by Webster

2 min readJun 1, 2026 07:03 PM IST Gujarat Titans slightly changed their batting order during the final against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Jos Buttler, who batted at number three for the franchise, was demoted to number four, and Nishant Sindhu came in to bat at three. “Buttler batted at 3 throughout the tournament. And then came the final, batting first, he moved down to bat at 4. I can’t get my head around why you changed the role in the final. Even AB de Villiers said it was a defensive move,” Broad said on the for the love of cricket YouTube channel. Analysing the move, Broad predicted that the change might have come because GT felt the wicket could improve for batting in the second innings. “Buttler dropping down was surprising as it’s not like he’s not exposed to the new ball, having opened so much for England. It does seem slightly curious. The only rationale behind the move was the think tank feeling the pitch was going to get better and have the …

Former India batter warns RCB ahead of GT Qualifier 1 match

Former India batter warns RCB ahead of GT Qualifier 1 match

Published by Webster

2 min readUpdated: May 26, 2026 01:05 PM IST Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar has raised an unusual warning for the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru ahead of their Qualifier 1 match against the Gujarat Titans at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on Tuesday. According to Manjrekar, RCB could be in for some trouble if their star batter and senior opener Virat Kohli tends to shoulder excessive responsibility in high-pressure matches all by himself. While Kohli has been in top scoring form through another reason with his scoring rates up in the 160s, RCB are entering the Playoffs match on the back of a 55-run defeat to the SunRisers Hyderabad. There is also uncertainty looming over Kohli’s opening partner in the contest, with Jacob Bethell ruled out of the tournament and availability of fellow Englishman Phil Salt still hanging under a cloud. Manjrekar urged that RCB should be able to stick to the template where Kohli will not assume the anchor’s role with a sacrifice on the strike rate to play a longer innings. ALSO …