T20 World Cup 2022: Our death bowling is a major issue – Saba Karim

Former Indian selector Saba Karim believes the team’s death bowling is a major issue ahead of the T20 World Cup 2022. India’s fast bowlers haven’t been at their best while bowling at the fag end of the innings as they have failed to hit the right areas.

Jasprit Bumrah, who is India’s best bowler, has been ruled out with a back injury and it is a massive blow. Bhuvneshwar Kumar hasn’t been in the best of forms and had leaked runs in the Asia Cup as well as in the series against Australia.

Harshal Patel recently returned in the series against Australia and South Africa but he hasn’t been at his best. Furthermore, Arshdeep Singh has been a bit expensive in the last couple of matches.

While Indian batting has done a fine job for the team, death bowling has been a major issue in the recent past. Indian bowlers conceded 46 runs in the last two overs of the second T20I and they were taken for 73 runs in the final five overs of the third game against South Africa.

“However much he (Rohit Sharma) tries to deny it and try to give confidence to the bowlers, our death bowling is a big issue. I think it is posing a lot of headaches to the team management and to Rohit Sharma. It seems like whenever we try and figure out one problem or we try and plug one hole, there are several others that come up. We were doing pretty well in terms of trying to pick wickets in the powerplay, we have been able to stop that and suddenly we have this issue of leaking far too many runs in the death overs. So, they need to work this out as soon as possible,” Karim said on SPORTS18’s show ‘SPORTS OVER THE TOP’.

On the other hand, Suryakumar Yadav has been in sublime form in the recent past. SKY scored 119 in the three matches against South Africa and Karim added that his form is going to hold the key for the Indian team in the T20 World Cup.

“Well one thing I can say is – India’s chances of winning the World Cup depend largely on Suryakumar Yadav’s form and I say this because he plays in such a difficult position. In the middle overs, in the T20 format to play with such a high strike rate is not so easy but it comes so easy for Suryakumar Yadav because of his skill, and experience and he’s so dexterous. He’s got an uncanny ability to find the gaps in the right areas, at times he toys with the bowling and there are several vacant areas which he is able to exploit so easily. So yes Suryakumar Yadav, I hope and pray that he does well and continues with this form even in the World Cup,” he pointed out.

India will begin their T20 World Cup campaign against Pakistan at the iconic MCG on 23rd October.