T20 World Cup 2026: Team India will play its next match against Pakistan in the 2026 T20 World Cup. However, tensions have increased for the Indian team ahead of this match. Four major reasons could put the Indian team in trouble.

IND vs PAK, T20 World Cup 2026: The grand finale between India and Pakistan in the 2026 T20 World Cup is scheduled to take place on February 15th at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The match has already generated considerable buzz, particularly due to political controversies and boycott threats, but now the match has been finalized. However, Team India faces some challenges in this high-voltage clash. Despite their recent victory against Namibia, there are four major reasons why Team India appears to be in a difficult position.

Questions on Abhishek Sharma's fitness

The team's explosive opener, Abhishek Sharma, is battling a stomach infection. He was hospitalized after the first match, forcing him to miss the Namibia match. However, he has now been discharged, and the team management is cautious. Captain Suryakumar Yadav also hinted that it may take him one or two more matches to return. In such a situation, if Abhishek Sharma does not play against Pakistan as well, the team's tension could increase.

Rinku Singh's poor form

Rinku Singh, who plays the role of a finisher in the middle order, hasn't performed well in this tournament so far. In the first match, he managed only 6 runs off 14 balls, without hitting any fours or sixes. In the second match, he managed only 1 run off 6 balls, which is a major concern for Team India. Rinku is usually known for his explosive batting, but currently, his bat seems to be silent.

Batsmen stranded against spinners

In the Namibia match, India scored 209 runs, but the team was hampered by spin in the middle overs. Namibian spinners like Bernard Scholtz and Gerhard Erasmus took wickets and restricted India in the middle overs. This means that the Indian batsmen's weakness against spin has once again been exposed. Pakistan has a strong spin attack, and the Colombo pitch could be spin-friendly, which could prove to be a major threat to Team India.

Bowling weakness in the powerplay

Namibia got off to a quick start in the powerplay, and India's bowlers proved expensive in the beginning. The team suffered an early setback when they conceded runs in the powerplay. Namibia scored 57 runs for the loss of one wicket in the first six overs. The powerplay could be crucial against Pakistan, where their openers can be aggressive. India's bowlers need better control, or Pakistan could post a big total.

PC:TV9Bharatvarsh