Impressed with India’s performance in the recently-concluded T20I series against England, former skipper Michael Vaughan said that the addition of Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja in the current squad would make them favourites to win the T20 World Cup, to be played later this year. Former England captain Michael Atherton too said that after the T20I series win over England, India have got to be the favourites to win the T20 World Cup.
After the blistering half-centuries by skipper Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, Indian bowlers restricted England to 188/8 to register a 36-run win in the fifth T20I at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday. With this win, India clinched the five-match series by 3-2 and now both the teams will face off in the three-match ODI series.
“India have adapted brilliantly in this series … the better team have won … Add @Jaspritbumrah93 & @imjadeja to this team in Indian conditions & they are favourites to win the T20 World Cup … Great series to watch .. #INDvsENG,” Vaughan tweeted.
Hailing Team India’s feat, Atherton also added that a tournament like the IPL has helped India develop a strong bench strength and said that it was amazing how India managed to win this series without some of their main bowlers.
“I think so. They probably have more strength in depth because of the IPL and the T20 cricket they play and the fact they have just beaten England without probably three main bowlers. Put all those things together, and the fact they are playing at home, then they are the team to beat,” Atherton told Sky Sports.
However, he added that it won’t be a cakewalk for Team India and picked England and West Indies as two other challengers for the title. “It won’t be a cakewalk England are a very good side and West Indies and other sides are dangerous as well but if you priced it up, you would say India are favourites,” he added.
Kohli and boys displayed a clinical performance in the series decider and England had no answers to what was thrown at them by the hosts.
Kohli’s decision to promote himself as an opener worked wonders in the fifth and final T20I against England as India posted a total of 224/2. Kohli played a knock of 80 runs while Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav played knocks of 64 and 32 respectively.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar also played a very crucial role in the victory as the bowler conceded just 15 runs from his four overs and picked two wickets.
