India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav reacts after his dismissal throughout the 2026 ICC Males’s T20 Cricket World Cup Tremendous Eights match between India and South Africa on the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on February 22, 2026. — AFP
AHMEDABAD: Defending T20 World Cup champions India want “two big performances” to succeed in the semi-finals after Sunday’s enormous defeat to South Africa, stated their assistant coach.
India got here into the T20 World Cup as sizzling favourites on residence soil however had been thrashed by 76 runs within the Tremendous Eights as 80,000 followers on the huge Narendra Modi stadium had been shocked into silence.
Of their first chase of the event, India’s batting got here up woefully brief within the face of some disciplined South Africa bowling.
India collapsed to 111 all out in 18.5 overs in response to South Africa’s 187-7 as their 12-match win streak within the T20 World Cup got here to a crashing finish.
The magnitude of the defeat has left India with a determined internet run-rate of -3.8 and sure needing to win their final two Tremendous Eight matches convincingly to make it to the semi-finals.
Something much less and India might want to depend on a mixture of different outcomes going their method.
“Very disappointed in the performance,” stated Ryan ten Doeschate.
“When you set out to win a World Cup, don’t expect someone to come and deliver it to you halfway through,” the assistant coach added.
“We’ve messed up on a grand scale and now the onus is on this group of guys to turn it around and put in two solid performances.”
India are grouped with South Africa, the West Indies and Zimbabwe in Tremendous Eights, with the highest two advancing to the semi-finals.
The West Indies face Zimbabwe on Monday evening in Mumbai of their Tremendous Eights opener.
India subsequent face giant-killers Zimbabwe, who’ve already overwhelmed Australia and Sri Lanka, on Thursday in Chennai.
South Africa play the West Indies the identical day in Ahmedabad, the place Aiden Markram’s aspect may put one foot firmly within the semi-finals with one other win.
‘Cloak got here off’
“Obviously, with the way the group goes, you need at least four points to get through now, and it’s going to need two big performances and a big bounce back from everyone,” stated Ten Doeschate.
India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav reacts after being hit by the ball throughout the 2026 ICC Males’s T20 Cricket World Cup Tremendous Eights match between India and South Africa on the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on February 22, 2026. — AFP
India’s fragile batting was uncovered towards an in-form bowling assault led by left-arm fast Marco Jansen, who returned figures of 4-22 from 3.5 overs. Keshav Maharaj took 3-24 together with his left-arm spin.
India´s media tore into the staff on Monday morning.
“Sloppy India reach point of no return,” stated the Hindustan Instances.
India’s ultra-aggressive left-handed opening pair have failed to fireplace, leaving a shaky center order to select up the items.
Ishan Kishan was out with out scoring to Markram on Sunday, whereas the world’s top- ranked T20 batter Abhishek Sharma fell to Jansen for 15, his solely runs of the event up to now after three geese.
“It’s certainly not panic stations,” stated Ten Doeschate, who hinted there could possibly be discussions about India’s batting line-up.
“If those guys (Ahbishek and Ishan) bat for six overs, the score is going to be 70-plus,” stated Ten Doeschate.
“So can we get them to temper the way they’re playing and be a little bit smarter?
“Or will we simply allow them to go on the best way they’re?
“Or do we bring in a right-hander at the top and make a change somewhere in the middle?”
Captain Suryakumar Yadav agreed India want to make use of their brains within the first six-over energy play when solely two fielders are allowed on the boundary.
“Chasing 180-185, you can’t win the game in the power play, but you might lose it,” he stated after his aspect stumbled to 31-3 after six overs, which grew to become 43-4 a number of balls later after which 51-5.
“We lost too many wickets in the power play.”
The 2024 champions even have the burden of historical past towards them. No staff has ever retained the T20 World Cup and no aspect have ever received the trophy on residence soil.
