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Kaif Blasts India's Bumrah Tactics in T20 WC Loss to South Africa

Former cricketer Mohammad Kaif has pinpointed India's misuse of Jasprit Bumrah between the 7th and 15th overs as the key reason for their heavy defeat to South Africa. He criticized the decision to save Bumrah's overs for the death instead of using him to break the crucial partnership of David Miller and Dewald Brevis in the middle phase. This 76-run loss ended India's 12-match unbeaten streak in the T20 World Cup and is their second-biggest defeat in T20 Internationals. The result has complicated India's path to the semi-finals, forcing them to win their remaining matches with a strong net run rate.

Key Points: Kaif Criticizes Bumrah's Bowling Usage in India's T20 WC Loss

  • Bumrah used early, not in middle overs
  • Miller-Brevis partnership went unchallenged
  • India's 12-match unbeaten streak snapped
  • 76-run loss tightens semi-final race
  • Second-biggest T20I defeat for India
2 min read

"Rohit Sharma never used Bumrah like this": Mohammad Kaif's blunt take on India's loss against Proteas in T20 WC

Mohammad Kaif says India lost to South Africa by misusing Jasprit Bumrah. He claims Rohit Sharma never deployed the pacer this way. Analysis inside.

"We lost the match between the 7th and 15th over. You used Bumrah's two overs early and kept the remaining two for the death. But Rohit Sharma never used Bumrah like this. - Mohammad Kaif"

New Delhi, February 24

Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif believes India lost the first Super 8 fixture against South Africa of the ongoing T20 World Cup between the 7th and 15th over.

He noted that India did not use ace speedster Jasprit Bumrah in that phase to break David Miller and Dewald Brevis's partnership, which took the game away from the hosts.

Kaif also stated that former Indian skipper Rohit Sharma never used Bumrah like this and highlighted that Hitman always preferred to bring back Bumrah after the power-play in the middle overs to get crucial wickets.

"We lost the match between the 7th and 15th over. You used Bumrah's two overs early and kept the remaining two for the death. But Rohit Sharma never used Bumrah like this," Kaif said on his YouTube channel.

"He bowled one over in the middle to break a partnership. There is a big gap between his spells. There is no bigger match-winner in this team than Bumrah. They need to bowl him for just one over in the powerplay, and then get him to bowl the 11th or 12th," he added.

Bumrah bowled two overs in the power-play, scalping important wickets of Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton. Apart from Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, all the Indian bowlers took a hammering from Proteas batters.

Bumrah was brought back into the attack in the 17th over of the innings; till then, the Proteas were firmly in control at 152-5 with Tristan Stubbs on the crease.

South Africa snapped India's 12-match unbeaten streak at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup as they handed the defending champions a 76-run defeat in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

This was India's second-biggest defeat by runs in all T20 Internationals behind the 80-run defeats against New Zealand in Wellington in 2019. In T20 World Cup history, India suffered their biggest defeat.

India's loss of 76 runs against South Africa has tightened their qualification scenarios for the semi-finals. The Men in Blue will have to win the remaining two games with a good net run rate to keep their hopes of defending the T20 World Cup alive.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Hindsight is 20/20. It's easy to criticize after a loss. The plan to use Bumrah early got us two wickets. The real issue was the other bowlers leaking runs in the middle overs. They need to step up.
A
Arjun K
Absolutely agree with Kaif bhai. Bumrah should have been brought back when Miller and Brevis were settling. That 8-over gap was criminal. We missed Rohit's tactical acumen big time in this match.
P
Priya S
It's not just about Bumrah's overs. Our batting collapsed terribly! 76-run loss is embarrassing for a defending champion. The team looked complacent after the unbeaten streak. Need a big wake-up call before the next match.
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Rohit P
Feel for Bumrah. Bowled his heart out, took wickets in the powerplay, and then had to watch the game slip away. The captain and coach need to have a clear plan for our key players. On to the next one, boys! 🇮🇳
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Karthik V
This is a classic case of overthinking. Keep it simple. Your best bowler bowls in the toughest phases. The middle overs were the toughest phase yesterday, and Bumrah was cooling his heels. Basic error.

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