The essence of a reality check lies in its surprise. It comes when you least expect it.
Here was India, a three-time T20 World champion, reconvening for what should have been a straightforward two-match series against Ireland, a five-game tour of England and, finally, a three-match contest in Zimbabwe.
In losing six of these 10 games, India hardly lived up to its billing. A 0-2 reverse to Ireland was dismissed as rust, but there was no hiding on the other side of the Irish Sea, in the 0-4 drubbing by England that laid bare its flaws.
India was hardly the perfect team during its second run to the title. Suryakumar Yadav spared India the blushes with his match-saving 84 against the USA in the opener itself. Sanju Samson then mustered the courage to pull India through in the last three games, shielding an unconvincing middle order.
After the second title, the team management moved on from Suryakumar, now 35, and the charge was passed on to Shreyas Iyer for this cycle. Samson lost his place to the flamboyant prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. It was perhaps the right intent for a format that demands rapid evolution. However, intent only takes you so far.
Emulating the high-octane approach that grabs the eyeballs in the Indian Premier League is what set the team on its downward spiral. On larger grounds, with a bit more juice in the surfaces for the bowlers, the Indian batters slumped.
Across the five games, against back-of-a-length deliveries, the Indian batters averaged 24 and lost 12 wickets. In comparison, England scored 61.25 per wicket and lost just four batters to this length. Apart from Shreyas, who managed 218 runs, the most an Indian batter amassed across five innings was 131 runs (Abhishek Sharma).
Abhishek Sharma endured a lean run across the Ireland, England and Zimbabwe series, with mounting pressure to rediscover his touch in India’s crowded T20 batting order. | Photo Credit: AP
This batting dip should be alarming for a management that obsesses over stacking all-rounders. In both the games against Ireland, India fielded three all-round options; four if Harshit Rana makes the cut in your estimation.
Suryansh Shedge was one of these all-rounders, and giving him a look-in makes sense since India is preparing for its title defence in Australian conditions. But eventually, head coach Gautam Gambhir will have to narrow down his options.
Hardik Pandya is still indispensable and a definite starter in Australia in 2028. Excusing the fact that he was sent in to bat at No. 8 in the third game against England, the team still banks on Shivam Dube, as much for his medium pace as for his finishing. That leaves room for only one of Axar Patel and Washington Sundar. Axar will be 34 when the next World Cup arrives in 2028, making this cycle a crucial one in his bid to hold on to his place.
Then there is the curious case of Tilak Varma, who is everywhere and nowhere at once. He has batted in four different positions this year alone, and his struggles against spin are well exposed. For now, slotting him in as a finisher seems the only convenient option, one that protects him from spinners and lets him take on pace at the death.
India’s batters eventually tempered their instincts in the 3-0 win over Zimbabwe, none more evidently than Sooryavanshi’s calculated 49-ball 81 in the third and final T20I. Ishan Kishan also appeared to have emerged from his lean run in Europe when he notched up 81 in the second T20I against Zimbabwe.
The only one not to escape the muddle was Abhishek, who has 40 runs to show for his last six innings. With India having riches of opening batters, the southpaw should be well aware of the consequences of not regaining his mojo.
In troubled times, depth can be a great aid, as India found with its bowling department, the silver lining from this T20 stretch. Prince Yadav, Ashok Sharma and Yash Thakur were handed debuts over the three series after injuries ruled out Harshit and Washington, while Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna were given a rest for the Zimbabwe tour.
The road ahead looks simpler for the pace battery. If India can squeeze four overs out of Dube, a fit Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep are the obvious picks, with Harshit and Prasidh being the backups.
India’s toothless bowling during the England series, where Arshdeep was the highest wicket-taker with four scalps in five games, was a reminder of what Bumrah and Pandya bring to the table. With an ODI World Cup looming in 2027, the two might prioritise the 50-over format for the next 12 months. However, even in their absence, their T20 credentials will not take a hit.
Zeroing in on a spinner is clearly the greater challenge at hand. Kuldeep Yadav’s exclusion was baffling, especially at a time when Varun Chakaravarthy is struggling with waning form and a slew of injuries. The left-arm unorthodox played just one game in the World Cup and somehow has not convinced the management.
Ravi Bishnoi had the chance to make a case, but his inconsistent form cost India a game against England and left him with more to do.
India’s search for the right balance could leave room for only one of Axar Patel and Washington Sundar, putting renewed focus on Axar’s all-round value. | Photo Credit: ANI
India has 16 more T20Is this year, assuming it makes the Asian Games final, and eight of those are in home conditions. All three tweakers should get enough game time to draw the selectors’ interest. None should be more charged than Axar to remind everyone of his value in the shortest format.
Timing is what ultimately gives a reality check its value.
As unpleasant as it might have been, India’s 16-series winning streak coming to a halt at least nudges it in the right direction. With the current cycle still new, this reality check could not have come at a better time. The World Cup is still 27 months away, giving India enough time to intervene, mend its flaws and attempt a three-peat on its best possible footing.
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Published on Jul 27, 2026