Irfan Pathan has given simple advice to the Suryakumar Yadav-led India national cricket team ahead of their victory in the Super 8 encounter against Zimbabwe in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. The former T20 World Cup winner wants India to forget about the net run rate and focus only on winning.
After the 76-run loss to South Africa, the defending champions will have to win the next two Super 8 matches against Zimbabwe and West Indies by big margins to qualify for the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2026.
Forget NRR, just win: Irfan Pathan to Suryakumar Yadav
Now only net run rate can decide everything. Pathan feels that thinking about big winning margins will only put pressure on the Men in Blue. The cricket pundit said that winning by 100 runs in T20Is is not easy, and if players start thinking too much about the net run rate, they may lose focus.
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Irfan Pathan said on JioStar’s Follow the Blues: “I really hope that the approach of playing for the net run rate will not come at the beginning of the game. The priority should be to win the game first. So, perform well and try to win. Only then you should think about the run rate.”
If you start thinking about chasing West Indies’ net run rate, it is almost impossible. This would mean defeating teams like Zimbabwe and West Indies by a margin of 100 runs, which is not easy in T20 cricket. So, I fully expect that when the Indian team plays these next two matches, the main focus will be only on winning first.
Left hand combination is troubling India
India’s batting is also another issue. There are three left-handed batsmen in the top order – Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Tilak Verma. But Abhishek is badly out of form. He has scored only 15 runs in four matches. Ishan is not able to perform consistently, while Tilak has scored runs but his strike rate is poor.
Suryakumar Yadav played cautiously due to early wicket fall. The Indian captain is known for aggressive shots, but at the moment he seems more cautious. Pathan has suggested Suryakumar to bat at number three to break the left-handed combination at the top.
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Should Suryakumar Yadav bat at number 3? Pathan suggested bold step
Pathan further explained, “I think Surya can bat at number three. From the team’s point of view, I understand the conservative approach, especially because Abhishek is getting out early. In the last game, Ishan Kishan was out in the first over.”
He signed off by saying, “You wouldn’t want to expose Suryakumar Yadav at number three when he is so effective in the middle overs, scoring 160 runs. If something goes wrong with the new ball, only a good ball can get him out. So, I understand the thinking. However, they still need to consider letting Suryakumar Yadav bat at number three to break the monotony of three left-handed batsmen at the top.”
Notably, India were unbeaten in the group stage, but a huge defeat against South Africa and then West Indies’ comprehensive win over Zimbabwe spoiled things for the Men in Blue in the Super 8.
