Flops Of T20 World Cup
The 2022 T20 World Cup wasn’t kind to a few great names in world cricket. They had a tough tournament either with the bat or ball. Australian conditions weren’t the easiest for players to thrive. Despite these stars playing a minimum of 5 games apiece couldn’t get going whatsoever. Let us look at Flops Of T20 World Cup here in detail.
It was their inability to perform that pegged back their respective sides. No fan or cricket expert would have envisioned for these players to falter but such is the nature of the beast.
We look at Flops Of T20 World Cup:
#1 Kane Williamson
There was a lot of debate surrounding Kane Williamson’s form heading into the World Cup. It was argued that his best years as a T20I batsman are beyond him. Apart from the game against Ireland, Williamson’s form played right into the narrative. He failed to force the pace in all games. In the semifinal against Pakistan, Williamson’s knock did New Zealand more harm than good. It was a tournament to forget for the New Zealand captain.
#2 Kagiso Rabada
In a four-pronged pace attack, it was Kagiso Rabada, who shockingly stuck out like a sore thumb. He was expected to turn up the heat on the fast bouncy wickets of Australia. But Rabada couldn’t stamp his presence even in a single game. In the must-win match against the Netherlands, Rabada was taken to the cleaners. The fire clearly seemed lacking in one of the world’s leading bowler’s bellies.
#3 Dasun Shanaka
The Sri Lankan captain who was riding a wave post the Asia Cup success came a cropper in the World Cup. Dasun Shanaka’s reputation to finish well in the slog overs never came to the fore. In a game against England that the Lankans needed to win, Shanaka couldn’t provide the final flourish. It was the 15-20 runs in the end that proved to be crucial. Sri Lanka suffered the same outcome in almost all their losses.
#4 Pat Cummins
The Australian Test and ODI captain had a forgettable World Cup according to his own lofty standards. Cummins just couldn’t hit the straps right through the World Cup. Finn Allen’s early assault on Aussies left the attack stunned. Cummins proved to be easy meat even for Afghanistan who took a complete toll on Cummins in a close game.
#5 Babar Azam
The Pakistani skipper walked into the World Cup with the tag of being the best batsman across formats currently. But the opener batsman just couldn’t lay bat to ball in most matches. He showed a semblance of form in the semifinals against New Zealand. But his poor returns again caught up with him in the final. Babar’s reluctant innings affected Pakistan’s momentum batting first.
#6 Rohit Sharma
He was arguably the most disappointing player of the T20 World Cup. There is little doubt about his white-ball prowess but Rohit Sharma looked like a pale shadow of himself in the World Cup. He hit a scratchy fifty against the Netherlands but had little else to show for in the whole tournament.
His painful stay in the middle in the semifinals against England robbed the side of a crucial 20 runs. Sharma dreamt of leading the side to glory but the story unravelled abysmally.