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The USA vs Ireland T20 World Cup 2024 match will be played in Florida on Friday, June 14 from 8 pm IST which is 10.30 am local time.

USA vs Ireland Team Analysis

USA

USA won their first two games against Canada and Pakistan and lost their previous game against India. Despite the loss to India, they are well-placed to qualify for the Super 8. So far in this tournament, they have punched above their weight and they will need to do it once again against Ireland.

USA's win over Pakistan has been the highlight of the tournament so far. Another has been Afghanistan's win over New Zealand.

Ireland

Ireland have lost both their games so far. They failed to chase 138 against Canada in a shocking defeat. That changed the tournament around for the Irish team. They recently defeated Pakistan in a recent T20I series and they should take confidence from that win.

Ireland has a good record against the USA in T20Is and they should take confidence from that as well. They have been well below par then where they would have liked to have been in this tournament so far.

Also Read: Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan's career under threat? PCB to launch a massive operation claims reports

USA vs Ireland Key Factors

Pitch Conditions

The pitch at the Central Broward Stadium in Florida has been a batting-friendly venue. So far 18 matches have been played at the venue with 11 matches won by the team batting first and just seven batting second. Drop-in pitches are used here as well for the matches and there is even pace bounce and good carry in this track.

Form and Fitness

Ireland are low on confidence after back-to-back losses. Their loss to Canada will have hurt them big time as they failed to chase a getable total of 138. The USA, on the other hand, have all the confidence in the world and they will be charged up heading into this game against Ireland. In terms of fitness, there are no concerns with either of the two teams.

Tactical Acumen

Paul Stirling has plenty to think about heading into this game. He has not scored too many runs with the bat and is struggling for form. USA skipper Monank Patel has scored crucial runs with the bat and has led the team as well. Both captains need to understand the conditions of the venue and choose the team accordingly.

USA vs Ireland Score Prediction

Team	1st Innings	2nd Innings
USA	150-170	120-140
Ireland	130-150	120-140

Recent Venue Records (Central Broward Regional Park Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida)

STATS - T20

Total matches 18

Matches won batting first 11

Matches won bowling first 4

Average 1st Inns scores 157

Average 2nd Inns scores 123

Highest total recorded 245/6 (20 Ov) by WI vs IND

Lowest total recorded 76/10 (18.2 Ov) by CANW vs USAW

Highest score chased 179/1 (17 Ov) by IND vs WI

Lowest score defended 120/7 (20 Ov) by NZ vs SL

Who Will Score Most Runs For USA: Aaron Jones / Monank Patel

Who Will Take Most Wickets For USA: Ali Khan / Harmeet Singh

Who Will Score Most Runs For Ireland: Paul Stirling / Harry Tector

Who Will Take Most Wickets For Ireland: Joah Little / Mark Adair

USA vs Ireland Match Prediction– Who Will Win Today Match 30? ICC T20 World Cup 2024

Ireland have won four out of the five games they have played against UAE. However, in their current form, they are a deflated side. The USA have all the confidence in the world.

Conclusion

There is a forecast of heavy rain for this game. If the match ends in a washout, Ireland's hopes of making it to the Super 8 will end.

Also Read: Gautam Gambhir roasts Yo-Yo Test; calls for talent over fitness in team selection

 

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Australia captain Pat Cummins has hinted that a few key players could be rested for their last group game of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024. The reigning Test and ODI world champions have already booked their spot in the Super 8s by winning their first three games and the upcoming game against Scotland would have absolutely no impact on their standing in the group.

However, they are already under the scanner after Josh Hazlewood's recent remarks where he admitted that Australia would not shy away from doing something that would ensure England's exit from the T20 World Cup. England and Scotland are currently fighting it out for the remaining one Super 8s spot from Group B.

England, on Friday, thrashed Oman by eight wickets and went past Scotland's net run-rate. A win in their final group game against Namibia would be enough for England to go through if Scotland do not stun Australia. Pat Cummins has insisted that Australia would not be manipulating the game to knock England out of the competition but has hinted that they are unlikely to field a full-strength team for the game against Scotland.

Australia likely to make changes to their winning combination:

With their place in the Super 8s sealed, Australia could make a number of changes to their playing eleven. The likes of Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, and Ashton Agar are yet to play a game in the tournament and could find a spot in the playing eleven for the game against Scotland.

"I haven't spoken to the selectors or anyone, so I don't know what they're thinking," Cummins said."But I wouldn't be surprised. I know going into the start of the tournament, in a perfect world, we'd get a game into just about all the squad members."

"It's a bit of a luxury now in this first section of the tournament but once we get to the Super Eights don't think they'll be any resting. Definitely [can play all the games], we are used to playing Test cricket so four overs is a breeze.

There's no workload issues at all. You start prioritising sleep, refuelling and those kind of things but in terms of getting up for the game, it's fine. We've done it loads of times, loads of IPL games are kind of play, fly to the other side of the country and play again. Same with BBL. It's not necessarily new. It will be busy but we are kind of used to it," he added.

Australia are scheduled to take on Scotland on Saturday (June 15).

 

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Pakistan batsman Ahmed Shehzad called for the body-shaming of wicket-keeper batsman Azam Khan to stop once and for all.

Azam Khan, who is the son of former Pakistani World Cup winner Moin Khan, is currently in the USA for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. The middle-order batsman, known for his ultra-aggressive approach, was given the chance to start for Pakistan in their opening Group A match against Monank Patel's USA, who defeated the 2009 T20 World Champions in Super Overs.

On his debut T20 WC match against USA, Azam Khan continued to disappoint the team management and the fans as he departed for a golden duck. That was a very good match for him to showcase his skills and talent but unfortunately, that didn't turn out to be the case for him. As a result, he was benched by new head coach Gary Kirsten during the following games against India and Canada.

The prospects of his comeback on the National side are looking very less as the team management will not want to take any chances in the do-or-die game against Ireland. Ahead of that match, former opener Ahmed Shehzad made a special appeal to the Pakistan fans as well as the cricketing fraternity overall.

Ahmed Shehzad comes in support of Azam Khan

While speaking to a local Pakistani channel, Ahmed Shehzad was asked to shed light on Azam Khan and the criticism he faces for his performances. In his response, the former batter asked everyone on the show and the people watching it to make sure they don't comment on Azam's body weight, for which he usually gets the stick from the people.

Shahzad feels that it is the wrong thing to do as it might impact the mental health of Azam Khan, who might even have a good future with the National team. Ahmed Shehzad claimed that criticism is a good thing for a player but trolling someone for their body weight is not a good thing at all.

He feels people can criticize Azam Khan about his performances, form, gameplay, and statistics but not about his body weight. Ahmed Shahzad also highlighted that due to the trolling, the batter doesn't even post anything on social media platforms.

"You asked about Azam Khan. I will say this from this platform. So, he is obviously playing for Pakistan and everyone that plays for the Nation is answerable. You, me, all of us should criticize players that's not an issue but he's just a kid, he should not be body shamed. You can whatever you want."

"You can talk about his gameplay, You can speculate about his stats but don't body shame him, that kid has deleted everything on his social media account. He can be the future of Pakistan cricket but don't criticize him so much in the World Cup that he ends up going down and out," Shahzad said.

Watch Video

"Don't disrespect Azam Khan by body-shaming him" - Ahmad Shahzad

A very valid point raised by Ahmad Shahzad. Talk about Azam's stats, his performances, but don't go personal with him on social media. The team management selected him, make them accountable for it. Well said pic.twitter.com/D2JbE1h8ZL

— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) June 14, 2024

 

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United States of America's explosive batter Aaron Jones spoke in depth about the growth of the game of cricket in the country, which is hosting the T20 World Cup for the first time.

The 2024 T20 World Cup edition is also being co-hosted by the West Indies for the first time since 2010 when England had become champions. Although the T20 WC is not generating massive viewerships in the stadiums, except for the matches of the big teams, Aaron Jones believes that it's just a matter of time until the natives of the country take the sport seriously.

The T20 World Cup is definitely a very good way to make sure that people are tuning into the sport but the USA national team needs to have more homegrown players. The current team consists of mainly players from India and Pakistan and the count of the local players is just 2 including Aaron Jones.

Michael Vaughan asks Aaron Jones about the limit of cricket's growth

Michael Vaughan asked a very simple question to USA batter Aaron Jones about cricket's chances of development in the United States as well as where he could reach. In response, Jones stated that there is no limit to the sport's growth in the country as it is a huge nation with plenty of people loving the essence of sports.

The USA are about to take on Ireland in a massive game and special guest Aaron Jones told us the sky is the limit for cricket in the country!

Will they win and head to the Super 8s?#ClubPrairieFire pic.twitter.com/Sv2WVJb9lD

— Club Prairie Fire (@clubprairiefire) June 14, 2024

Aaron Jones believes that when the local American people start to play cricket, that's when Cricket will get bigger in the US. And as soon as people start doing it, the sport is going to explode in the nation.

"To be honest with you I don't think you have a limit. To be honest we all know that USA is a very big country as it relates to sports and I think that when the actual American born and raised people get on board fully with cricket is gonna be crazy. I honestly think it's going to be crazy over the next couple of years," Aaron Jones said via Club Prairie Fire.

Jones says MLC and Olympics will help Cricket's development

Aaron Jones went on to add that the T20 World Cup is a very good way to start the proceedings of cricket in the States. But at the same time, the Major League Cricket - USA's franchise level tournament, should be played more and more in the years to come as it will help in the sport's spike.

Lastly, the 2028 LA Olympics hosting Cricket is also going to help people open their eyes to it., as per Jones.

"The World Cup being here is a really good start and then obviously the Major League should play definitely for years to come that's gonna be good as well and then in the next couple of years, most likely Cricket's gonna be played in the 2028 Olympics as well. So that's another big thing," Aaron Jones concluded.

 

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South Africa National Cricket Team’s star fast bowler Kagiso Rabada insisted that they will not be complacent while facing Nepal for the first time in their final Group D match of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in Saint Vincent on Saturday, June 15.

However, South Africa is currently leading the Group D points table with six points from three games and has already qualified for the Super 8 stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024, but Rabada stressed the importance of not losing momentum, taking their clash with Nepal as another game for them with great seriousness.

Kagiso Rabada warns against complacency ahead of Nepal showdown in T20 World Cup 2024

Furthermore, Rabada emphasized that the South African team remains focused and hungry for another victory in their last game of the opening round of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024, aiming to maintain their winning momentum and finish the group stage on a high note.

Kagiso Rabada said at the post-match press conference: “It’s another international match and we’re not taking them lightly. We’re going to try to play some more of the same cricket, or even better, that we’ve been playing in the tournament. To be honest, I don’t know a fair amount about how they play, but we have our analysis, and we will do our homework. And like I said earlier, it’s not a game that we’re going to take lightly. Not at all. We can’t take it lightly.”

Notably, Bangladesh, currently second in Group D, has a strong chance of joining the Proteas in the Super 8 stage. On the other hand, Nepal is in the second-last spot in the table with 1 point, and they have two games remaining in the group stage.

Kagiso Rabada expects a tough battle with Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhane

Meanwhile, Rabada issued a warning regarding the threat posed by Sandeep Lamichhane to the South African batters ahead of their upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 match at the Arnos Vale Stadium in Saint Vincent.

Lamichhane, a 23-year-old leg-spinner known for his variations, was unable to play in Nepal's first two group matches in the United States due to visa issues but has arrived in the West Indies for the remaining two group stage games in the ongoing mega ICC event.

Rabada acknowledged Lamichhane's ability as a "mystery spinner" and expected that facing him would be a challenging task for the Proteas batters in their match. However, the star speedster has confidence in the South African batters but stresses the difficulty of playing against spin bowlers with unpredictable deliveries.

However, Rabada declared that the South African players are prepared for the challenge and are looking forward to testing their skills against Lamichhane. Notably, the Nepali spinner has taken 98 wickets in 52 T20Is, with an economy rate of 6.29, since making his debut in 2018.

Rabada added, “Yeah, he's a mystery spinner, so any mystery spinner is going to be tough to play. But I know the guys are really looking forward to facing that challenge.”

In the end, the Proteas pacer said that he really enjoyed bowling in the first round of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 on bowling-friendly tracks in New York. But Rabada said that the conditions will probably level out now in the Caribbean leg of the ICC tournament.

 

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Former Pakistan cricketer Tanvir Ahmed lashed out at the fans and experts criticizing Babar Azam for favoritism in the team. He said that all the players are on the team because of their performances.

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has become a villain for many back home. This comes after his team has been below par in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 with their performances. The Men in Green are hanging by the thread in the tournament and are on the verge of elimination from the tournament.

Pakistan suffered a disappointing loss against the USA in their first game of the tournament and after that bagged another poor defeat. They suffered a 6-run loss to India and came under a lot of scanners, especially after being in the winning position in the match for most of the time.

Even though Pakistan beat Canada after that, they are on the verge of getting eliminated from the tournament. If the United States of America defeat Ireland or their game gets washed out, the Babar Azam-led side will be eliminated from the tournament.

With Pakistan performing badly in the tournament, Babar Azam as a captain has been at the receiving end of a lot of skewering. There have been allegations against him that he has been rude to his players and only prefers his friends in the team over other performers.

Tanvir Ahmed however, isn't on the same page. He revealed that Babar Azam was earlier removed as the captain of the team because he didn't agree to a deal with the surrogate company but there were calls that he was removed because he wanted his friends on the team.

Tanvir pointed out the names of the players that are on the team and claimed that they are on the side because of their performances. He added the likes of Faheem Ashraf, Usman Qadir, Hasan Ali, and others who were on the team earlier under Babar Azam's leadership. And they were removed after he was snubbed as the captain. Speaking on the TV show, he explained:

"First of all, when Babar Azam was removed from the captaincy, he was removed from the captaincy because of the surrogate company. The surrogate company put up this poster and said that he doesn't play. He was removed from the captaincy because of that. What did they say? That he has a lot of friendliness in his team. These 6-7-8 boys have a lot of friendliness. Let me tell you about those 6-7-8 boys. Fahim Ashraf, is he in the World Cup team? No.

"Usman Qadir, is he in the World Cup team? No. Hassan Ali, is he in the World Cup team? No. Asif Ali, Khujdil Shah, Muhammad Nawaz, Waseem Junior, Muhammad Waseem Junior, are they in the World Cup team? No, none of them are in the World Cup team. Muhammad Haris, who plays for Peshawar Zalmi, Mehran Mumtaz, who plays for Peshawar Zalmi, these are almost 9 boys. Where is this friendliness? It's just bravery.

"Listen, when he was removed from the captaincy, almost all of these boys used to play in the team. Was there friendliness at that time? Is there friendliness now? Let me tell you something. Is Shaheen Afridi in the team because of Babar's friendliness? No. Is Haris Rauf in the team because of Babar's friendliness? I don't think so. Naseem Shah, Fakhar Zaman, Rizwan, and Saim Ayub, are they in the team because of Babar's friendliness? They are playing with their performance. This is not friendliness."

Wahab Riaz kept calling Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim to join the team - Tanvir Ahmed

Tanvir Ahmed also talked about the place of Shahdab Khan in the XI and claimed that people are saying the all-rounder doesn't let Abrar Ahmed play. He also made a bold claim, saying that selector Wahab Riaz is the main culprit as he brought back Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim to the team. He added:

"Now, let's talk about Shadab. Let me stick to Shadab. You say that Shadab is in the team because of his friendliness. He is not letting Abrar play. Only one player, when he was removed from the captaincy, all of these boys were playing. And when he came back to the team, none of them were in the team.

"Amir came back. Imad came back. They were not in the captaincy of Babar Azam. They were anti-team. Who brought them? Wahab Riaz? Abdul Razzaq? Wahab Riaz kept calling them to join the team. So, Babar Azam didn't bring them. They were against Babar Azam sitting on the TV. That he is not a player of T20. He should not be in the T20 team. He doesn't have this. So, ask Wahab Riaz," he concluded

Kitney dost yar hain team main batana zara jinhon ney shure machaya howa ha dost yar dost yar pic.twitter.com/U2Xli5syLg

— Tanveer Says (@ImTanveerA) June 14, 2024

 

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Former India captain and head coach Anil Kumble has shared his views on having two different coaches for Team India.

The Indian team will have a new coach soon as Rahul Dravid's tenure will end after the end of the ongoing T20 World Cup. While the BCCI advertised for the post last month itself and the last date to submit applications was May 27, they are yet to announce the new head coach. There is also very little clarity over who will replace Dravid as India's new head coach.

In recent times, several big names have pulled out of the race, citing India's grueling schedule. The likes of Ricky Ponting, Justin Langer, Andy Flower, and even Michael Hussey stated that they have not applied for the job while also mentioning how tough it is to coach the Indian team for ten months in a year while traveling non-stop.

Many believe that split-coaching is the way forward for Team India as well. Several international teams already have different coaches for white and red-ball formats. The likes of England, West Indies, South Africa as well as Pakistan have different coaches but India have stayed away from the system so far.

Anil Kumble on split coaching:

Speaking about India having split coaches in the future, Anil Kumble began by admitting that it is not easy for someone to be with the Indian team for ten months in a year. Kumble, who himself coached the team from 2016 to 2017, said that the busy scheduling should be taken into account and certain tours should be prioritized to manage the workload.

"I certainly believe that it is not easy, doing a 10-month job with the Indian team. They are literally on the road, day in day out. It's not easy to be travelling so many number of days and be with the team.

"It certainly gets to you as an individual. So I think, it needs to be taken into account and probably prioritise certain tours," Anil Kumble told ESPNcricinfo.

At the same time, he said that it is important for Team India to have a unified direction and vision, regardless of the format. Kumble hinted that having different coaches might create inconsistencies in the system. He also stated that if the BCCI is indeed considering having different coaches, it should have announced it before advertising for the post.

"You also need to have the larger vision built in into the system and then try and get that person also to follow the same line because you don't want two different people going in two different directions. Because no matter what the format is, you want the Indian team to be going in one direction," said Kumble.

"In terms of white-ball cricket or Test cricket, you can take a call of making those choices. But if those choices were being considered, then I would have expected that to be prior to calling out for names," he added.

When asked whether he is in favor of having different coaches for the team, Anil Kumble said: "It depends on the personnel who sorts of get that call because that every individual is different in terms of handling the pressure, being on the road for ten months, three years on the trot.

"So it all depends on the individual. So you take a call and go with that rather than having this preconceived notion that you need two different coaches for two or three different formats."

 

[Crystal]

In a do-or-die showdown at the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, England ruthlessly dismantled Oman's hopes with a clinical display by winning the Group B game by eight wickets at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Friday, June 14.

After winning the toss, the England cricket team decided to bowl first and then restricted Oman to a mere 47 runs, thanks to fiery spells from Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, and Mark Wood, who all claimed three wickets each to play a key role in the rivals batting collapse in Antigua.

After which, Archer, Wood, and Rashid became the first trio to take three or more wickets in an innings at the Men's T20 World Cup. Notably, Oman's total of 47 runs against England was the fourth-lowest score by any team in the Men's T20 World Cup.

The lowest total remains 39, allotted by the Netherlands against Sri Lanka in 2014 and by Uganda against the West Indies last week. Additionally, the Netherlands were bowled out for 44 by Sri Lanka in the 2021 edition of the tournament.

Phil Salt achieves a rare feat during England’s dominant win over Oman in T20 World Cup 2024

Meanwhile, tasked with chasing down the target of 48 runs swiftly to boost their net run rate, the Jos Buttler-led England team launched into action with intent and purpose. The defending champions’ chase began explosively as the opener, Phil Salt, unleashed back-to-back sixes off Oman’s Bilal Khan.

However, despite the early onslaught, Bilal Khan remained resolute and struck back immediately, dismissing Salt with a clever delivery to end his explosive start. But Salt achieved a rare feat with these two sixes, becoming the first-ever player to hit two sixes on the first two balls of a team innings in international cricket.

He also became the only second batter in men's T20I history to hit sixes off the first two balls of an innings. The first instance occurred in 2022 when Tanzania's Ivan Selemani achieved this feat against Rwanda's Martin Akayezu.

Another man was Spain's Awais Ahmed, who hit consecutive sixes after a no-ball was bowled by Joseph Burrows during their chase of 11 against the Isle of Man in 2023.

Well, England, determined to surpass Scotland's net run rate, continued their charge under with the skipper Buttler hammering a quickfire knock of unbeaten 24 off 8 balls to help his team chase down the target in just 3.1 overs at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Friday.

England's historic win over Oman sets new T20 World Cup record

Meanwhile, England's victory over Oman, chasing down a target of 48 with 101 balls remaining, set a new record for the largest margin in terms of balls to spare in men's T20 World Cup history. England surpassed Sri Lanka's previous record of 90 balls spared against the Netherlands in 2014 when they chased down 40 runs in five overs.

Furthermore, England's win by 101 balls is now the largest by any Full Member team in men's T20Is, overtaking Sri Lanka's 90-ball victory margin against the Netherlands. England's massive win also ranked them joint-ninth in terms of balls spared in all men's T20Is.

 

[Crystal]

Former Australia skipper Aaron Finch was in awe of the way the England Cricket Team made a comeback in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. He admitted that there was a lot of noise going around but the Jos Buttler-led side didn't allow the outside noise to get inside the dressing room.

England's cricket team came under serious scanner in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. Their game against Scotland got washed out but they looked down and dusted in the game and it's fair to say had there been the game, they would've ended up losing the match.

After that things got worse for them as England then faced a disappointing loss against Australia and it not only cost them the points but also hampered their NRR. On the other hand, Scotland played pretty well and won the games with a big margin, posing a threat to England.

However, England brought their best in the game against Oman. The defending champions changed the entire complexion of the points table as they registered a massive win. They first bundled out Oman for just 47 runs then chased the target with more than 100 balls to spare.

With the win, they took their NRR over Scotland's and are now in real contention to qualify for the Super 8. If Scotland lose their last game against Australia and England win against Namibia, they will be through to the next stage of the tournament.

Aaron Finch said that England produced a clinical effort in the game against Oman. He added that the defending champions winning the game with more than 16 overs remaining speaks about their emphatic effort. He added that he had a feeling that they would blow away the opposition at some stage. Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, he explained:

"Yeah, it was clinical from the outset today. I think they bought the right intensity. I think the selection to get Reece Topley into the side was a really good one, especially for the second half of this tournament. Wood and Archer were just too quick for the Oman players.

Rashid was at his absolute best. So I think a game that lasts 16 and a half overs suggests how emphatic it was. Yeah, and you always, well, I certainly did, always had the feeling that they were going to win these last couple of games and win them very big."

The external noise wasn't allowed in the England dressing room, thankfully, for them - Aaron Finch

Aaron Finch further claimed that net run rate was never going to be a problem for England and noted that with the kind of bowling attack that they had, they weren't away from blowing away the opposition. He elaborated:

"So I never really bought into the net run rate predicament that they were facing. It's just, that's the type of tournament, Antigua's a good wicket, and when you've got the artillery that England has got, they're always going to blow away teams at some point. So yeah, I think the external noise wasn't allowed in the England dressing room, thankfully, for them," he concluded.

 

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Virat Kohli is in the firing line of the critics once again after making a dismal start to his campaign in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

A lot was expected from Virat Kohli after his stunning campaign in the IPL this year but he has failed to live up to the expectations. The critics started sharpening their knives since he was granted an extended break after the IPL and he was not a part of the group that left India for New York. He linked up with the team towards the end of the last month and skipped the warm-up game against Bangladesh as well.

Virat Kohli was already in the firing line for skipping the warm-up game and his poor performance with the bat in the World Cup so far has only given the critics more reason to take shots at him. The former India skipper was out for just 1 run off 5 balls against Ireland,

In the second game against Pakistan, he could score only 4 runs before failing with the bat against the USA as well. The right-handed batsman's weakness against outgoing delivery was on display again as Saurabh Netravalkar made him edge one behind the stumps and sent him back for a golden duck.

Sanjay Bangar defends Virat Kohli:

With Virat Kohli facing criticism from several quarters after scoring only 5 runs in three games, former India allrounder and coach Sanjay Bangar has leaped in his defense. Bangar highlighted that all the batters have struggled for runs in New York and Kohli alone should not be judged on the basis of his performance at the venue. Bangar also backed Kohli to roar back to form soon.

"Yeah, I agree that Virat Kohli hasn't scored in the New York leg, but none of the other batsmen have also managed to score a lot of runs on this track.

"This is a tricky surface, and therefore, I feel that a big score is just around the corner. He is a player who has excelled at the World Cup events and once the tournament moves to the next phase, those competitive juices will start flowing again and he will start putting up performances for his team," Bangar told Star Sports.

Before the T20 World Cup, Kohli enjoyed a stellar campaign in the IPL. He finished the campaign as the highest run-scorer, scoring 741 runs with the help of a century and five fifties. Meanwhile, India have already booked their spot in the Super 8s by winning their first three games and will take on Canada in their last group game.