IND vs ENG 2022: 3 player battles to watch out for in India vs England T20 World Cup semi-final

Suryakumar Yadav (L) and Sam Curran. (P.C.:Twitter)
Suryakumar Yadav (L) and Sam Curran. (P.C.:Twitter)

India and England, two of the best white-ball teams currently, will lock horns at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday, November 10, for a place in the final of the T20 World Cup. Both teams have lost just one game each in their respective campaigns so far and came into the tournament as one of the favorites.

With world-class players on both teams, it is but natural that it could end up being a game of little margins and neither team would want to fall back in the game. Match-ups play a crucial role in such situations and might definitely come into play during the semi-finals.

On that note, let's take a look at three such player battles that could decide which way the game between India and England is heading:


#3 Jos Buttler vs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar

One of Jos Buttler's very few weaknesses is the ball nipping back in through the gate. When the swashbuckling opener is new to the crease, his feet don't move much straight away and it is something that has been exploited really well by Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Bhuvneshwar has found swing in almost every game in this tournament and has all the experience and class in the world to land the ball in the right areas. He also has the ball that goes away from the right-hander, which would definitely keep Buttler guessing.

Buttler has already been dismissed five times in T20Is by the Indian pacer and it seems like the England captain could be under the pump once again when the two players face off.


#2 Virat Kohli vs. Adil Rashid

Virat Kohli has found his lost form and is currently the highest run-scorer in the T20 World Cup with 246 runs from five innings. He will also be playing at the Adelaide Oval, a ground where he simply loves batting and dishing out incredible numbers.

Given that Kohli has not yet been dismissed in a T20 World Cup semi-final, England will need to be smart in their plans to get rid of the former Indian captain. One of the moves to make it happen could be introducing Adil Rashid into the attack.

Kohli has faced 59 balls from the leg-spinner in T20Is and has scored only 63 runs while being dismissed twice. He has been found wanting against wrist spin in T20s and this could be England's chance to get rid of the dangerman as soon as possible.


#1 Suryakumar Yadav vs. Sam Curran

The blockbuster face-off of the game could well be between arguably India's best batter on current form, Suryakumar Yadav, and England's most reliable bowler so far, Sam Curran. The left-arm pacer already has 10 scalps to his name in the tournament and has an economy rate of just 6.40.

But England will be aware of the kind of destruction SKY is capable of if he sticks around and plays his shots with freedom. Curran has conceded 13 runs in eight balls against SKY in T20s and has dismissed him twice.

This match-up will be crucial for both teams as Yadav won't hold back from playing his shots and Curran is too smart a bowler to not adapt according to the situation.

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