T20 World Cup 2021: Flop XI from second week of the tournament

The T20 World Cup 2021 has been quite decent. Few of the fans criticized the event to be too slow and predictable, but, with time, it has grown as an interesting one. After Team India’s loss against the Kiwis, many fans started to compare this edition with the 2007 ODI World Cup. After India’s win against Afghanistan, the NRR angle has made Group 2 an interesting one. This week, Sri Lanka and the Windies crashed out of the tournament. Although good times are on the way for Lankan cricket, the Windies have to reshape their squad. In a certain way, this is an end of an era for the mighty Windies. England and Pakistan have been on red hot form. They have demolished every opposition on their way. But, the second spot in both groups has still not been filled. Hence, the third week brings more excitement to the frame. But, who failed during the second week? Let us have a look at the Flop XI from the second week of T20 World Cup 2021: (Matches No. 23-35 considered) 1. Quinton de Kock (WK) Quinton de Kock. (Photo By Seb Daly/Sportsfile via Getty Images) Quinton de Kock was in the middle of controversy after he did not play against West Indies. The issue was sensitive and he had to apologize for his actions later on. As things settled, he made a comeback to the national side. But, his comeback has not been up to the mark. Being the opener, de Kock has struggled to find his form. In a crucial game against Sri Lanka, he scored just 12 runs from 10 balls. Things became tense as South Africa managed to end up as the winning side, because of Miller’s cameo. In the next match too, he struggled. After South Africa demolished the Bangladesh batting lineup, it was up to the batsmen to score quickly to ensure that they collect some good NRR points. But, de Kock scored just 16 from 15 balls. The fans might be hoping that their star players get back to form before it is too late for the South Africans. 2. Chris Gayle Chris Gayle of West Indies hits 6. (Photo by RANDY BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images) Everyone expected the Windies to fire on all cylinders in the 2021 T20 World Cup. They had the strongest lineup and the most number of all-rounders. But, their performance is a clear example of why a team needs proper bowlers even in a format like T20. The sector which was a letdown for the defending champions is batting. With the names like Gayle, Lewis, Simmons, Hetmyer, and Russell, they needed just a single player to perform. But, they failed, and the most shocking performance was of Chris Gayle. The ambassador of the format needs to do some serious introspection. During the game against Sri Lanka, he scored 1 from 5 balls. As they were chasing a huge target, he had to demolish the Lankan lineup. But, consistent failures mean that the Windies staff should consider some serious changes. 3. Steve Smith Steve Smith. (Photo Source: Twitter/T20 World Cup) There is no doubt that Steve Smith is one of the biggest names in Test cricket. He can score runs for fun when he sets his eye on the conditions. But, he has been off-color this T20 World Cup. Australia does not have that much depth in their lineup. They heavily depend on their top 5 to do their task. In the bowling department, the three quicks are doing an excellent job to over the failures of the top order. However, Smith has to find some form else his team might find themselves in danger. Even if he plays the role of an anchor, that will do the job for Australia. But, his failure against England shows that it is time to promote Mitchell Marsh. Against Bangladesh, he was demoted down the order, as Australia needed some NRR boost. 4. Kane Williamson Kane Williamson. (Photo by Matthew Lewis-ICC/ICC via Getty Images) Kane Williamson is one of the best captains in the circuit right now. His captaincy skills were on full-on display against India, as he adjusted to the changes excellently. However, his form is a bit of concern for the Kiwis. Williamson played a decent knock against India as he scored 33 from 31 balls. But, on a larger scale, he could have played with more aggression. With delicate times coming ahead in the World T20, the NRR might come into play. Hence, he should have taken more risks with the bat. Against Scotland, he was unable to get off the mark. After trying to settle himself, he was dismissed by Safyaan Sharif for a duck. Therefore, Captain Williamson has to find his mojo back as soon as possible. 5. Eoin Morgan (captain) Tom Curran and Eoin Morgan. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) Just like Williamson, Eoin Morgan has been a good captain for his team. Currently, England is one of the teams which is a solid contender to lift the trophy this time. However, his form is a big concern for the English side. Against Australia, Morgan did not bat, as they were chasing a modest total of 125. However, during their match against Sri Lanka, he had a horrible start. After the end of 20 overs, he finished with 40 runs from 36 balls, which is still a poor score by his standards. With Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone in the lineup, Morgan should play with more freedom. In the upcoming matches, he should try to score as much as possible with a decent strike rate. Else, the management should try other options. 6. Mahmudullah Mahmudullah. (Photo Source: Twitter/T20 World Cup) Mahmudullah’s time at the 2021 T20 World Cup has been disastrous. During the Round 1 stage, Bangladesh was almost knocked out. After somehow qualifying for the super 12, they are having a horrible time. During their match against South Africa, Mahmudullah scored just 3 runs from 9 balls. After a top-order failure, they somehow managed to score just 84 runs. Against Australia, he scored 16 from 18 balls and witnessed another failure as well. There are a lot of questions being asked for the Bangladesh Cricket Team. A few months ago, they defeated Australia and New Zealand. But, they are heavily dependent on spin-friendly pitches. Just when the conditions change a bit, they have struggled. Hence, they need to focus on the basics as of now. 7. Andre Russell Andre Russell. (Photo Source: Twitter) One of the main reasons for the failure of the Windies squad is the poor form of their star players. Almost everyone has failed to live up to the expectations this time. Hence, they might make some changes in their squad. One of the key players for the Windies is Andre Russell. The star all-rounder can bowl effective yorkers and smash bowlers for fun. During the game against Bangladesh, he helped the Windies to get over the line. But, he has failed in the second week. Fitness concerns and a poor run with the ball and bat meant that Windies are out of the tournament. His 2 runs from 4 balls just when his team needed him the most shows that he needs to find his mojo back before the next edition of World T20. 8. Kagiso Rabada Kagiso Rabada. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images) The South Africans are still on the hunt for a semi-final spot. Along with the Aussies, the South Africans have played decent cricket as of now. It will be interesting to see how they manage to finish off the tournament. Talking about prime players, Kagiso Rabada has been the face of the bowling department for the Proteas. However, he has been out of touch as of now. Against Sri Lanka, he conceded 32 runs in 3 overs. Even though he bowled a tight spell of 20 runs in 4 overs, his unpredictability in UAE has been hurting South Africa. But, we all know that star players need just a single game to get back into form. Rabada has to take responsibility to bowl decent spells regularly. The main reason for Rabada to make it to this XI is his unpredictability. 9. Maheesh Theekshana Maheesh Theekshana. (Photo by INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP via Getty Images) Sri Lanka as a team performed much better than everyone had expected. Just a few months ago, they were down and out. But, the series victory over India has boosted their confidence. Even though they are out of the tournament, they can be proud of themselves as they were able to defeat the West Indies. Apart from a few players, they were effective on the field. And one of the players who need to step up in the future is Maheesh Theekshana. The youngster has been decent with the ball but has been unable to pick wickets. Against South Africa, he conceded 31 runs from 4 overs. Even though the economy rate is decent, everyone expects a spinner to pick wickets. Against West Indies too, he was economical, but he failed to provide a breakthrough. He has been on the safe side because of Hasaranga’s success. The day Hasaranga fails, all eyes will be on Theekshana. 10. Dushmantha Chameera Dushmantha Chameera. (Photo Source: Twitter) Pace bowling is a priceless asset for any team. And for a rising team like Sri Lanka, Dushmantha Chameera is the face of pace bowling. The Sri Lankan has the pace to unsettle the batsman with his pace. But, during the second week, he struggled to provide the momentum. During the game against the West Indies, he gave away 41 runs in 4 overs. Although he picked a wicket, he was leaking runs. Against England, he was at the receiving end of Jos Buttler’s brutality. In four overs, he conceded 43 runs, and the momentum of the game was shifted towards England. With another T20 World cup coming up, he has to be more consistent. 11. Tymal Mills Tymal Mills. (Photo by Simon Watts/Getty Images) Tymal Mills made a comeback into the English national side during the game against the defending champions. He was effective during the first week. But, his form and fitness took a downturn during the second week. Even though England has a lot of options in the bowling department, Mills should make an impact soon to establish himself. During the game against Sri Lanka, he gave away 19 runs in 1.3 overs. The Lankans went after him and his figures were destroyed as well. Against Australia as well, he gave away 45 runs in four overs. In a match where the opposition scored only 125, Mills gave away 45 runs. It looks like he needs to find his form back as the return of Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes will mean that he will warm the benches. His poor outings enable him to become the premier bowler of this XI.

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