India Discarded From T20 World Cup 2026 Semifinal Spot

India have been discarded from T20 WC semifinal [Source: AFP]

Veteran Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir discarded India, as he predicted the four semifinalists of the T20 World Cup 2026. Under Suryakumar Yadav's leadership, the Indian team has been clinical in the tournament, securing four consecutive wins in the group stage. 

However, as the Men in Blue prepare for their first Super 8 fixture against South Africa, former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir has made a bold prediction, saying India won't qualify for the semifinal of the T20 World Cup. 

Mohammad Amir excludes India from T20 World Cup 2026 semifinal

The Indian team has showcased remarkable form in the ongoing T20 World Cup edition, entering the Super 8s as one of the unbeaten teams. 

Despite Abhishek Sharma's persistent lean patch, the Men in Blue have managed to keep their winning streak intact, courtesy of Varun Chakaravarthy's bowling masterclass and valuable contributions from key players like Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya. 

However, Pakistan's former fast bowler Mohammad Amir still believes India will fail to make it into the T20 World Cup semifinals. The Indian team is placed in group 1 of the Super 8s along with the West Indies, South Africa and Zimbabwe. 

Amir feels the West Indies and South Africa are capable of beating the Men in Blue and advancing to the semifinals of the tournament as the two best teams from that group. 

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The left-arm pacer, who played a significant role in Pakistan's historic Champions Trophy 2017 victory, thinks India's batting is a prominent chink in their armour, which South Africa and the West Indies can exploit in the Super 8s. 

Speaking on the renowned Pakistani TV show "Haarna Mana Hai", Mohammad Amir reckoned that the Indian batting unit has crumbled in most of the matches and the Men in Blue might miss out on a semifinal berth for this reason. 

"Aap jitne matches dekh len, siway Pakistan wale, innki batting collapse kar rahi hai. Ab Super 8 me aur zyada pressure wale games hain. Mujhe lagta hai ke yeh kisi bhi team se haar sakte hain," Amir said. 

Do India really have an issue or two in their batting department?

Swashbuckling batter Abhishek Sharma was expected to spearhead the Indian batting in the T20 World Cup. However, the southpaw has endured poor form, recording three successive ducks in the competition. 

But despite his torrid run, the Indian team has maintained an unbeaten streak, with the likes of Surya, Tilak, Hardik and Shivam Dube chipping in with vital contributions. 

Thus, what Mohammad Amir claimed is just one side of the story. The Pakistani bowling maestro neglected the fact that the Indian batters have stepped up as a unit rather than relying on Abhishek's individual brilliance. 

This further highlights a major flaw in his analysis, as team effort should be kept as a benchmark to judge the prowess of any side in an ICC event. 

India's T20 World Cup Super 8 schedule

Led by Suryakumar Yadav, India will take on South Africa in their Super 8 opener on February 22 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. They will face Zimbabwe and the West Indies in their subsequent matches on February 26 and March 1, respectively. 

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