Overview
- India enter the fourth T20I in Visakhapatnam tonight with an unassailable 3-0 lead after dominant batting displays from Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav.
- Tilak Varma remains sidelined for the series and is due to link up with the World Cup squad on February 3, keeping the spotlight on Ishan Kishan’s hot run and Sanju Samson’s three low scores.
- Management continue to rotate and assess bowling options, with Axar Patel easing back after a finger injury, Jasprit Bumrah’s workload managed, Ravi Bishnoi impressing, and scrutiny on the recent returns of Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav.
- Ajinkya Rahane publicly advised head coach Gautam Gambhir to avoid social media before the tournament, while Manoj Tiwary suggested Gambhir’s position could be reviewed if India fail to win, framing rising external pressure.
- At tournament level, Pakistan’s participation remains unresolved after the ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland, with the PCB saying a final decision is expected on January 30 or February 2.