T20 World Cup 2022: 5 benched players who might get a chance in semi-final

The Super 12 round of the T20 World Cup 2022 has been done and dusted. The action will now move towards the knockout stages where one will see New Zealand squaring off against Pakistan in the first semi-final and India locking horns with England in the second.

The top four teams have played some exhilarating cricket and shown a lot of character during the tournament thus far. As a result, they find themselves just two steps away from glory. In the journey of the semi-finalists, there were many players who rose to the occasion and delivered jaw-dropping performances for the team.

However, amid all the mind-boggling cricket that has been played, there have been some T20 stars who are yet to feature in the marquee tournament. But a few of those benched players stand a chance to represent their respective nations in the semi-finals.

Here are five benched players who might get a chance in the semi-final:

5. Phil Salt 

Phil Salt is a ferocious striker of the cricket ball. The 26-year-old has set the international circuit ablaze with his swashbuckling stroke play from the time he made his debut. He has featured in eight ODIs and scored 369 runs at a strike rate of 133.69. Talking about the shortest format, the wicketkeeper-batter has played 11 T20Is and smashed 235 runs at a strike rate of 164.33. 

Salt has the ability to take bowling attacks apart right from the word go and his aggressive approach aligns perfectly with the brand of cricket England follows. Thus, the flamboyant batter might be included in the playing XI in place of an out-of-form Dawid Malan for the semi-final clash against the Men in Blue.

Malan has featured in four games at the T20 extravaganza and scored 56 runs at a poor strike rate of 82.35. Moreover, the southpaw suffered a groin injury in the match against Sri Lanka and did not bat. This further strengthens Salt’s case to make his World Cup debut in Adelaide.