Different format, a fairly different team but much to prove after their World Cup semi-final exit, India’s international grind continues. The countdown to the T20 World Cup will now get underway: 15 months, atleast 17 games and the chance to blood bright young talents alongside the senior core.
Evidence that India already have an eye on the big event in Australia next year can be seen with top-order behemoths Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli being picked in the Twenty20 International side soon afte the World Cup. KL Rahul, who had a good World Cup, has another chance to prove why he is so prolific in the format.
A big part of India’s long-term future revolves around young wicketkeeper batsman Rishabh Pant. After completing his first year in international cricket, which has been rollicking for the most part, there is plenty of talk around where he will play in the Indian batting order. In One-day Internationals, there have been calls from certain quarters to play the 21-year-old at No 4. With the Sharma, Dhawan and Rahul picking themselves in the lineup, Manish Pandey and Shreyas Iyer are also knocking on the door for a permanent spot in the Indian limited-overs setup.
The competition for places extends to the supply line of all-rounders and spinning options too. With Hardik Pandya rested, Ravindra Jadeja and Krunal Pandya fight it out for a place in the middle-order. India have more spin options in Washington Sundar and Rahul Chahar.
There is plenty to ponder for the management. How much of game time are the rookies expected to get? Barring Bhuvneshwar Kumar, there is little experience in the pace department with left-armer Khaleel Ahmed, Deepak Chahar and Delhi quick Navdeep Saini included in the side.
Reigning champions West Indies do love this format and their long line of big-hitters are expected to cause some problems. If records are anything to go by, the Florida games will be run-fests. Can India’s batting match up to their opponents in a straight-up hitting contest? This is where Pant, who had a dramatic late entry in the team during the 2019 World Cup campaign, will be crucial. More so in Pandya’s absence.
Fresh start for Pant
With veteran MS Dhoni taking a break from the game to fulfill his army duties, Pant will get an extended run. Dhoni may well make it to the World T20 next year but can Pant make a strong case for himself with his batting alone?
The treatment the Delhi batsman has received this year has been a tad confusing to say the least. He was dropped for the T20s against New Zealand and Australia earlier this year. He had a good IPL, an arena where he established himself as one of the bright young talents going around. Despite his late call-up to India’s World Cup campaign, he gave a decent account of himself in England as well.
The selectors showing caution while picking Pant is justified. In 15 T20s, only once has he crossed the 50-run mark. Pant, however, can point out at the management not offering him a steady run to nail down a spot in the team. It is anyone’s guess how much that is down to his ground fielding, which remains a work in progress.
There is little doubt that once settled, Pant can cart the ball to all corners of the ground. A clear road-map in terms of his number in the lineup and a little bit of faith needs to go hand-in-hand in handling this gifted talent. With the immediate future plan set on preparing team for next year’s World Cup, Pant, Iyer and Pandey deserve opportunities to shore up India’s middle-order, which has been its weakest link in the shorter formats.
Bowling gambles
Having seen Saini in close quarters in the IPL, it will be surprising if Kohli doesn’t award him with his first India cap during the T20I series. The 26-year-old can hurry the batsmen early on and in Royal Challengers Bangalore’s miserable 2019 campaign, he was been one of the few players who could walk out with a satisfactory performance under his belt.
Deepak Chahar can be a tricky customer on his day and has the ability to move the ball both ways and Khaleel Ahmed, who has played in the past, gets another chance to impress. For Krunal Pandya, who has featured regularly in the T20 squad, this is another chance to cement his place in the team.
But Jadeja is hot on his heels after fine recent performances. Only time will tell if finger spinners are making a return to the Indian setup. A number of them will feature in the three-match series. But it will be the batsmen who will be keenly observed, especially the ones auditioning for places in the middle-order.
India’s squad for three T20Is: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma (vc), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant (wk), Krunal Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Rahul Chahar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Deepak Chahar, Navdeep Saini
