On paper, Team India do have their bases covered going into the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the United States. Barring seamer all-rounder Hardik Pandya, most of the players have had a decent outing in the recently-concluded IPL, where senior pro and former captain Virat Kohli finished as the highest run-getter.
For sure, Kohli being amongst runs is a big relief for the Indian camp.
But in terms of team combination, the team management will have to put its thinking cap on. The sooner that is done, the more beneficial will it be for India as they begin their Cup campaign against Ireland in New York on June 5.
Agreed, the group phase may not be much of a concern as except Pakistan, minnows and co-hosts US and Canada are India’s opponents along with the Irishmen. Assuming India will be making the Super Eight stage, the creases need to be ironed out in the group stage, while there also has to be surety and clarity regarding the final XI against tougher oppositions.
Obviously, not just the pitch and overall conditions in the US and the West Indies, but the players’ current form will also be looked into while finalising the playing XI. The first thing skipper Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid, in his final assignment as the India head coach, will have to figure out is whether Pandya will be a regular feature in the XI.
That Pandya has been included in the Cup squad even after a forgettable IPL, both individually and as Mumbai Indians captain, implies he will be a part of the XI. But what happens if he doesn’t click in the group phase? Will the team management continue with him then?
Or should Shivam Dube, who had a better IPL campaign than Pandya at least, be preferred over the latter? Including both Pandya and Dube in the XI is one option as well.
“That (playing both together), in fact, should be of more convenience to the team,” agreed former national selector Devang Gandhi. “Of course, Hardik has to bowl, but if he is turning out to be expensive and not taking wickets, then Dube can fill in with an over or two.
“That’s one advantage if you have both of them in the XI. Besides, current form-wise, Dube is in a better position than Hardik.
“Yes, Hardik’s India experience definitely counts, but at the same time, he got 14 matches in the IPL and yet, his performance wasn’t great. So, the team management will certainly be taking these matters into account,” Devang, who was on the national selection panel when Hardik made his India debut and is currently involved as a batting coach for the National Cricket Academy U-19 tournament, said from Ahmedabad.
Opening puzzle
Who opens along with skipper Rohit? India do have a specialist opener in Yashasvi Jaiswal, while Kohli too has done a commendable job upfront for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in this IPL.
The team does have the scope to feature both Jaiswal and Kohli in the XI, followed by Suryakumar Yadav at No.4, keeper-batter Rishabh Pant, Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja and the four specialist bowlers thereafter in the form of Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj. But with this line-up, the tail seems to be becoming a bit too long and a batting collapse could make the situation tougher to deal with.
“Including both Jaiswal and Kohli could mean playing with three openers (Rohit being the other one). It also means the team goes in with a batsman less in the middle order. So, it remains to be seen if they decide to send Kohli up to open along with Rohit,” a source in the BCCI stated.
At the same time, Jaiswal hasn’t been too consistent lately in this IPL.
Also, with Rohit and Kohli upfront, the option of fielding both Pandya and Dube alongside one more batter in the XI will be there. In that case, the team may also consider the inclusion of Sanju Samson, who had a successful IPL with the bat for Rajasthan Royals. Samson can then play as a specialist batsman if required.
The warm-up game against Bangladesh in New York on Saturday will provide the Indians with an opportunity to test some of their players. It will also give us an idea of what combination the team will play when the action starts.
