Awash with exciting talent and focused on the T20 World Cup in exactly eight months, the Rohit Sharma-led Team India would aim to get its combinations right when it takes on the West Indies in a three-game series starting in Kolkata on Wednesday. India was the favorite for the tournament but made a shocking group stage exit at the last T20 World Cup held in the UAE in October-November. The chaotic campaign revealed loopholes in team combination and temperament, spoiling Virat Kohli’s swan song as T20 skipper.
India will try to make up for it and rebuild the side with a full T20 calendar lined up ahead of the big event in Australia starting on October 16.
Rohit, among whom Mumbai Indians have won five IPL titles, is said to be looking for a solution to problems such as the opening blues, the mid-lower order conundrum and also bowling strategies.
And he will have a happy headache as he tries to bolster the squad.
Recently at the IPL mega auction, wicketkeeper batter Ishan Kishan won the jackpot by striking a Rs 15.25 crore deal with Rohit’s franchise Mumbai Indians.
In fact, 10 players from the current squad have landed huge deals and all eyes would also be on Shreyas Iyer (Kolkata Knight Riders Rs 12.25 crore), Harshal Patel (Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rs 10.75 crore) and Shardul Thakur ( Delhi Capitals, Rs 10.75 crore).
open puzzle
First would be the opening combination and who would be ideal to put the skipper together in the shortest format with his regular KL Rahul with a left hamstring injury.
Ishan opened in the first game of their previous three-game ODI series against the Caribbean team in Ahmedabad, but the skipper also tried out Rishabh Pant and Shikhar Dhawan.
While Ishan may be preferable, Rohit also has options in Maharashtra run machine Ruturaj Gaikwad which was in a red-hot mold but only warmed up the bank.
Then there’s Venkatesh Iyer, the KKR all-rounder who shot to the forefront in the UAE leg of the last IPL as a big-hitting opener with 320 runs at an average of 40 and a strike rate of 125. He was just behind Gaikwad who had more runs (407) in this period.
It will also be interesting if Virat Kohli comes out to open with Rohit to get in between runs as he is dealing with a meager patch. His last international century took place at this venue in November 2019 in the Pink Ball Day/Night Test against Bangladesh.
Middle and lower order riddle
India has a full white-ball calendar ahead of their T20I World Cup opener against Pakistan on October 23.
So it wouldn’t be a bad move for the think tank to give the dashing Pant some well-deserved rest as Ishan appears to be a confirmed roster on the side.
This will help Rohit to try out both Shreyas Iyer and Surkyakumar Yadav in the same XI. The duo were in fine form in the recently concluded ODI series.
Suryakumar was the top scorer in the ODI series with 104 runs at an average of 52.00, while Iyer scored a match-winning 80 in their 3-0 series with a stunning win in the third ODI.
India also has some exciting options lower in the ranking with the likes of Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar and Harshal Patel.
Patel impressed with a nice 11-ball 18 cameo to lift India’s tally to a match-winning 184/7 from 140/6 in his only appearance of the series against New Zealand just after the World Cup.
Bishnoi will fancy his chances
Fresh off an amazing comeback series in the ODIs, Yuzvendra Chahal will be India’s regular spin option, but it remains to be seen if the exciting Rajasthan leg spinner Ravi Bishnoi will get a first call-up.
He was rewarded after an impressive run in the IPL and the domestic circuit to be selected for the series.
With Washington Sundar ruled out of the series with a hamstring injury, it remains to be seen if the Jodhpur youngster will get his first international cap.
West Indies strives for improvements
Unlike their flop show in the ODI series, the Kieron Pollard-led West Indies are set to put up a strong fight with the hosts in their favored T20 format.
With T20 specialists, the Windies came here after beating England 3-2 in a thrilling five-game streak.
They hit deep and with some aggressive hitters, West Indies hope to give India a tough fight.
Jason Holder was in fine form for them, taking four wickets in four balls in the last ODI against England to return with the career best figures of 5/27.
With some exciting all-round options in Odean Smith and Akeal Hosein, Pollard’s men would aim to make it count in a venue where they won the T20 World Cup in 2016.
Dew factor, a concern?
With the chill in the air, dew could be a concern for both teams in the Eden.
The CAB has kept four fields ready for the three games to be played in five days.
India T20I Squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Deepak Hooda, Kuldeep Yadav and Harpreet Brar.
West Indies T20I Squad: Kieron Pollard (Captain), Nicholas Pooran (Vice Captain), Fabian Allen, Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Sheldon Cottrell, Dominic Drakes, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Brandon King, Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Kyle Mayers, Hayden Walsh Jr.
promoted
Start match: 7 p.m. IST.
(This story was not edited by DailyExpertNews staff and was generated automatically from a syndicated feed.)
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