India’s T20I squad for the New Zealand series has a host of notable absentees, opening up a number of opportunities for second-choice players to step up. Here’s a look at the selection debates for India ahead of the three-match series at home.
Can Ishan Kishan break the Rohit-Rahul alliance at the top?
Despite heavy debate surrounding his place in the squad, Ishan Kishan ended up being a small footnote in a forgettable World Cup campaign, playing just one game and ending with four runs. In his solo warm-up game though (and a couple of IPL matches) before that, he looked in ravaging form, which really made you think why an in-form player of such calibre spent so much time running around with drinks.
With the World Cup done and dusted, India can look to tweak a bit. Rohit and Rahul did well in parts, and are probably a strong duo on paper, but isn’t this the right time to properly see Kishan’s true worth? It remains to be seen if skipper Rohit sees any merit in dropping himself down to three.
Will Deepak Chahar get his chance to lead the line?
Chahar, who has 20 T20I wickets 19.30 from his 14 appearances so far, spent the entire UAE trip on the reserves list as India first tried out a three-man pace attack, before dropping one of them to add a spinner. Chahar is particularly incisive with the new ball, an area India woefully fell short in at the World Cup
Could Chahar now finally be granted an opportunity to showcase his value, perhaps in place of the out-of-form Bhuvneshwar Kumar? He could take up a role in the Powerplay and also chip in at the death, with Harshal Patel possibly taking the enforcing role in the middle overs.
What does the spin attack look like?
With no Varun Chakravarthy, Rahul Chahar or Ravindra Jadeja, there are openings in the spin attack. India tried out a three-pronged spin attack in the latter stages of the competition, which seemed to work (although against arguably weaker players of spin), and could look to employ the same strategy against New Zealand when they welcome them home.
If they go for two spinners, R Ashwin could get company from the experienced Yuzvendra Chahal, but there’s room for a third too, with Axar Patel being a fairly good replacement for Jadeja in terms of skill-set. Already without Jadeja, and with no Hardik Pandya or Shardul Thakur, they’d need some lower-order punch too (which enhances Axar’s case), but they could also go for a longish batting line-up, bringing in an extra batter at 7.
What’s Rishbah Pant’s best position?
India never really settled on a batting order in the UAE, trying out different combinations for the top four, but with Virat Kohli resting, there’s room for further experimentation. Given his fine record in India, Pant could possibly move up to No.4 (after Rohit, Rahul, Kishan/Suryakumar Yadav), but it makes the lower middle-order look fairly thin.
India could well just leave him at his usual No.5 spot, with two of Kishan, Yadav and Shreyas Iyer taking up two of the slots available (assuming Rohit-Rahul open). That is a better line-up on paper, but perhaps doesn’t give Pant get enough time in the middle. With only Venkatesh Iyer and Axar Patel to potentially follow (and no Hardik Pandya in the squad), India may have to keep Pant sitting in his usual spot for now.
Is ‘all-rounder’ Venkatesh Iyer ready for his place?
Six months ago, few would have even heard of Ventakesh Iyer, let alone have pictured him in India’s post-World Cup squad. That’s the beauty of the IPL though, and after a standout half-season, Iyer has jumped the queue and earned himself a spot. However, will he start from the get-go?
It isn’t just about his skills (which will be put to test against arguably better attacks), but his role in the team too. For KKR, Iyer used to feature in the top order, but given India’s riches on that front, he’ll surely get space only down the order, which could be a different ball-game altogether. Furthermore, he’s the only one closest to being a seam-bowling all-rounder, amid all sorts of conversations around him being an able replacement for Hardik. Will India plan to use him in the same role? Or have five specialist batters, Pant, Axar Patel as the all-rounder, and four specialist bowlers?
All said, it’s a fine opportunity for the 26-year-old to extend his ongoing dream run.
