T10 is all the rage in cricket right now, and while it is early to assume it would become an international format, here’s how we think an India T10 XI might look like if they did play a game now.

Simply picking the best T20 players won’t do. Even that format allows for players to add value in the anchor role, ticking over the strike and scoring the odd boundary to allow others to bat around them. In T10, you must go big or go home.

KL Rahul

There were concerns around his intent during the IPL, but an unrestrained Rahul is arguably one of the most impactful short-form openers going around. In T20Is, he has 1084 runs at a 40-plus average and a 140-plus strike-rate since 2018. Rahul will open for India’s T10 side and will be expected to go all guns blazing at the top.

Sanju Samson

Partnering Rahul at the top is Sanju Samson, a batsman with an elite intent in T20 cricket. Often labelled careless, Samson’s mindset to look for boundaries even off good balls stands him in good stead in the T10 format. In IPL 2020, he struck at a rate of nearly 160, smashing a boundary every five balls on an average.

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Ishan Kishan

A fabulous player of pace and spin, Kisahn’s onslaught on Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada in Mumbai Indians’ frequent face-offs with Delhi Capitals was one of the highlights of the title winner’s campaign last year. Also, a fantastic player of spin, Kishan walks into this line-up at one drop before a slew of power hitters.

Rishabh Pant (wk)

Regardless of format, Rishabh Pant is one of India’s finest hitters and his domination of pace and spin alike stands him well in this T10 line-up. Pant will also be a floater of sorts in this line-up, walking in ahead of Kishan if the openers have a decent stand. While he had a forgettable IPL 2020, a return to his old self in the longer format makes him an automatic choice in this India T10 XI.

Hardik Pandya (c)

A power hitter in the death overs and against spin, Hardik Pandya will be tasked with taking down the weaker links and targeting the end of innings. An incredible ball striker, Hardik’s strike-rate of 178.98 in the latest IPL edition, the third-best in the season, stands as evidence of his mentality that fits this newest format quite snugly. He was notably involved in the leadership group during the limited-overs leg of the Australia tour last year and has been with a champion side like Mumbai Indians long enough to understand the ropes of captaincy. As such, Hardik Pandya leads this line-up.

Krunal Pandya

A terrific hitter of the ball, Krunal serves two purposes in this T10 line-up: the first is to smash anything in his zone, something he does quite often, and the second is to bowl a wide defensive line for an over or two. Batsmen found that line of attack with the ball from Krunal tough to smash away and in a format where there’s no settling time, a street-smart cricketer like Krunal would be a good pick.

Rahul Tewatia

The man of the moment after an outstanding IPL in 2020, Rahul Tewatia, like Krunal, is a thinking cricketer who backs himself. Aside from smashing some of the best bowlers in the competition, Tewatia finished with an economy rate of just over seven with the ball. A leg-spinner who can contain the run flow is a rare player and with his batting capabilities adding more weight, Tewatia is a no-brainer in this XI.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Before going through a series of injuries, Bhuvneshwar Kumar was arguably one of India’s finest new ball bowlers. As someone who can exploit any early swing on offer and bowl in the death if needed, Bhuvneshwar pips the likes of Deepak Chahar and Kartik Tyagi to this India T10 XI. He will also be one of three seamers in this T10 line-up, used primarily for his new ball skills.

Yuzvendra Chahal

Chahal edges ahead over the likes of Varun Chakravarthy and Rahul Chahar for his wicket-taking abilities while not conceding too many runs. An economy rate of 7.08 while finishing as the highest wicket-taker among spinners in IPL 2020 confirms why Chahal is a brilliant bowler in the shorter formats. He will be the lead spinner in this line-up that also has Krunal and Tewatia as spin options.

Jasprit Bumrah

The first pick in this T10 line-up, Bumrah’s death bowling and impact with the new ball makes him a force in the shorter formats. He finished with 27 wickets in IPL 2020, the second most by any, while conceding runs at an economy of 6.73. Bumrah can either be used to bowl upfront and then at the death or both his overs could be used at the death with Bhuvneshwar and Krunal taking up new ball duties.

T Natarajan

An exceptionally skilled bowler, Natarajan’s rise to an all-format cricketer has been a fairy tale. He bowled the most yorkers in IPL 2020, and was impactful with his death bowling, famously cleaning up the Superman, AB de Villiers, with a yorker that squeezed in between his legs to smash the stumps.

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