3 India players for whom the Ireland T20Is could be a make-or-break series
The upcoming three-match T20I series against Ireland will present the Indian think tank with another opportunity to test the youngsters as they set their sights on the T20 World Cup in 2024.
Led by Jasprit Bumrah, who is set to return to action after almost 11 months, the Men in Blue have picked a relatively young squad. With the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Prasidh Krishna, and Avesh Khan, among others, present in the squad, the Ireland series will be a testing ground for the management.
Besides, this series would be the final frontier for many Team India players, who will look to perform and present their case ahead of a busy schedule.
On that note, let's take a look at three players for whom the three-match affair against Ireland could be a make-or-break series.
#1 Sanju Samson
There have been claims in the past that Sanju Samson hasn't got a long rope to showcase his talent in the international arena. However, it doesn't hold true anymore.
The wicketkeeper-batter played two ODIs and five T20Is in the recently concluded series against the West Indies. However, he failed to make any significant impact, barring one half-century that came in the third ODI in Tarouba.
Samson managed to score 60 runs in two 50-over games and accumulated only 32 runs in three T20I innings against the Men in Maroon.
The Kerala-born cricketer will have to fire with the bat against the Irish side to be in contention for a place in the 2023 Asia Cup and the ensuing ICC ODI World Cup later this year.
#2 Shivam Dube
The all-rounder from Mumbai, Shivam Dube, was touted as Hardik Pandya's like-for-like replacement. However, the hard-hitting batter failed to replicate his domestic form in India colors.
Since his debut in 2019, Dube has managed to feature in one ODI and 13 T20Is. The southpaw scored only nine in his only 50-over game against the West Indies in Chennai. On the other hand, Dube accumulated 105 runs and picked up five wickets in the shortest format.
Due to his below-par returns, the lanky all-rounder was left out of the side and found it difficult to break into the team.
However, since joining the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Dube has kind of revived his career. He has amassed 707 runs in the last two seasons combined and has taken over the finisher's role from skipper MS Dhoni.
On the back of his stellar IPL 2023 campaign, Shivam Dube has earned a recall to the Indian side for the three-match series against Ireland. The 30-year-old cricketer is aware that he will have limited opportunities to prove his worth and will look to make an impact with both the bat and the ball.
#3 Avesh Khan
Since making a mark in the U19 World Cup in 2016, Avesh Khan was touted as one of India's brightest pace bowling talents. Despite performing in clutters, the lanky pacer has not really fulfilled his true potential.
He was rewarded with India call-ups but hasn't really made a mark. In five ODIs, Avesh has scalped only three wickets, while the Madhya Pradesh-born pacer has picked up 13 wickets in 15 T20Is so far.
However, his inability to contain runs has not aided him well. Avesh has conceded at 9.10 runs per over in the shortest format of the game, while he has an economy rate of 6.10 in ODIs.
With the emergence of many fast bowlers, this might be the make-or-break series for 26-year-old Avesh Khan. The right-arm pacer will be desperate to make a mark and cement his place in the T20I side.