3 Indian bowlers who might not play a T20I after the 2022 T20 World Cup
Only one warm-up game stands between Team India and their high-profile 2022 T20 World Cup clash against Pakistan on October 23.
Captain Rohit Sharma has spoken about the need for experience on the big stage, and India have picked a squad that boasts of several veterans in both departments. However, time waits for no one, and the next two-year cycle might see a revamp of the T20I side.
A few batters, like Dinesh Karthik, might not be in the T20I picture after this year's T20 World Cup. Given their age and fitness, a few bowlers may also fall out of favor with the Indian selectors as they attempt to build a team for the 2024 edition of the tournament.
Here are three Indian bowlers who might not play a T20I after the 2022 T20 World Cup.
#3 Mohammad Shami
It seems like Mohammad Shami only plays T20I cricket when there's a World Cup waiting to be won. He made his debut in the 2014 edition before earning a late call-up to the squad for the 2021 T20 World Cup, with the same fate befalling him this year as well.
Upgraded to the main squad following Jasprit Bumrah's injury, Shami might be one of India's trump cards Down Under. He made an immediate impact in the warm-up game against Australia, scalping three wickets in a yorker-laden final over that yielded just four runs.
However, while Shami could be useful in the World Cup, it's tough to see him have a future with the team beyond the tournament. He remains primarily a new-ball bowler, and his limited skillset could be the biggest stumbling block behind his future with the Indian team.
At only 32, Shami has a few years left in him at the top level. However, unless he manages to significantly upgrade himself as a T20 bowler, he may not be as lucky when the next World Cup rolls around.
#2 Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has finally overcome his injury hell to notch up a good run of games in the shortest format for India, but he will be 34 years old by the time the 2024 T20 World Cup takes place. And while he has managed to stay fit of late, he is unlikely to be anywhere near the top of his game two years from now.
Like Shami, Bhuvneshwar is a limited T20 bowler. He has unmatched prowess in the powerplay but has often been found wanting at other stages of the innings. And unlike Shami, the swing bowler doesn't have the pace to make up for his shortcomings.
India will need to move past Bhuvneshwar following the 2022 T20 World Cup, whether they like it or not. We may not see him in the T20I mix next year.
#1 Ravichandran Ashwin
The oldest bowler in India's 2022 T20 World Cup squad, Ravichandran Ashwin is on the wrong side of 35 and has never been one of the quickest across the turf. He has managed to reinvent himself well enough to remain a world-class defensive spinner, but the old dog is unlikely to learn enough new tricks to keep him in the side.
With several young spinning all-rounders coming through the ranks, India are bound to move past Ashwin in the near future. It wouldn't make much sense to keep him in the thick of things after this year's World Cup, especially since he has so much to offer in the Test format.