3 Indian players who will be under pressure to deliver in the 2nd ODI vs Bangladesh
Team India are going through a rough phase in white-ball cricket at the moment. With preparations for the 2023 World Cup at home having commenced, the Men in Blue need to be at their absolute best in the upcoming ODI fixtures.
India suffered a setback on Sunday when Bangladesh clinched a one-wicket win in the first ODI of the ongoing three-match series. No Indian batter, barring KL Rahul, could come up with a substantial contribution as Shakib Al Hasan and Ebadot Hossain ran through the lineup. With the series on the line, Rohit Sharma and Co. will need to up their game in Dhaka on Wednesday.
Here are three Indian players who will be under pressure to deliver in the second ODI against Bangladesh.
Honorable Mention: Rohit Sharma
#3 Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli is a modern-day colossus, and the ODI format is arguably his best. The former Indian skipper averages 57.46 at a strike rate of 92.8 over the course of 254 innings, with 64 fifties and 43 hundreds to his name. However, his returns have dwindled a bit of late.
In 2022, Kohli has crossed the 20-run mark only twice in nine innings, with his scores in the year reading 51, 0, 65, 8, 18, 0, 16, 17 and 9. The two fifties were also scored at middling strike rates of 80.95 and 77.38 respectively. The No. 3 batter is clearly not at his best right now and needs to deliver before murmurs regarding his place in the side start doing the rounds.
Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul have performed well in the middle order, while others like Sanju Samson are in contention too. Kohli is still one of the best batters in the world and will undoubtedly have the backing of the team management, but there's no doubt that some runs from his willow in ODIs are the need of the hour.
#2 Kuldeep Sen
Kuldeep Sen strikes!
Picks up his maiden wicket in #TeamIndia colours.
Live - bit.ly/BANvIND-1STODI #BANvIND https://t.co/xubiY4X4J3
Kuldeep Sen has played only 14 List A games in his career. But his ability to clock high speeds, combined with a productive Vijay Hazare Trophy season for Madhya Pradesh, prompted India to hand him a cap in the first ODI against Bangladesh.
Sen had a rather tough outing on debut, conceding 37 runs in the five overs he bowled. His two-wicket burst in the 39th over lent some respectability to his figures and went a long way in India regaining control over the match, but he got his lines and lengths wrong far too often.
The Men in Blue are currently playing six frontline bowlers and four pacers, a luxury they can choose to forego by fielding an extra batter. Sen should retain his place in the side for the second ODI, but he might find himself on the bench if he dishes out another unimpressive display. With the likes of Umran Malik waiting in the wings, the 26-year-old will be under pressure to show his worth.
#1 Shikhar Dhawan
There's been a lot of talk regarding Shikhar Dhawan's place in the ODI side, and rightly so. The veteran batter has unimpressive numbers in 2022, with both his average and his strike rate being the lowest they've been for a while. Moreover, his lack of intent has looked out of place in the modern white-ball game.
Dhawan, as a senior member of the side, has the backing of his opening partner Rohit Sharma as well as the team management. However, with Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad knocking the door down, the southpaw needs to pile on some big runs at a good clip in the immediate future.
At 37 years old, Dhawan might not be anywhere near his best by the time the World Cup rolls around. Time's running out, and he needs to assure the selectors that he still has a lot of cricket left in him.