3 mistakes in the Indian squad selection for the Bangladesh T20I series ft. lack of openers
The BCCI recently announced Team India's squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Bangladesh. The opening game of the series will be played on Sunday, October 6 in Gwalior.
The squad has been met with a fair amount of praise. Varun Chakaravarthy has been rewarded for his consistency, while Harshit Rana, Mayank Yadav and Nitish Kumar Reddy make up an exciting uncapped trio.
India’s squad for the 3 T20Is against Bangladesh: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Riyan Parag, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Mayank Yadav.
That said, however, there are a few areas where the contingent picked by the selectors is lacking. On that note, here are three mistakes made by the selectors while picking the Indian squad for the Bangladesh T20I series.
#3 There is only one specialist opener in the squad
Abhishek Sharma is the only specialist opener in India's squad for the Bangladesh T20I series. Signs indicate that the Men in Blue will shunt Sanju Samson to an opening role, which he has taken up at times in the last few months for the national team.
Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal have been rested following their involvement in the Test series. But the Kanpur Test is heading towards a tame draw, and neither player has had a heavy workload of late. Moreover, Gill has even been earmarked as a captaincy candidate, and without his place in the T20I side being certain, he can't afford to miss assignments.
Meanwhile, Ruturaj Gaikwad is involved in the Irani Trophy as the Rest of India's captain. The selectors should've surely preferred an international series to the domestic competition, especially when India are seriously short of openers.
#2 India have picked three pace-bowling all-rounders whose ideal batting positions are in the top five
Surprisingly, India have picked all three of Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy. Dube and Hardik played the entirety of the side's victorious run to the 2024 T20 World Cup title, while Nitish is currently uncapped.
It's hard to see how the trio of pace-bowling all-rounders will fit in the XI. Dube batting outside the top four didn't work particularly well for India in the T20 World Cup, although he did play an important knock in the final. Hardik's game against pace has dwindled in recent times, casting doubts over his ability to finish games alongside Rinku Singh.
Even Nitish batted in the top five for the SunRisers Hyderabad in the 2024 Indian Premier League, a role he might not get for India with Suryakumar Yadav and Riyan Parag in the mix apart from the aforementioned names. The selectors could have rested one or more of the trio to make things clearer.
#1 The Irani Trophy seems to have influenced selection
As mentioned earlier, Gaikwad seems to be missing from action due to his involvement in the Irani Trophy. Dhruv Jurel is another player who likely would've been picked ahead of Jitesh Sharma if not for the domestic red-ball competition.
But is that the best course of action? The selectors might be keen on finalizing their squads for the upcoming Test series against New Zealand and Australia, but it seems clear where the two players stand right now. Gaikwad isn't in the picture, while Jurel is nailed on as the backup to Rishabh Pant.
Both Gaikwad and Jurel are far from locks in the T20I side and could've used the exposure against Bangladesh. More importantly, both would've been real contenders to play all three matches against the Tigers.
The Irani Trophy seems to have influenced the selection, and that might not be the smartest idea given the situation.