3 questions that remain unanswered after India's T20I series win over Afghanistan
Team India wrapped up their preparations for the 2024 T20 World Cup with a 3-0 clean sweep against Afghanistan on home soil. The Men in Blue were tested by their Asian rivals, particularly in the third T20I, where they had to battle through two Super Overs to wrap up the proceedings.
Despite the clean sweep, the series cannot be said as ideal from a preparation point of view, as India were not playing with their complete squad. The hosts were forced to rest their first-choice bowlers for the upcoming Test series against England, while key short-format players like Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav missed the series due to injury.
As Rohit Sharma said following the culmination of the series, India have managed to tick off a lot of boxes, particularly the one where the players were tested in unfamiliar situations.
Certainly, there are still several questions unanswered, and it might remain the same way all through the buildup to the 2024 T20 World Cup.
On that note, let us take a look at three of the most pressing unanswered questions after India's T20I series win over Afghanistan.
#1 Will Virat Kohli thrive in this aggressive setup?
One of the biggest purposes of the Afghanistan series was to see how Virat Kohli will fit into the revamped T20I side after 14 months. While Rohit Sharma was also away for quite a while from the T20I side, not a lot has changed in terms of what he has to bring to the table.
However, it is a whole different equation for Kohli now, as opposed to his previous role as an anchor in the setup, he is also expected to be an aggressor much like the rest of the batters. The former skipper missed the series opener in Mohali, and played a brisk cameo in the second contest, before getting out for a golden duck in the third T20I in Bengaluru.
So, it remains to be seen whether Kohli can fit in at No. 3 in a way that aligns with the aggressive approach. However, the fact that Kohli will be opening the innings for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL), complicates things further.
While several have backed Kohli to play with his original approach at No. 3, and not change things too much for the sake of consistency, there is a whole other section that believes his style of play is outdated and he has to step up and match the other aggressive batters in the side.
#2 What will the bowling combination be? Is there a space for both Kuldeep and Bishnoi?
One of the biggest selection headaches India have had in the recent past is in the form of their frontline spinner. Both Kuldeep Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi have proved their ability, with the latter even being crowned player of the series in the home series against Australia.
The pair featured together in the third T20I against Afghanistan, where Bishnoi bowled the decisive Super Over as well. Considering the slow playing surfaces in West Indies, there could be an argument made for three spinners, with one being an all-rounder in the form of Axar Patel or Ravindra Jadeja or a left-field choice in Washington Sundar.
With two frontline seamers in Jasprit Bumrah and one among Mohammed Siraj or Arshdeep Singh, along with Hardik Pandya, Team India can complete their bowling attack.
However, it remains to be seen how the team wishes to frame the bowling attack and a lot of it could depend on the batting order and its depth as well. As the famous saying goes, "It all starts at the top".
#3 How can India possibly fit all the in-form players into the playing XI?
The selection headache increases tenfold when you consider the in-form players Team India have at the moment. Although there is a possibility that it could all fade away in the 2024 IPL, assuming that the players maintain their rhythm, there will be some serious selection debates to be handled.
Firstly, if Virat Kohli is locked in at No. 3, there is a fair chance that someone from the middle order might have to drop out and unfortunately, it might just be Rinku Singh.
The left-handed batter has not put a step wrong since making his international debut, and it seems downright cruel to bench him. However, with none of Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, and Jitesh Sharma being droppable, Team India might have their hands tied if they go down this route.
On the off chance, that Team India are adamant about having Kohli, Rohit, and Rinku in the playing XI, then the senior duo will have to open the innings, and unfortunately, Yashasvi Jaiswal misses out in this scenario. So, something has got to give when it comes to this playing XI situation.
The same goes for the player battle between Kuldeep Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi. One of them will have to sit out if Team India opt to play only two spinners. Should Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj make it to the playing XI, with Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya as the all-rounders, then there is no place for two leg-spinners in the team.
Will Team India be prepared in time for the 2024 T20 World Cup despite the glaring lack of international matches during the build-up? Let us know what you think.