T20 World Cup 2021: 4 contenders to open for Team India alongside Rohit Sharma
Team India will be aiming to win the seventh edition of the T20 World Cup, which is slated to begin in October 2021 in the UAE and Oman. India have been one of the most consistent performers in the tournament, having finished as finalists and semi-finalists in the 2014 and 2016 editions respectively. However, they have failed to win the tournament ever since being crowned champions in the inaugural edition in 2007.
Team India are lucky to have several options for different batting positions, mainly because of the exposure offered by the IPL. However, picking the best player for each such slot will be a challenge for captain kohli' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>kohli' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>kohli' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>kohli" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Virat Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri.
One such position is the second opener's position. Rohit Sharma has cemented his spot as Team India's first-choice opener. He has scored four international hundreds and is the third highest run-scorer in the shortest format. However, India have several options for the second opener's position.
Virat Kohli has been vocal about his plans to open the innings, making him a prime contender for the position. KL Rahul and dhawan' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>dhawan' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>dhawan" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Shikhar Dhawan will also be vying for the second opener's spot. Meanwhile, youngsters such as Prithvi Shaw, Devdutt Padikkal and Ruturaj Gaikwad have also made a strong case for selection.
Amidst such a flurry of choices, we analyze the possible contenders for the second opener's position for Team India for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2021.
#1 Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli opened with Rohit Sharma in the T20I decider against England earlier in the year. While Kohli anchored the innings in that match, scoring a fluent 80 in the process, Rohit, Surya Kumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya batted explosively to help Team India post a massive total of 224 runs.
Kohli also opens the batting for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the IPL. His ability as an opener in the T20 format was on display during the 2016 season of the IPL, where he smashed 973 runs, including four centuries.
The primary argument in favor of the skipper opening the innings is that the two best batsmen in the team - Kohli and Rohit - should be facing as many balls as possible. Kohli can be the fulcrum around which the team bats, and he can lay the foundation on which power-hitters down the order can capitalize.
With Kohli opening the innings, the likes of Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja can bat one position higher, which could help Team India add 10-20 runs to the total.
#2 KL Rahul
Click here for the participating ICC T20 World Cup 2021 team and their final squads.
KL Rahul has been a constant name on the leading run-getters' chart since the 2018 edition of the IPL, even winning the Orange Cap in 2020.
He has amassed over 1600 T20I runs, including one century, at an average of close to 40 and a strike rate of over 140.
With Rahul at the top of the order, Team India will have a batsman who can be both explosive and sedate according to the situation's demands.
He can afford to play with more freedom in Indian colors than he usually does for the Punjab Kings (PBKS) as Team India's batting order has considerably more depth.
#3 Shikhar Dhawan
Shikhar Dhawan has been in and out of Team India's T20I plans as his strike rate is perceived to be a tad too low for the fast-paced format.
However, Dhawan has presented a revamped version of himself in the last two editions of the IPL. In 2020, he scored over 600 runs, including two centuries, at a strike rate of over 140. He currently holds the Orange Cap in IPL 2021, with the tournament set to resume soon in the UAE. His franchise - Delhi Capitals - finished as runners-up in the 2020 edition and are at the top of the points table this season, largely owing to Dhawan's exploits with the bat.
Dhawan also has a superb record in ICC tournaments. Furthermore, his opening combination with Rohit Sharma has amassed over 1700 runs at an average of 33.51 in T20Is. Dhawan is also the only left-handed batting option in the top order, apart from Rishabh Pant.
However, Dhawan takes a little time to settle down initially, which can hamper his chances. Also, with the southpaw as the opener and Virat Kohli at No.3, Team India will have two anchors in the top three, not an ideal scenario in modern-day T20 cricket.
He aggregated 86 runs in three T20Is against Sri Lanka in the recently concluded series, averaging 28.67 while his strike rate was 108.86. Such performances won't warrant him a place in India's T20 World Cup squad.
Dhawan's displays for the remainder of IPL 2021 should be closely monitored by the selection committee. However, with the World Cup slated to commence immediately after the conclusion of the IPL, Dhawan's prospects seem bleak.
#4 Prithvi Shaw
Prithvi Shaw had a dismal showing in the 2020 edition of the IPL. The deficiencies in his technique were evident in the one Test match he played in Australia at the end of last year. His lackluster performances drew a lot of flak from experts and fans alike.
However, Shaw made a record-breaking comeback, accumulating 827 runs, including three centuries and a double century, in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He was having an equally remarkable IPL 2021, scoring 308 runs in eight games for the Delhi Capitals at a strike rate of over 165, including three fifties. Shaw was unmatched in the powerplay phase and has developed the ability to hit even the good deliveries for boundaries. He seems to have ironed out the flaws in his technique as well.
Modern-day T20 cricket is fast-paced. Teams like England and West Indies have adopted a template of attacking from the start. However, Team India have a more traditional approach to building a foundation and attacking in the death overs. While that approach could help them sail past the group stage, it may cost India in the knockouts.
With a batsman like Shaw at the top, India can make the best use of the powerplay overs. His strokeplay at the top will also give Rohit Sharma some time to settle down.
The series against Sri Lanka was expected to be crucial for Shaw, who was dismissed for a first-ball duck on his T20I debut. An unfortunate COVID-19 outbreak resulted in Shaw being put under isolation, which meant that he could take no further part in the series.
Consistency is a problem for Shaw, but he is in cracking form and will be a potential game-changer if he is picked for the World Cup.
Conclusion
The series against Sri Lanka was scheduled with the aim of finalizing the squad for the T20 World Cup. However, the COVID-19 outbreak in the Indian camp resulted in a disappointing outcome. An overwhelming majority of the Indian players were placed in isolation. Consequently, they were ruled out of the series.
The remainder of the suspended IPL season should be closely watched. Considering that it is scheduled immediately before the World Cup, and will be played in similar conditions, the performance of the above mentioned candidates should be scrutinized against the backdrop of Team India's plans for the T20 World Cup.
While form is a basic premise for selection, experience should also be taken into account, considering that the T20 World Cup is a high-stakes tournament.