Asia Cup 2022: 3 players in India's squad who could be better opening options than KL Rahul
KL Rahul's reputation as a T20 opener hit a new low on Wednesday, August 31. Playing Team India's second Asia Cup 2022 match against Hong Kong, the right-handed batter labored to 36 off 39 balls before top-edging a slog off Mohammad Ghazanfar.
Rahul, when on song, is undoubtedly one of the best white-ball batters in the world. We've seen what he's capable of on countless occasions, both in the Indian Premier League and in international cricket. However, the 30-year-old's complete lack of intent and constant failures against quality opposition are pushing India into a corner.
If his current run of form continues, Rahul will either have to be moved to the middle order or dropped from the playing XI altogether. Here are three players in India's Asia Cup squad who could be better options to open the batting alongside Rohit Sharma.
#3 Suryakumar Yadav
As part of India's experiment with the opening spot, Suryakumar Yadav got the opportunity to play at the top of the order in four T20Is against the West Indies. He did decently, amassing scores of 11(6), 24(14), 24(16) and 76(44). His strike rate touched 150 on all four occasions, giving India a positive start.
In all of T20 cricket, Suryakumar has 576 runs from 16 innings at an average of 36 and a strike rate of 142.57, with five fifties to his name. If he is pushed up the order to open alongside Rohit, he could make the most of the powerplay on a regular basis.
However, Suryakumar is India's best bet in the middle overs, and while he might produce better results than Rahul on current form, it could be in the team's best interests to keep him at either No. 3 or No. 4.
#2 Rishabh Pant
India are desperately crying out for a left-hander in the top four. Ishan Kishan has dropped out of the picture, while Ravindra Jadeja's issues with tackling spin in the middle overs make him an unreliable No. 4 in the long run. Rishabh Pant, who was dropped for the team's opening Asia Cup game against Pakistan, could be the answer.
Like Suryakumar, Pant has occasionally opened for India in T20I cricket of late. In the two innings he has played, his returns haven't been great - 27 runs at a strike rate of 135. In T20s overall, though, he has scored 600 runs in 18 innings at an average of 35.29 and an excellent strike rate of 164.38. The southpaw has five fifties and one hundred while opening the batting in the shortest format of the game.
Pant hasn't played the role often enough in international cricket for a verdict to be issued on him. But one thing is for certain - he'll offer more intent and variety than Rahul.
#1 Virat Kohli
India's simplest solution could be to continue to slot Pant into the middle order and replace Rahul with Virat Kohli. It's inarguable that the former skipper's best position in T20 cricket is at the top of the order, with his ability to take on pace and struggles against spin post the powerplay making him the ideal candidate to make the most of the field restrictions.
Kohli also has a terrific record as an opener in the shortest format. He has scored 278 runs from eight T20Is at an average of 39.71 and a strike rate of 148.66, and his numbers in all T20s only get better. In 92 innings, the 33-year-old has smashed 3,250 runs at an average of 41.66 and a strike rate of 135.64, with 22 fifties and five hundreds.
India might not be able to continue with their current top three, and opening with Kohli while dropping Rahul might be their most straightforward solution.
The updated list of Asia Cup Teams and Squads can be viewed here.