How India's T20 squad will look in the absence of Test players
Australia are scheduled to play a T20 in Australia against Sri Lanka a day before their first Test against India in India. The schedule seems quite bizarre given that the gap virtually rules out any common players in the two squads.
However, one wonders if this might be the way going forward as T20 leagues have been given much more importance than Tests and ODIs by several players.
Take a moment to take this in. What if T20 cricket was always meant to be a different game? For a different group of players altogether. Test cricket is, of course, the ultimate, and T20 players might take to Tests like a duck to water like David Warner and Quinton de Kock have shown.
But is the reverse feasible? Can an Alastair Cook or Azhar Ali or Dimuth Karunaratneexcel in T20s?
In this context, let us imagine that T20 is indeed a different ball game and Test players are not allowed to take part in these 20 over games. In that situation, how will an Indian T20 squad look like? Go ahead and take a glance at such a T20 XI.
Let us take the current Indian Test squad chosen for the Bangladesh Tests:
#1 Shikhar Dhawan/Mandeep Singh
Left-handed opener, Shikhar Dhawan, was omitted from the Test squad for the Bangladesh series and this makes him the favourite to open for India in this T20 XI. However, given his recent form with the willow, it will be no surprise if Punjab batsman, Mandeep Singh, replaces him.
Dhawan has played 22 T20s for India, the last of them coming against Australia in the World T20. Mandeep, meanwhile, is yet to play T20s for India but is a prominent member in the RCB setup.
#2 Rishabh Pant
The dynamic Delhi opener and wicket-keeper is sure to claim one of the opening slots, although his longevity in this side depends on how long he stays away from that Test squad. Pant is more than capable of shot-making as he proved in the under-19 World Cup and in the Ranji Trophy recently.
Pant made his T20 debut in the final match of the series against England but did not get much of a chance coming in down the order. His terrific hitting ability assures that he is a viable option at the top of the order.