India's squad for T20 World Cup: 3 reasons why Deepak Hooda might not play a single game
If there was one player who made the most of his limited opportunities in the build-up to the T20 World Cup, it was Deepak Hooda. The Rajasthan all-rounder turned a corner in the Indian Premier League's 2022 season, and has been enjoying a purple patch since.
The Lucknow Super Giants all-rounder amassed 451 runs in the tournament, at an average of 32.21 and a strike-rate of 136.67. He was the third-highest run-scorer for his side after leading international players KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock.
Hooda followed that up with an impressive series against Ireland where he opened the batting in one game and scored a century in the other while batting at number three. The run-hungry player seems ready to take on any challenge that comes his way.
For all his hard work and persistence, the 27-year-old was rewarded with a place in the Indian squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup. However, Deepak Hooda might not even play a single game in the tournament. To understand why, we take a look at three reasons for this possible outcome.
#1 A packed top/middle order for India
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Having broken into the ranks as a middle-order batter who could tonk the ball around the park, Hooda has cultivated himself into a fine top-order batter in recent times. His best performances have come at the number three or four slot, even during the IPL and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
The issue for him in the Indian side, though, is the abundance of options the team already has for these positions. KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli seem certain to be India's top three, with Suryakumar Yadav also making a very strong claim for the number four slot.
This might mean Hooda gets a chance to slot in at number six or sitting out altogether.
#2 Lack of left-handers in the middle order
The injury to Ravindra Jadeja has thrown a spanner in Indian team's works. The all-rounder, who often provided the perfect balance to the side by batting at number seven, is set to miss out on the major tournament after sustaining a knee injury.
As a result, Axar Patel has been selected as the like-for-like replacement for Jadeja. He might be a sixth bowling option apart from a handy left-handed lower-order batter. Rishabh Pant, who was left out of the side during India's first match in the Asia Cup, might also find a way back into the side due to being a left-hander.
Hooda, on the other hand, has the disadvantage of being a right-hander. The Indian team is already overloaded with right-handed batsmen and is looking to add some variety by getting left-handers like Pant up the order. This is another reason why Hooda might struggle to get in the Indian XI.
#3 Is Deepak Hooda really a sixth bowling option?
There have been a few shouts about Deepak Hooda's abilities as the sixth bowling option in the absence of Ravindra Jadeja. In the 4 T20Is he has played, he has conceded runs at an economy rate of only 5.33, which largely comes down to his capability to dart the ball in against the batters.
However, his bowling numbers in the IPL paint a different picture. Deepak Hooda's economy rate of 8.61 with 10 wickets in the 30 matches he has bowled in doesn't instill much confidence.
In comparison, Axar Patel is a genuine bowler in the shortest format. With an economy rate of under 7.30 in all T20s, the left-arm spinner has taken 130 wickets in 151 matches. With bat and ball, Axar seems a much better option than Deepak Hooda.