India's strongest predicted ODI lineup under Rohit Sharma
Team India is currently in a period of transition. Virat Kohli's wonderful era came to an end, with Rohit Sharma taking over from him as the new captain. Kohli's ODI record as a captain was exemplary: He won almost 68% of the 95 games he captained in, the only blip being his failure to win an ICC tournament.
Rohit Sharma has started his tenure well, winning his first two games as full-time captain, even though Team India are not at full strength right now. When all the big guns come back, he will have to take some hard calls about whom to leave out.
Rohit Sharma has been named as India’s new ODI captain, replacing Virat Kohli. https://t.co/vtkq39tHBF
On that note, here's a look at what the composition of the team might look like when everyone is fit and available:
#The Top 3: Rohit Sharma (C), Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli
The formidable trio of Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli have been the mainstays of India's ODI lineup for the best part of the last decade.
Since Sharma was elevated to the top of the order in the 2013 Champions Trophy these three have been the Holy Trinity for India in ODIs. Sharma and Dhawan have close to 5000 runs in 111 innings batting together, while Kohli has more than 10000 runs in ODI cricket at no 3.
Form has been a concern for India's top 3 in recent months, but with the kind of quality these three possess, some big knocks are surely just around the corner.
#Middle Order (4,5,6): KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant
India's middle order has been a cause for concern for many years now. That was epitomised in the 2019 World Cup, when India played three wicketkeeper batters in the semi-final.
Ambati Rayudu, Vijay Shankar, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant have auditioned in the middle order in the last few years.
While KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant are certainties now, Suryakumar Yadav looks to be the favourite for the final spot, narrowly pipping Shreyas Iyer. Yadav's wide range of shots and innovative strokeplay should see him get the nod over Iyer.
Things will become interesting when Hardik Pandya gets fit, if he regains his batting form, and can deliver 4-5 overs. In that case, he would become a strong candidate to bat in the middle order. A fully fit Pandya lends incredible balance to the team, so his progress will be closely monitored by the team management.
#All Rounders (7,8): Ravindra Jadeja and Deepak Chahar
When fully fit, Ravindra Jadeja can walk into any team in the world at the moment. Economical with the ball, he is capable of striking big blows at the death and is a gun fielder. Jadeja is the true definition of a three-dimensional player.
The spot for the second all-rounder is definitely up for debate, though. Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar have both done a very good job in the lower middle order in the past few ODIs.
If India decide to go with Jadeja as the sole all-rounder or swap one of the top-order batters for Pandya/Thakur, Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj would also be in the mix for the third pacer's spot.
Currently, Deepak Chahar, who has done well in the recent past, delivering wickets in the power play and lusty hits in the slog overs, gets the nod.
#Bowlers (9,10,11): Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami
Yuzvendra Chahal has been in and out of the team in recent months, but Rohit Sharma seems to have his trust in the leg-spinner for now.
Chahal's ODI record is fairly decent - 104 wickets in 61 games at a strike rate of just over 30 (almost two wickets every ten overs). Taking wickets in the middle overs is absolutely key, and Sharma will hope Chahal provides him with those breakthroughs.
Yuzvendra Chahal completes 100 wickets in ODI cricket #INDvWI https://t.co/fCidS0ccWH
Meanwhile, when fully fit, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami are India's leading pace bowling pair across formats. They are perhaps the only two automatic picks for India in the bowling department, with fierce competition for all the other bowling spots.