IPL 2019: The struggles of India's dominant Top 3
IPL 2019 began with only a few months to the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup in June this year. The players are eager to perform so as to book a place for their respective sides at the World Cup. And what could be better than a good IPL season to display your skills and abilities.
The Indian team selectors have made it clear that the IPL performances will not be taken into account when it comes to the team selection for the World Cup. However, every eye has been on the players that are a definite selection for the tournament and the Indian fans are hoping them to perform good in the tournament, with a good enough form to win the World Cup.
However, after two weeks of the IPL, the Indian fans have been concerned about the form of India's top three - Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and captain Virat Kohli; who are so vital for India's hopes in the World Cup and have been dominant and, such that every time they perform well, the team wins.
Sharma and Dhawan have always provided India with some good starts. Their partnership at the top of the order has ensured that India puts up on a good total while batting first or chasing down the totals to win the matches. And whenever they failed to do so, captain Virat Kohli comes to the party to take his team home. Their success in recent years has been the key to India performing well in the ODIs.
But since the start of this season of IPL, all three have looked out of touch in their batting for their respective teams. Shikhar has got a few starts and also has a half-century to his name, but has not looked the same as when he played for the Sunrisers Hyderabad previously. His opening partner Rohit Sharma is having the same problems. Rohit only has two 30+ scores so far to his name but has looked out of touch.
The numbers are even worse for captain Kohli as he has managed just one 30+ score this year against Mumbai Indians. He has been disappointing, with his team not performing good enough even to register a single win in this year's IPL, in the first four games of the season.
Indian fans will be hoping to see some good knocks from their batsmen in the remaining season of the IPL. A good IPL season for these three can act as a confidence booster going forward into a big tournament like the ICC Cricket World Cup in June 2019.