IPL 2021: 3 Indian team regulars who effectively sealed their T20 World Cup spot
The focus of the members of the Indian cricket team has shifted from T20s to Tests, with the World Test Championship final and a 5-Test series against England on the horizon.
The 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL), which was brought to an unprecedented halt this week, gave a number of players the opportunity to present their case of a spot in the national team. Avesh Khan was among those named in the reserves for the England tour, while many other Indian stalwarts gave a good account of themselves in the tournament.
A few staple members of the Indian cricket team took massive strides towards sealing their place in the squad for the T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in October this year.
Although there is still a considerable amount of time to go for the ICC tournament, we name three players who effectively nailed down their spot in the side with their IPL 2021 performances. Interestingly, all three turned out for the same franchise in IPL 2021.
#3 Axar Patel
COVID-19 prevented Axar Patel from playing in the Delhi Capitals' first few IPL 2021 matches, but once he entered the fray, he was spectacular. The left-arm spinner bowled a Super Over in his first appearance of the competition, against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, and picked up a total of 6 wickets in 4 games at a stupendous economy rate of 7.
Although Ravindra Jadeja might be ahead of him in the T20I pecking order, Axar is a massive value addition in the format. Unerringly accurate and capable of contributing in the other two departments as well, he is bound to be part of the T20 World Cup squad as a backup at the very least.
Axar will have competition from Washington Sundar and Rahul Chahar, but assuming the tournament takes place in India as scheduled, he should be part of the enlarged squad.
#2 Rishabh Pant
Despite being one of India's mainstays in the Test and ODI formats, Rishabh Pant hasn't been able to make a mark in T20I cricket. He has an average of 21.33 and a strike rate of 123.08 over the course of 33 matches, and hasn't crossed 35 in his last 12 innings in the format.
A stellar IPL 2021 campaign in which he led the Delhi Capitals to the top of the table and played a fearless brand of cricket should be enough for him to put a spot in the T20 World Cup squad beyond doubt. The 23-year-old, being a left-hander, adds a different dimension to the middle order that Sanju Samson and KL Rahul cannot.
Pant played a few scratchy innings in India's T20I series against England, but a strong showing in IPL 2021 (213 runs in 8 games at an average of 35.5 and a strike rate of 131.48) will hold him in good favor with the selectors.
#1 Shikhar Dhawan
It's almost surprising to think that Shikhar Dhawan lost his place in the Indian T20I side ahead of IPL 2021. The third player on this list to play for the Delhi Capitals, the opener amassed 380 in 8 games at an average of 54.28 and a strike rate of 134.27 to hold the Orange Cap when the tournament was brought to a close.
Dhawan's prolific IPL 2021 campaign, combined with his impeccable record in ICC tournaments, should be enough to ensure that he opens the batting alongside longtime partner Rohit Sharma. He has competition from KL Rahul, but he's impossible to ignore in his current form.
Dhawan is all but certain to reclaim his spot in India's T20I side ahead of the T20 World Cup.