This has been one of my most requested articles, and I can’t tell you how keen I am to get this out there.
To begin, I think selection will always be a complicated issue, particularly in India with the wealth of options they have, and the criticism that emerges if someone picked does badly, particularly if they are a high SR, high risk player. The mindset of accumulation needs to change sooner rather than later, which is something I see happening.
The IPL always manages to churn out new talent each year, (usually) the best from the SMAT, and I’ve highlighted a few up-and-coming players in my auction article, such as Prerak Mankad. But for international cricket, experience along with modern (ever-evolving) T20 dynamics are required.
With the evolution of T20 cricket, T20s, ODIs and Tests have divulged into 3 different sports; they’re no longer separate formats. The technique, the mindset and the strategies are so different now that each requires a different player pool entirely. India is a team with a large amount of resources, so need to firstly accept this difference, then structure the management and player pool accordingly.
I don’t think India can carry on just picking players - they need to pick a strategy, and if they intent to follow their “go for it” strategy of going from the start, like England, they need to pick the players that will allow them to do it best. They cannot pick anchors and ask them to hit, nor can they pick hitters and ask them to anchor - they require clear ROLE DEFINITION, which is one of the defining factors in the make up of a successful T20 team.
2020 Mumbai Indians is a great example of this: batting until 7, with their trusty engine room of Pollard - H Pandya - K Pandya delivering very consistently, and 6-7 bowling options, with Boult the PP specialist, Bumrah the death specialist, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Pollard for the middle overs (Hardik wasn’t fit), with Krunal and R Chahar the spinners - Chahar the wicket-taker, and Krunal the economical SLA. That kind of role definition, where each player knew exactly what was expected of them, and the game sense to execute it, creates great T20 teams, and it is what England have done - each player has ROLE CLARITY to execute their plans, along with knowing what and when it is required.
This is why India first need to work out the style of cricket - the BRAND - they want to play, and then pick players accordingly. If they want to play the old method of “let’s get to 150ish and defend”, they will be left behind; this is also a prevalent problem with Pakistan. If India want to embrace their aggressive mindset, then they need to make some tough choices with their lineup: certain players are not caught up with the format, and there is little room for anchors anymore.
These players can be clearly identified using their T20 numbers: from IPL and SMAT.
Players can also gain more experience by playing foreign leagues, something the BCCI are reluctant to happen, in order to “not damage the domestic cricket of India”. This is another reason why England are so good: their players experience different leagues, learn about different bowlers, different strategies, mindsets and mentalities required to win there. This also builds knowledge of pitches and how to bat/bowl on them.
For example, Hales’ BBL experience was a key factor in his selection over Salt in this WC, and it paid off big time with a key 86 (47)* against India, a 52 (40) v New Zealand and a 47 (30) against Sri Lanka, where he had the highest SR of anyone to hit more than 5 runs of both sides (v SL).
A solution to this can be identifying and grooming specialist T20 players, then letting them play leagues such as the T10, or the SA20, or the CPL (considering the next T20 WC is in the West Indies).
Here, I will talk about players that India need to get rid of, and the ideal players to replace them to make a strong T20 team, with enough bowling and batting options
India’s squad this WC looked like this:
Rohit Sharma (c) KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, R Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami.
Standby Players: Mohammed Siraj, Shreyas Iyer, Ravi Bishnoi, Shardul Thakur
I think many of these players are either too old for the format, or it has evolved past them, or they are too good at another format to give them excessive chances in T20.
These are the players I would omit from this squad:
Pant, Rohit, Rahul, Karthik, Ashwin, Shami
Pant has a mediocre horrific T20 record, and wants to open - with already better specialist openers, I don’t see it working out (and absolutely should not happen). Has been given enough chances (more than enough), with no visible result.
Ashwin and Karthik are too old, and neither give the team what it needs - a non-wicket taking spinner and a half-consistent finisher who cant’t bat outside of the last 4 overs are unnecessary.
Shami is a very one-dimensional T20 bowler, and there are much better options, who bring more than one aspect to their game, whether it be PP bowling, death bowling, high pace or middle-over enforcing.
Rohit and Rahul - Rohit is trying to be aggressive: he attacked 40% of balls faced in the WC, but it didn’t come off, and at this point, it makes more sense to back a young opener, who can execute with a higher chance of success. Rahul fails to score in pressure matches, and tends to start slow, which is the opposite of what India are trying to do. This is a point worth exploring; here are the SRs from 2020-2022:
Rohit Sharma SR:
Overs 1-6: 141
Overs 7-15: 141
KL Rahul SR:
Overs 1-6: 126
Overs 7-15: 141
None of them last till after the 15th over, and even if they do, the result is something you expect at that point. We can see the effort Rohit puts into trying to get India off to a quick start, but as I said, a younger player being backed will probably do better in the long term.
Here are the same stats for Kohli:
Virat Kohli SR:
Overs 1-6: 116
Overs 7-15: 121
Overs 16-20: 200
Kohli is an interesting one, as an anchor who starts extremely slow, but has a very high rate of success by lasting until the death overs to accelerate. There are two ways of looking at this:
If India are trying to ditch the slow start mentality, and make a team of 7-8 hitters who can all walk in and strike quickly, then Kohli has to go. Players like Samson and Surya can perform the 3/4 role much better and start quicker, putting pressure on the opposition rather than allowing them to tie down an end and bowl a quiet over that only goes for 3 runs.
Alternatively, you can have him anchoring at 3, and surrounded by hitters, to prevent collapses, which is another perfectly good strategy, and one I think would be most key to India. But to make this work, he has to be surrounded by hitters: having Pant and Rahul either side of him doesn’t work. Players like Shaw, Suryakumar and Samson are players that can do this, but I’ll go into ideal players later. For now, India has to decide which of the two options above they wish to pick. This has to be a hand in hand with the approach they take, and the players they choose to take it forward.
Speaking of players, let’s look at some of the more fearless players that India should carry on playing, and some that need to become mainstays in the side.
Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah
There is absolutely no chance these players should be dumped, and they probably won’t either. Each of them are matchwinners, and can put up exemplary performances.
Deepak Hooda and Bishnoi are also two useful commodities: Bishnoi is a wicket-taking spinner, and Hooda is a top-order batsmen who can bowl; these types of players are some of the most useful in T20s. Players like Hooda, Livingstone, Ali, Markram that can bat in the top 6 and give their captain an extra over or two are priceless, even more so when they are MATCHUP BOWLERS: Ali, Markram and Hooda all bowl off-spin, so match up well to lefthanders, while Livingstone can bowl both, making him even more valuable. India are missing one of these spin-bowling all rounders that can bat in the top 6.
Here are some of the players India should take a further look at:
Deepak Hooda:
Bowls matchup off spin, can be used in the powerplay
T20I SR of 150.24 at an average of 34
Had a 4:6 ratio of 2 (2 fours per six) in IPL 2022, at a SR of 137.
Prithvi Shaw:
Surely the one name on everyone’s mind. Absolutely deserves a place, as someone who can destroy bowling attacks in the powerplay from ball one.
While the SMAT may not as high of a quality of cricket as the IPL, it is still a good measure of intent, especially since some of the other players that India seem to prefer struck at much lower.
Shaw this SMAT:
Avg 36.88 SR: 181.42
He boasts a T20 SR of 151.67, which is exactly what India are looking for, and at this point, it seems injustice to keep him out.
He also has the 8th highest T20 SR in the PP ever (minimum 250 runs).
In IPL 2022, he only played 10 games (typhoid), but still struck at 153.
In IPL 2021, he played 15 games, striking at 159 at an average of 32.
These last two years have been indicative of his transformation as a T20 player: from 130 SR opener to destructive 150+ SR monster. He can give India the starts they need in T20 cricket, and is surely one of the most deserving openers, especially over the likes of Gaikwad and Gill, who prefer to get set and attack later.
Sanju Samson:
One of the most ill-treated players in history, anyone? Repeatedly refused chances, but dragged along to tours, much like Parkinson with England in 2020-21. Let’s have a look at his stats to see if this was deserved:
T20I SR in 2022: 158.4 at an average of 44.75
IPL 2022: SR 146.8, averaging 29
IPL 2020: SR 158.89, averaging 29
He has shown to be a player who can walk in and change a game very quickly with his range of strokes, and while Rohit has mentioned him before, nothing much has happened; I hope he can have another good IPL and barge his way into the team like SKY did.
Here are some of the players that could be part of the team in the future, but have a lot to work on.
Ishan Kishan:
While he is known to struggle against the new, swinging ball, he is a monster against spinners. He can recognise his matchups quickly and take on them.
He has a SR of 143.6 v spin in T20I.
Needs to improve his SR against (high) pace, and lower his dot-ball % .
Rahul Tripathi
A player who really came into his form in 2022, and I hope he can carry it on into 2023.
IPL 2022: SR 148, average 37.55. A 4:6 ratio of 2. From 2021, he has shown he can hit more 6’s, which gives him a higher SR. Improving this further will give him an advantage in selection.
Deepak Chahar for Bhuvneshwar is another interesting call. While Bhuvneshwar trumps Deepak in bowling, Deepak can bat. But I don’t think Chahar can bat well enough to cover the void in bowling between the two: Chahar can’t bowl outside of the powerplay, and having watched him for 3+ years, is also guaranteed to give away at least one freebie per over (econ 8.35, avg 32 in IPL 2021). If Chahar can work on his slower balls, wide yorkers and such, to be able to bowl at least one over outside the PP, and bat slightly better, he trumps Bhuvi, but for now, Bhuvneshwar holds the ace.
Now, think of a team like this for India in the 2024 T20 WC:
Shaw
Kishan
Samson (wk)
Suryakumar Yadav
Hooda
Hardik (c)
Jadeja
Deepak Chahar / Bhuvneshwar
Arshdeep
Bumrah
Bishnoi
Subs: Kohli (can fit him in at 3, send Samson/Hooda up), Sundar (backup to Jadeja), Tripathi (backup middle-order bat), Umran Malik (for extra pace)
With this team, you get a top-order batsman who can give you two overs of off spin (complementing Jadeja, who spins it the opposite direction). Kishan gets in to take down spin, while Shaw takes down pace, and Shaw-Kishan gives you a right-left option.
You get flexibility with your top order, and you have 7 bowling options - one powerplay specialist, two death bowlers who can swing it as well, one leg spinner with a great googly, two part-timers who spin it different directions (based on who is batting). While some argue that this is a T10 team, or that they are too one dimensional (eg 86/10 OR 200/3), I would disagree: this is a team that has all bases covered. They can bat till 8, have 7 bowling options, and Samson can drop anchor if that is really needed, along with Hardik, who did that for GT this IPL.
That team, I believe, could very well go the way at the T20 WC 2024.
An important thing is that India must pick players, not names. They’ve shown to be guilty of picking big names over performing players before, and it must not happen again.
A fun game I like to play sometimes is by hiding the players names, and showing their individual stats to someone, and asking them who they would rather have in their T20 team: their own answer surprises them!
If India had to pick based off a player stats rather than their name, or their fame, they would be a much better team, and this is a problem that is deep-rooted in BCCI.
KL Rahul was picked for the WC after months of injury, blatantly due to his glut of runs (Orange Cap), rather than his rather middling stats, striking at 135 this IPL, despite his opening partner QdK going at 149.
I hope you enjoyed this one, and I’ll be back soon with IPL, SA20 and ODI content, particularly as we lead up to the start of SA20 in January, and the ODI World Cup in 2023.
Note: Due to high demand, this is part 1, and there will be a part 2 released soon!