Fifteen years after making history by becoming the first ever T20 world champions, India are on a mission to end their long wait ever since to return to the T20I summit. While hosts and defending champions Australia start out as slight favourites and former winners England and Pakistan should go deep, expectations, as usual, are sky high for an Indian team ranked number one in the world.
With that in my mind, My Kolkata constructs a five-point manual for Indian success in 2022:
Attack early with the bat
At least one of Rohit Sharma and K.L. Rahul has to go big from the beginning BCCI
When you have a top three of Rohit Sharma, K.L. Rahul and Virat Kohli, all of whom like to take their time to get going, somebody has to initiate an early attack if big scores are to be posted consistently in a World Cup. The batting friendly pitches of Australia demand that the opening six overs of powerplay yield at least 50 to 60 runs. However, if you take the T20 career strike rates of Rohit and Rahul in powerplays (126.58 and 128.51, respectively), they are supposed to produce not more than 46 runs on average. This means that either of the two openers has to let loose early on, with Rahul being the likeliest, given the evidence from the warm-up games.
Get the most out of SKY
India have to optimise the talent and form of Suryakumar Yadav BCCI
Perhaps the most in-form batter in T20 cricket right now, Suryakumar Yadav has taken over from AB de Villiers as the game’s most complete 360 degree shotmaker. SKY’s career numbers in T20Is are staggering — 1045 runs at an average of 38.70 and a strike rate of 176.81, with nine fifties and a century. On paper, Yadav is slated to come in at number four, but that might be too late should India not lose wickets up front. The fact that the Mumbai Indians lynchpin can accelerate from the get-go should not be held against him, as in most match situations, he is the Indian middle-order batter who should play the most deliveries. Sorry, Virat.
Damage control at the death
Arshdeep Singh will be India’s spearhead at the death in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah BCCI
In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, who is also the best exponent of the yorker in the Indian squad, India’s death bowling is probably the most glaring chink in the Blues’ armour. Arshdeep Singh, who has an impressive 16 wickets at the death this year with an acceptable economy rate of 7.93, will be the first choice in most matches, with either of Mohammed Shami or Bhuvneshwar Kumar backing up the 23-year-old. However, Shami’s fitness and consistency are still suspect, and as for Bhuvneshwar, it will mostly be a case of damage control after giving away a combined 62 runs in the three gilt-edged death overs he has bowled for India in 2022.
Manage Hardik’s workload
Hardik Pandya’s workload will have to be looked after if India are to triumph BCCI
Every team needs an X-factor if they are to emerge as champions in a high pressure championship. For India, that player is likely to be Hardik Pandya, the man who led the Gujarat Lions to the IPL crown in their maiden season earlier this year. Hardik’s return to bowling in 2022 after almost three years of playing exclusively as a batter makes life much easier for Rohit. At the same time, the reigning IPL champion should not be asked to overcommit, especially with the ball. Given India’s repertoire, Hardik does not have to bowl four overs and bat for one half of the innings every game. But, if and when he is asked to, he must be fresh enough to deliver.
Picking between Ashwin and Chahal
Rajasthan Royals teammates Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin may not get to feature together in Australia BCCI
It is difficult to imagine India opting for two spinners in any of their Super 12 games of the World Cup, since most matches (apart from the one in Sydney) are on pitches that will have more for the quicker bowlers. While Ravichandran Ashwin has more big-game experience and better numbers in T20Is, Yuzvendra Chahal, in spite of his inferior batting, tends to be more decisive. Ultimately, the toss up between the two wily spinners may be just that — a practical preference on the day to be decided by form or the number of left-handers in the opposition.