The BCCI announced a 18 man squad for the 2 T20 series against Ireland last week. The T20 series may not be a significant series for the Men in Blue as India has decided to field a second string side for the Ireland T20s as the players from the first team will be busy in preparation of the unfinished 5th Test against England.
But nevertheless the squad selection gave us a hint of how the Indian team is planning ahead keeping the T20 World Cup in mind. On one hand, India named Hardik Pandya as the skipper after his IPL Heroics as skipper and on the other hand there were a few notable exclusions too. Before dwelling in further let us have a look at how the T20 squad looks for India against Ireland.
India Squad: Hardik Pandya (C), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Vc), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Rahul Tripathi, Deepak Hooda, Venkatesh Iyer, Axar Patel, Dinesh Karthik (Wk), Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi.
After having a look at the squad let us further decipher that what does the squad selections actually indicate.
1. Is this the end of Shikhar Dhawan?
The last time India fielded a second string side was during the WTC Finals and coincidentally it was Shikhar Dhawan who was the skipper. Fast forward a year, Shikhar Dhawan does not find himself into the T20 setup anymore. A mediocre IPL as per his standards and with Dhawan already being 35 years of age has not helped his case either. With Gaikwad and Ishan Kishan being given an extended run, it is technically the end of road for Shikhar Dhawan.
2. The fight for the second keeper slot is still on:
Dinesh Karthik who recently made a remarkable comeback into the National Side has been named as the designated wicket keeper of the side. Ishan Kishan automatically becomes the second choice but the selection of Sanju Samson has indicated that the management has still not zeroed down for the backup keeper slot. Barring these 3, there is also Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul who can play as the wicket keeper batsman.
3. Is it curtains for Prithvi Shaw and Varun Chakravarthy?
One was named as the next Prodigy in Indian Cricket and the other one was India’s first entrant in the world of Mystery Spin. Prithvi Shaw and Varun Chakravarthy are two eminent players who do not find themselves in the squad against Ireland. Now Shaw has had his issues with form and fitness and has not been consistent enough to stage a comeback. Even the management has kept their trust on Ruturaj Gaikwad as the go-to opener. On the other hand , Varun seems to have got lost into oblivion after his initial success in IPL 2021 and was highly ineffective in 2021 T20 World Cup. Staging a comeback looks highly improbable for both for now.
4. Is India looking for more aggression in the middle overs?
The aggressive run scoring in the middle overs remain a never ending concern for team India and that is being clearly reflected by the frequent chopping and changing of players in the middle order. The inclusion of Suryakumar Yadav and yet to debut Rahul Tripathy along with Sanju Samson and Deepak Hooda clearly reflect the fact that the Indian team management is looking for players who can accelerate in the middle overs.
5. Is it time to look beyond the Veterans?
The inclusion of fresh faces clearly indicate that the Indian Team is nearing a transition phase. T20 Skipper Rohit Sharma is in the mid-30s along with Virat Kohli who too is 33. The two heavy weights of Indian batting order may not be around for a long time so it is important to groom and incorporate young players in the shoes of both Virat and Rohit. Also the fact that the duo didn’t had a good IPL has made the management think about their potential replacements in the future.
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