Follow UsKishan or Samson or both?
It will be a massive headache for the Indian team management if Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul fail to recover for the World Cup. As of now, the two middle-order batters have “resumed batting in the nets and are undergoing strength fitness drills.” However, there have been reports that the two might not feature in the Asia Cup, meaning India must sort out their No. 4 and 5.
If not for any injury, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli will be India’s top three, leaving Ishan Kishan with no free space in the top-order, which is where he has excelled in his 17-ODI career so far. India gave Kishan the opening slot against West Indies, and the left-hander responded with scores of 52, 55 and 77 and ended the series as the highest run-getter.
The problem, though, is his numbers in the middle-order aren’t great, and India have been accused of playing batters out of their positions in the past. In six innings, Kishan has batted at No. 4, the 25-year-old has an average of just 21.2, and that’s where one of Samson or Suryakumar Yadav could come into the mix. SKY did get some runs in the final ODI but still averages only 24.33 in 26 ODIs.
And then there is Samson. The 28-year-old averages 55.71, strikes at 104 in this format, and is more suited for the middle-order role. The right-hander has an average of way above 50 batting at No. 5 and 6 and has an attacking game against both pace and spin. In the third ODI, Samson slammed 51 off 41 at No. 4 and was brutal against spin.
There is one more possibility: India could play both Kishan and Samson if Iyer and Rahul aren’t available for the Asia Cup. SKY hasn’t done much to retain his spot, and Samson could take up his batting position. That way, India can play Kishan at No. 4 despite his mediocre numbers, but at least it will give them a left-hander in the top four.
Pandya can bat higher up the order
It’s no more a secret that Hardik Pandya has lost some of his power-hitting prowess, at least early in his innings. The current version of Pandya prefers settling down before going berserk later in the innings, which he did in the series decider. Batting at No. 5, Pandya smacked 70* off 52, but 56 of those runs came off the last 26 deliveries. Meaning he was on 14 off 26 at one stage.
This has been happening for a while. Since 2022, Pandya’s strike rate has been in the late 70s when it comes to the first 10 deliveries. Meanwhile, someone like Samson and SKY can take the attack to the opposition from ball one. Now, if there’s a spot open at No. 4 or 5, Pandya can easily slot into that position, allowing him to pace his innings the way he wants.
Tough to count out Thakur
Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami and Prasidh Krishna are India’s top seamers in the 50-over format, but none of them featured in the ODI series against West Indies. While Siraj and Shami were rested, Bumrah and Prasidh have only now regained full fitness.
Let’s look at their roles: Shami and Siraj are lethal with the new ball, while Prasidh could be the middle-over enforcer. Meanwhile, Bumrah is your all-phase bowler. So, what does Shardul Thakur bring to the table?
Well, one of the biggest reasons he will always be in contention is because of his batting. Unlike Thakur, none of the aforementioned pacers can bat, and you need someone at No. 8 to give you some runs. Moreover, Thakur’s bowling has also improved in the last two years.
The right-armer has always been a genuine wicket-taker but had an economy of 6.8 till the end of 2021. However, since 2022, Thakur has claimed 36 wickets in 23 innings at an average of 24.3 and an economy of 5.7.
The 31-year-old knows how to take wickets and break partnerships, which is something he did in West Indies. Thakur took eight wickets in three games and emerged as the leading wicket-taker. So, don’t be surprised if Thakur ends up taking one of Prasidh's or Shami’s spots in the World Cup squad.
Kuldeep over Chahal
The Indian team management has made it pretty clear that Kuldeep Yadav will be preferred over Yuzvendra Chahal in the 50-over format. The latter didn’t play a single game against West Indies, while Kuldeep took seven wickets at an unbelievable average of 8.71. Chahal has featured in only two ODIs this year, while Kuldeep has played 11 and claimed 22 wickets at an economy of under five.
There is an option of playing both on turning tracks, but Chahal’s batting and fielding weakens his case. Ravindra Jadeja’s spot in the XI is more-or-less fixed but don’t be surprised if the management goes with Axar Patel or some other offie if there’s an opportunity to play three spinners. Another problem is Chahal doesn’t bowl too many googlies, and India can’t have two spinners turning the ball the same way. For now, the leg-spinner will only be Kuldeep’s back-up.