The Indian men’s cricket team’s 2021 T20 World Cup campaign is done and dusted, ending far earlier than they would have wanted. This in turn though allows them, at least some of the players, a much-needed break before they turn their focus to the home series against New Zealand.
One of the themes that stood out very prominently during India’s World Cup campaign was that the players were fatigued, and along expected lines the squad for the Kiwis’ visit includes quite a few new faces.
However, along with the new faces, the likes of Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, R Ashwin and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are also part of the 16-man squad for the three T20Is that begin on 17 November.
The NZ series kick starts India’s preparations for the next T20 World Cup in 2022, and given the schedule and the pandemic times, the latest squad has seen caused quite a surprise amongst experts.
Here are 3 questions that crop up after the BCCI announced the Indian squad led by Rohit Sharma for the New Zealand series.
No Rest for Rohit and Rahul?
Two of India’s most important batters, Rohit and KL Rahul are among the mainstays in the Indian batting but have not been allowed a break just yet. Along with them R Ashwin, Rishabh Pant, Bhuvneshwar too have been included in the squad for the NZ series.
While Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah are away for a much-deserved break, the aforementioned too could have been given some time off, especially considering how important they are across formats.
India’s next few months will also be hectic due to their cramped schedule, which then poses the question as to when the rest of the senior players get to recharge their batteries.
Workload management is a very important part aspect in the game and one hopes that the rest of the senior players who are part of the New Zealand series are afforded some rest soon.
Bubble fatigue is a very big challenge and rotation so as to keep players fit for the next World Cup will be high on the agenda. The BCCI need to ensure this happens smoothly and there isn’t a lack of security for the players.
Too Many Top Order Batters in the Mix?
The importance of role clarity in the T20 format is well known to one and all, however a look at India’s squad for the New Zealand series shows that the majority of the batters are top order players.
Rohit, Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Venkatesh Iyer are the top order batters while Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav and Rishabh Pant filling up the other slots. This leaves the Indian team with very little space to be flexible.
Could the selectors have been a tad bit more patient and brought in a more seasoned batter like Sanju Samson or Manish Pandey, both of whom are fairly experienced.
With the slots in the batting order mainly being in the middle order, is playing the young batter out of position the best idea?
What Role Does Venkatesh Iyer Play?
Venkatesh Iyer was brought into the side on the back of an emphatic second half of IPL 2021 where he was one of the reasons for KKR’s run to the final.
However, with the Indian team it is unlikely that he will take up a similar role as Eoin Morgan afforded him in KKR. India don’t have too many options as far as seam bowling all-rounders are concerned, and picking a player on the basis of their IPL form is always risky.
While there is no reason to not back youngsters, especially of the likes of Iyer, a second year in the IPL and domestic cricket to further test out the player’s abilities isn’t the worst idea.
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