With the team being only a few hours away from the first ODI clash against neighbours Pakistan in four years, the spotlights are shining brightly on India’s stars, in the likes of skipper Rohit Sharma, former captain Virat Kohli, and bowling chief Jasprit Bumrah, among others.
Although, to get their 2023 Asia Cup campaign up and running in style, India will also need influential contributions from some of the lesser-talked-about players.
In this article, we will take a look at four of such players who could either be the kingmakers or the dealbreakers, with their performances likely to have a significant impact on the team:
1. Ishan Kishan
While it might seem that Sanju Samson is the tailor-made replacement option for KL Rahul, it is being reported that India would prefer Ishan Kishan in the playing XI instead, and perhaps, for justifiable reasons.
The young wicketkeeper-batter was among India’s best performers in the ODI series against West Indies, which happened a month ago. He featured in three matches, and extraordinarily, managed to score half-centuries in all of those matches.
Despite his form, however, Kishan’s plausible batting position for the upcoming match could prove to be critical. Boasting of a career ODI average of 46.26 and a strike rate of 107.43, his numbers take a significant leap whilst batting as an opener, with the average rocketing to 70.8, and the strike rate climbing up to 125.
The three half-centuries in the Caribbean, too, came while he was batting an opener. Yet, that position is highly unlikely to be available on Saturday, with the trio of Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli looking nailed on to comprise the Indian top three.
In such a situation, Kishan would have to mould himself into a middle-order batter, where his numbers are not too promising. His ODI average drops down to 26.5, and his strike rate drops down to 67.1, whilst batting at number four or five.
Ishan Kishan’s ODI numbers by batting position:
As an opener
Average – 70.8
Strike Rate – 125
As a middle-order batter
Average – 26.5
Strike Rate – 67.1
Should India plan on getting their campaign off to a winning start in Sri Lanka, the Bihar-born swashbuckler will need to master a role that is out of his comfort zone. And, should he do that, India’s chances of securing a victory will be increasing considerably.
2. Shreyas Iyer
There is little room, if any, for arguments on Shreyas Iyer’s importance in the current Indian ODI set-up. Beyond his ODI numbers, which are rather impressive in isolation, it is Iyer’s specific role in the team that makes him nearly indispensable.
Batting at number four – a position that has often troubled India – the 28-year-old has established himself as a reliable figure. Among the players from the top ten ODI nations who have faced a minimum of 100 deliveries whilst batting at number four since 2022, Iyer has the third-highest average (57).
Highest averages among number four batters in ODI cricket since 2022 (minimum 100 deliveries, from top 10 teams):
Jos Buttler – 248
Shai Hope – 66.22
Shreyas Iyer – 57
His strike rate is not unsatisfactory either (90.24), being the fifth-highest among the number fours across the top ten teams during the given time frame.
What remains a major concern, however, is Iyer’s match sharpness. Albeit it has been continuously reiterated by the Indian camp that the batter is as fit as ever before, he will be playing a comeback to the game after a lengthy spell of six months on the sidelines, undergoing a back surgery.
Between him and Kishan, India’s middle-order responsibilities will lie, and subsequently, the team’s chances of either putting up a big score whilst batting first, or chasing down a total successfully.
3. Kuldeep Yadav
Selected as the solitary specialist spinner in the squad, Kuldeep Yadav’s role will be of paramount importance, for a number of reasons – Firstly, the pitch at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium offers more purchase to the tweakers than the seamers, and in addition, his numbers are impressive against some of Pakistan’s more reliable batters.
Opener Fakhar Zaman has been dismissed by Yadav on two occasions, averaging only 14 against the left-arm spinner. Similarly, he has also dismissed Pakistani skipper Babar Azam twice, with the latter having an average of only 9 against Yadav.
Kuldeep Yadav vs Pakistani batters in ODIs:
Vs Fakhar Zaman – 28 runs, 2 wickets, average of 14
Vs Babar Azam – 18 runs, 2 wickets, average of 9
4. Mohammed Siraj
Despite the pitch being spin-friendly, Pakistan have chosen not to opt for the radical option of fielding three spinners, and with their batters usually being decent hitters of spin, India are expected to follow suit.
With Jasprit Bumrah set to spearhead the Indian pace attack, and the veteran campaigner, Mohammed Shami likely to be his deputy, either Mohammed Siraj or Shardul Thakur could be selected as the third pacer.
Whilst the latter offers batting cover at number eight, Siraj might find a place in the team owing to his exemplary form. He is currently leading the wicket-taking charts among pacers from the top 10 ODI nations, for this year’s ODI matches.
Pacers with the most ODI wickets in 2023 (from top 10 teams):
Mohammed Siraj – 19
Lahiru Kumara – 18
Haris Rauf – 17
Naseem Shah – 16
Shaheen Afridi – 16
Moreover, he also has the best ODI bowling average among the top ten teams’ pacers this year, boasting a commendable 13.21 figure, which is ably complimented by an economy rate of 4.62 runs per over.
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