India is set to go ahead with a mission in the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup in Australia while it is off to a winning start in its warm-up match. Meanwhile, here are the 'FAB 15' to watch out for, who look to turn the tables.
In 2007, when 20-year-old Rohit Sharma smashed his maiden international half-century against South Africa on a lively Kingsmead track in Durban, everyone knew there was an aptitude in town. Even as one was grateful for Rohit's unique mastery, little did one know that a side with a middle age of around 26 would overthrow the world in a reluctantly accepted format by its board. Fifteen years later, another Indian side is hitting the Australian beaches to rescue the trophy, which once thoroughly altered Indian cricket's demographics. That was a side led by a new skipper, and one hardly knew what to expect from them. But, as the 35-year-old Rohit gets ready to take the field at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), his boys, with an average of 30 and a half, would have to acknowledge the maxim: 'Winning is not everything, but the only thing.' So, how is this Indian squad of 15 shaping up? PTI analyses the 'Men in Blue'.
Rohit Sharma (captain): He has God's elusive gift -- sinewy wrists that help him play the flick and pull with equal finesse and elan. Rohit has been a fantastic IPL captain with five titles and more than a decent leader in most of the bilateral series that the national team played under him.
The national captaincy came to him when he was pushing 35, and he will have perhaps only two ICC tourneys (this and the 23 ODI World Cup) as a leader to leave a lasting legacy. He has changed his batting style from the last World Cup and is taking the lead in powerplay overs. But marshalling the limited fast bowling resources will test his leadership in adverse conditions.
KL Rahul (vice-captain): One of the most stylish players in contemporary times but perhaps the weakest link in India's top order. Rahul, a favourite of head coach Rahul Dravid, has often struggled with his strike rate. He does have all the shots in the book and is a prolific scorer in the IPL, but if one looks at his record across formats, Rahul hasn't really stood up during the crucial games where the team's fate was on the line. He has had problems against fast incoming deliveries, and how he tackles Pakistan lead pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi will set the tone for the tournament.
Virat Kohli: He was, is, and till he plays, will remain the most significant threat to any opposition. The best part about Kohli is his return to form in the nick of time. The glimpses of 'Vintage Virat' during the Asia Cup are a warning for the opposition. However, with Kohli, one has to give him that cushion of eight-ten balls before he starts to dominate the bowlers. For that, a good powerplay start will be a must.
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Suryakumar Yadav: To term, a strike rate of 176 plus, with nine fifties and one century in 34 games, staggering, would be an understatement. These are eye-popping numbers. His hundred in Nottingham against England, or his recent exploits against Australia and South Africa, give hope. No one plays the ramp shot against rising deliveries better than Surya or the whiplash 'pick-up pull' behind square to the deliveries on rib-cage. In the back-10, the Mumbai star is India's X factor. The Indian fans won't mind doing the 'Surya Namaskar' if everything comes off perfectly.
Hardik Pandya: Perhaps the most crucial link in the team with his all-round abilities. Everyone knows the destruction Hardik the batter, can cause, but Hardik, the bowler, will need to up the ante. With his ability to hit the hard lengths consistently and a very deceptive short ball in his armoury, the flamboyant Baroda man can be the surprise bowling weapon on the extensive Australian grounds. In batting, he will any day be a better finisher than Dinesh Karthik, with his ability to hit sixes at will.
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Rishabh Pant: A strike rate of 127 across 62 games doesn't do complete justice to this once-in-a-generation talent. Pant hasn't been able to unchain himself in the T20s, where he seems confused between attacking and anchoring. He has played his natural game whenever he has opened the innings with Rohit.
But it doesn't seem Dravid will be too keen on replacing Rahul at the top, as the Karnataka man can't be slotted in the middle-order in the shorter format. In terms of talent and ability, he is way ahead of Karthik, but if he isn't opening, then the Tamil Nadu man looks like a better bet on his current form. But, on a big day, Pant can outshine everyone.
Dinesh Karthik: One of those eternal comeback men of Indian cricket. Save Rohit, Karthik is the only active playing member from the 2007 World T20 winning squad. He has a precise role: to play 10-15 balls towards the back end and create the maximum impact. It's a high risk-high reward approach, and there will be days when it won't come off. An innovative shot would look like a 'hara-kiri'. But, the team trusts Karthik. He has never been great at significant events, but a course correction could be around the corner. He is expected to start ahead of Pant in the playing XI if Rahul opens the innings.
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Ravichandran Ashwin: In this Indian team, if someone has always been a brave innovator, it is Ravichandran Ashwin. It has worked, and at times, it didn't, but the 'Cricket Scientist', as his fans call him, has never been shy of trying something new. With Pakistan and South Africa having multiple left-handers in the set-up, Ashwin will remain in the mix being an off-spinner, but he will certainly not be a first-choice slow bowler.
Axar Patel: In recent years, as a T20 left-arm spinner, Axar Patel has shown better control than Ravindra Jadeja, the man he replaced in the set-up. As a package, though, he is no match for Jadeja, who is a far superior batter, and, perhaps, the world's No. 1 fielder in all positions -- infield and outfield. Yet Axar, with an economy rate of less than 7.5 and handy batting skills, will be preferred against certain opponents. Coach Dravid is big on 'match-ups' (one-on-one duels) and the Gujarat man might not be preferred against teams with more left-handers.
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Yuzvendra Chahal: His primary problem in the last year has been the lack of consistency. He was dropped from the T20WC squad for the previous edition due to a slump in form. He has blown hot and cold since his comeback. In fact, against Pakistan in the Asia Cup Super 4s, Ravi Bishnoi, with his googlies, looked far more in control. Ideally, he should still be the first-choice spinner, as wrist spinners usually do well Down Under.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar: There is no denying that Bhuvneshwar Kumar is past his prime. While he is still a force to reckon with in the powerplay, Deepak Chahar, with the same skillsets, has looked far more potent in recent times. The bigger problem is his failure at the back end during the Asia Cup, where he consistently bowled length balls in the 19th over. His pace has also dropped a bit, and his form is a cause for concern going into the tournament.
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Mohammed Shami: He hasn't played a single T20I since the last T20WC in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is believed that he was told by the team management that he would only play Tests and 50 over cricket because of a near-10 economy rate in T20Is. But Jasprit Bumrah's injury changed it all. Also, his performance for Gujarat Titans in the IPL, where he was superb at powerplay, gives the team hope. But the lack of game time post-COVID-19 could be a significant issue.
Arshdeep Singh: One for the future and a bowler with a big heart. But he does need a lot of experience; T20WC isn't a place for that. With the tournament starting in the last part of the Australian winter, he would be a handful if the Punjab man can swing it up-front as he did in Trivandrum during the South Africa T20Is. He would need backup from his seniors at the death, which he didn't get in the Asia Cup. His concern is fielding, as he is slightly sloppy on that front.
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Harshal Patel: A bowler with plenty of skills but who would always need a bit of assistance from the tracks to use his variations of slower deliveries to good effect. He has come back from a rib cage injury and, since then, has been off the boil. On the rugged and accurate Australian tracks, it will be difficult to predict how effective his dipping slower ones would be. Maybe like Mohit Sharma in 2015, Rohit could urge Harshal to use the slower ones well.
Deepak Hooda: If one talks about strength, Deepak Hooda might face competition from only Pant in this set-up. In the limited chances that he has got, he has shown a big heart and refined temperament. But Hooda is also not a finisher but more of a top-order batter who can explode after getting set. He bowls wicket-to-wicket, and his off-breaks don't turn much. Indeed, not a first-XI starter and will only be called upon if a player gets injured.
(With inputs from PTI)