Sunday, Jul 3, 2022

IND vs WI, 1st T20: Rohit’s men begin T20s with eye on World Cup

By PTI

Published: Published Date - 09:25 PM, Tue - 15 February 22

GEARING UP: Indian players during a training session ahead of the first T20 against West Indies in Kolkata, on Tuesday. — Photo: AP

Kolkata: Flush with exciting talent and focused on the T20 World Cup in exactly eight months’ time, the Rohit Sharma-led Team India would be aiming to get its combinations right when it takes on the West Indies in a three-match series beginning here on Wednesday.

India were the pre-tournament favourites but made a shocking group stage exit in the last T20 World Cup held in the UAE in October-November. The shambolic campaign exposed loopholes in the team combination and temperament, spoiling Virat Kohli’s swansong as T20 skipper. India will look to make amends and rebuild the side with a packed T20 calendar lined up ahead of the marquee event in Australia beginning October 16.

Rohit, under whom Mumbai Indians have won five IPL titles, would be looking to sort out issues such as the opening blues, the middle-lower order conundrum and also the bowling strategies. And he will have a happy headache of plenty while trying to firm up the squad. Just the other day at the IPL mega auction, wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan hit the jackpot by landing a Rs 15.25 crore deal with Rohit’s franchise Mumbai Indians.

In fact, 10 players from the current squad landed massive deals and all eyes would also be on the likes of Shreyas Iyer (Kolkata Knight Riders Rs 12.25 crore), Harshal Patel (Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rs 10.75 crore) and Shardul Thakur (Delhi Capitals, Rs 10.75 crore).

First up would be the opening combination and who would be ideal to partner the skipper in the shortest format with his regular KL Rahul out with a left hamstring strain. Ishan opened in the first match of their preceding three-match ODI series against the Caribbean team in Ahmedabad but the skipper also tried out Rishabh Pant and Shikhar Dhawan.

While Ishan may be the preferred choice, Rohit also has options in Maharashtra run machine Ruturaj Gaikwad who has been in red hot form but has only been warming the bench. Then there is Venkatesh Iyer, the KKR all-rounder who shot to prominence in the UAE leg of the last IPL as a big-hitting opener with 320 runs at an average of 40 and a strike rate of 125. He was just behind Gaikwad who had more runs (407) in this period.

It will also be interesting if Virat Kohli comes out to open with Rohit to get among runs as he’s been dealing with a lean patch.

India have a packed white ball calendar in the run up to their T20I World Cup opener against Pakistan on October 23. So, it would not be a bad ploy for the think tank to give some much deserved rest to the dashing Pant as Ishan seems to be a confirmed selection in the side.

Unlike their flop show in the ODI series, the Kieron Pollard-led West Indies would look to give a strong fight to the hosts in their favourite T20 format. Boasting of T20 specialists, the Windies came here after beating England 3-2 at home in a thrilling five-match series. They bat deep and with some aggressive hitters, the West Indies will hope to give India a tough fight.

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