The BCCI is set to announce India’s 15-man contingent for the 2024 T20 World Cup in America and the Caribbean in the last week of April. While most of the team selects itself, there is still some debate over a few crucial positions in the playing XI. Is Yashasvi Jaiswal India’s preferred choice as opening partner with Rohit Sharma despite his poor form in the season? Does there need to be debate around Virat Kohli’s strike rate? Who occupies the crucial number 5 and 6 positions in the line-up? Do Kul-Cha return as the preferred spin bowling pair? Who should be the first choice wicket-keeper? And last but not the least – who are the fast-bowling reserves to support Jasprit Bumrah?
Should India persist with Jaiswal?
Jaiswal has been in terrible form this IPL season with just 121 runs in seven innings at an average of 17.3. But even the thought of not including the left-hander in the playing XI at the T20 World Cup would be blasphemy. Jaiswal is a prodigious talent who has had a great start to his international career for India across the three formats. He has an aggregate of 502 runs in 16 T20Is at an average of 33.5 and strike rate of 162. Jaiswal smashed a whopping 625 runs in the last IPL season at a strike rate of 164. The southpaw is an integral part of skipper Rohit Sharma’s aggressive batting template and is crucial in providing India with the rollicking starts at the top of the order. His T20 powerplay strike rate of 150.98 is the highest ever for an Indian batter and amongst the top 10 of all-time (min.1000 runs). Really, a no-brainer!
Where does this leave Shubman Gill?
Shubman Gill has seen a reversal in his batting fortunes since his move to the Titans in 2022. He had a sensational last season in which he amassed 890 runs at a strike rate of 157 with three hundreds. Gill has been in somewhat indifferent form for India registering just one fifty in his last eight T20I innings but is in good nick for the Titans this IPL season. Gill should be part of the 15-member squad as a reserve opener.
Is Kohli’s Strike Rate a problem?
The simple answer to that question is NO. The Kohli of IPL 2024 is not a problem but the Kohli of IPL 2020-2023 is! Kohli is the leading run-scorer of the tournament with 361 runs at an impressive strike rate of 147.3. His 67-ball slowest IPL hundred may have stirred some controversy but should be largely ignored as noise! Kohli’s strike rate in 2024 is the highest ever it has been for him in a season with the exception of 2016. His scoring rate against spin has shot up to 130 this year after ranging between 100 and 113 in the last four seasons.