One of the most professional leagues in the world! It is the place where we get a good quality domestic talent followed by high calibre foreign players to mentor them.
IPL is one of the most followed leagues in India and around the world where players gets a chance to play with the best and improve their game for the shortest format.
With so much T20 cricket, Team India still lacks the required set of skills and is probably the weakest in this format.
As they slip to no. 4 rank in ICC T20'S with a defeat against the Proteas in the 3rd T20I.
There has been speculation regarding the future of MS Dhoni, the middle order conundrum and exclusion of Kuldeep-Chahal.
With World T20 around the corner, India needs to resolve a lot of speculations and questions. Here are some of the questions that have to be answered before Virat Kohli and Co. take the field in a quest to win their second T20 World Cup.
1) Opening combinations
Starting from the beginning, India's opening combination doesn't look much comfortable. Rohit Sharma, on one hand, looks settled. But things are getting tough between KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan.
Dhawan played 7 T20 internationals in 2018 and scored 105 with strike rate less than 100 and post the world cup he has played 5 innings where he scored 103 runs.
On the other hand, KL Rahul was averaging 40 with a strike rate of 150. Last 8-9 games have not gone well for the young man as his trajectory has gone a little downwards with an average of 29 and strike rate of 125-130
But whoever team India picks they must give them at least 6-7 innings.
2) No. 4 Conundrum
India's no. 4 debate refuses to die down. Post the world cup India has played 5 T20 internationals and they have sticked to Rishabh Pant but after each and every innings he is failing to capitalize. With Shreyas Iyer's return, it seems that selectors are looking beyond Pant.
On the other hand, 'Mr. IPL' Suresh Raina has also expressed his feeling and said that he can bat at no. 4 and have done well for India at the same position.
Players like Shubhman Gill and Manish Pandey are warming the bench. Team India is running out of time to finalize their middle order.
3) The Middle-order
The area that India have been weak in for a while is power hitting towards the end.
If Dhoni continues to make himself unavailable then Rishabh pant at 5 instead of 4 seems more suitable as his natural game is finishing the games not absorbing the pressure, with Hardik Pandya at 6 and Krunal Pandya at 7.
And if India is going with Jadeja then there's another free striker at 8.
4) Will Dhoni continue in T20'S
Dhoni who is currently on a long break post the world cup, is expected to make his return during the upcoming series against West Indies on home soil starting from December. There is still a lot left in MS Dhoni and inclusion of Dhoni could prove to be a successful move as he can both finish the games and absorb the pressure after the fall of early wickets and keep the scoreboard ticking.
If he makes a comeback in Indian colours for the shortest format, he will bring a lot of experience and maturity with himself and could be the biggest asset for team India.
5) Kul-Cha
Krunal Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja are becoming indispensable owing to their pyrotechnics with the bat, the ball and on the field. They are bringing the 3 dimensions with themselves which Kuldeep and Chahal were unable to provide. With Washington Sundar another 3-dimensional player, who is doing expectational well in T20'S, it is becoming really tough for Kuldeep and Chahal.
Kuldeep who earlier had the worst IPL season of his career will be lacking in confidence. And the inclusion of Rahul Chahar, the Mumbai Indians leg-spinner is making the case worse for Kul-cha.
6) Bowling line-up after Bhuvi and Bumrah returns
In course of time, India will go with Bhuvneshwar and Bumrah but for the upcoming series, there's an opportunity for fast bowlers like Khaleel Ahmed, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur and Navdeep Saini to try and force their way in.
With T20 world cup to be played in Australia, the fast bowlers will assistance from the pitch, the team management must give a chance to all the young pacers of the squad for the upcoming series.
