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There should be no shame in admitting that our approach to men’s t20 cricket has been lackadaisical; or ambiguous at best. In the best of games against weaker opponents or in pointless bilateral series we outshine our opponents with our supposed bench strength. But that’s about it. In major ICC tournaments our performances have been mixed bag since a decade now. We cannot keep expecting different results but continuing with the age old timid strategy of not willing to lose the game. T20 cricket has moved way beyond this risk averse option. Now is the time to expand our horizons; grab the bull by the horns. We do have players who are street smart and have the temperament to go the distance. Alas, in persisting with the old we forget that we are doing grave injustice to the modern players and their ways of the game; and missing the proverbial bus.
With these views in mind I feel that the following players can better represent team India in major tournaments; those that actually matter.
Captain: Hardik Pandya ; last Indian Premier League has been a coming of age for this talisman of Gujarat Lions. Captaincy and pushing himself up the batting order have alleviated his game to the next level. He deserves to be promoted to captain of team India as well.
Vice captain: Surya kumar Yadav; this 360 degree player has to be first to be selected in any T20 tournament which India plays. His elevation to leadership role is long overdue.
Openers : Ishan Kishan and Rishabh Pant; this may seem outrageous to some but I feel its time we address the elephant in the room and get ready for new dynamic opening pair which understands the need of the modern game. Having a stellar record and attitude in t20 game Ishan Kishan is ideal to open for India. Rishabh Pant in my humble opinion has not yet been utilised well enough in t20s. This can be good opportunity and place for him to express himself abashedly without the restraints of stabilising innings. He may prove to be a game changer.
Middle order: Ravindra Jadeja , Sanju Samson, Deepak Hooda
Jadega should be a no brainer. He is probably the most versatile player that we have right now. Pedigree pick for t20.
Sanju Samson hardly gets the attention and chance that he deserves. In spite of being consistent in Ipl he has largely been ignored by the selection committee. Explosive and sublime, he can be used at any position and also keep wickets in case Pant is unavailable.
Deepak hooda has had a good start to his international career, however he remains underutilised and ignored when senior players are available. He is another player who can go gung ho from first bowl and can be very handy with his off breaks.
Bowlers : Jasprit Bumrah, Umran malik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshadeep Singh
Bumrah for his leadership qualities and for his ability to send shivers down the opposition’s spine.
Umran Malik for his sheer pace and his X factor. He has been okay in the chances which he has got so far for India. However I feel there is immense potential in him. If harnessed well he may be the next big thing for our bowling attack.
Yuzi Chahal , well since wrists spinners are the flavour of the season and he is the most accomplished right now we have in that department.
Arshadeep Singh , for his left arm in-swinging yorker and slower ones. Also he adds some variation to this attack. He can bowl well in power play.
Of course we have enough bench strength to replace all these players with others having similar attributes. But the point I am trying to make is that we need to change. We need to adapt with time, be more agile and humble. And of course, look and play fresh. Smile a little, joke sometimes and learn to take ourselves a little less seriously. Avoiding defeat is no guarantee for a win. We must play to win. Enjoy the game and entertain the audience in the process. After all that’s why we tune into sports isn’t it?
These pieces are being published as they have been received – they have not been edited/fact-checked by ThePrint.
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