India had an odd year in T20 internationals. They used 31 players, second only to England, and played in the most games of any team in any year. They won eight of nine bilateral series, but they did not reach the finals of the Asia Cup and T20 World Cup, two major competitions. The team management began the new year with a review meeting with the top brass at the BCCI as a result of Australia’s semi-final exit.
India’s approach to Twenty20 cricket, particularly in the batting department, has been the subject of intense scrutiny, despite their success in bilateral matches and their failures at major tournaments. The series that starts against Sri Lanka in Mumbai on Tuesday is an opportunity at a new beginning. India’s T20I squad is relatively young because the focus is now on the ODI World Cup at home in October and November.
Who is India’s T20I captain, Hardik Pandya?
Hardik Pandya has been appointed captain of India’s T20I team once more in his place of Rohit. As India prepares for the next T20 World Cup, only time will tell if he is a temporary replacement or if the promotion is more permanent. Hardik has the opportunity to lead in this series without the pressure of winning a major event quickly, which Rohit did not have; he took over with scarcely eight months to plan for the World Cup in Australia.
Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, and a revamped top order When Ishan Kishan scored 56 runs in 32 balls on his T20I debut against an England team that included Ben Stokes, Adil Rashid, Sam Curran, Jofra Archer, Chris Jordan, and Ben Stokes, it appeared as though India had discovered a crucial piece of their T20I puzzle.
After that, Kishan was selected for India’s T20 World Cup squad for 2021, but he quickly lost his way. Even though he continued to play in second-string Indian teams, his underwhelming IPL 2022 season did not help.
One day in Bangladesh
when he crushed the record for the quickest twofold 100 years in ODIs, changed all that. If Rohit had been healthy, Kishan might not have played that match, but even if he did, he is likely to get more time at the top of the order, especially since Rahul is likely to be on personal leave for the New Zealand series as well.
Washington adds all-round depth With Washington Sundar fully healthy
India’s all-rounder stocks appear healthy for the home series. In addition to Hardik, they have Deepak Hooda and Axar Patel to choose from. On the tour of New Zealand, Washington only played one T20I, but India has options with his powerplay bowling and ever-improving batting. In an ODI in New Zealand, he scored 37* off 16 balls, and in Bangladesh, he scored 51 and 37.
Arshdeep Singh’s opportunity to lead the attack
Arshdeep Singh started out as a specialist in power plays, but his responsibilities have increased since Jasprit Bumrah left. Arshdeep is currently the only left-arm pacer in India’s T20 plans. His calm demeanour and ability to nail the yorker have made him an asset in the death overs. In the tied third T20I in New Zealand in November, he took 4 for 37, making him India’s best bowler at the 2022 T20 World Cup.