Big guns firing again

CHENNAI: With just three weeks left until the highly anticipated T20 World Cup, all eyes are on Rohit Sharma’s Indian squad as they strive to reclaim the prestigious title they secured in the inaugural 2007 edition. As anticipation builds, the star players’ form in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) has been a major talking point to look into as the popular league comes to a close with just 14 matches left.

India’s prolonged ICC title drought since 2013, coupled with the disappointment of losing the 50-over World Cup at home last year, has the 15-member squad poised to give their all as they gear up for the upcoming challenge on the shores of the United States and the West Indies next month.

Here is a detailed analysis of some of the key players in the ongoing IPL and their value for the Indian team in the T20 World Cup.

Rohit Sharma

The IPL 2024 hasn’t been kind to Rohit Sharma with all the internal problems going around within the Mumbai Indians team, and his poor form in the last five games has taken a great toll on the Indian skipper. He was seen devastated after MI being the first team to get eliminated after Hyderabad defeated Lucknow on 8th May.

He has scored 330 runs in the 12 games he played so far in the IPL and scored a ton against Chennai Super Kings, despite coming in a losing cause. Although the competition involved in both of these tournaments is completely different, Rohit’s downward trajectory in form is a cause for concern for team India.

Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli is primarily known for playing at No. 3 for India, but his great form as an opener, especially in recent IPL seasons, has stirred up conversations about him opening the innings alongside Rohit. He is currently the highest run scorer in the IPL (634 runs) with a strike rate of 153.51 so far.

However, they have the option of going for Yashasvi Jaiswal to make it a left-right combination. But Kohli’s ability to increase the strike rate as he bats deeper in the innings will be a major factor to look into by Rohit and head coach Rahul Dravid.

Rishabh Pant

The resilience of Rishabh Pant has been the talk of the cricketing fraternity this season, donning the colours of Delhi Capitals (DC). With an impressive tally of 413 runs so far, Pant’s standout moment came when he smashed 88 runs against Gujarat Titans to help DC get back to winning ways.

With team India in dire need of a reliable finisher for the World Cup, his exceptional strike rate in death overs this season (244.44) positions him as an ideal candidate to finish games alongside Hardik Pandya.

Hardik Pandya

The vice captain of team India has struggled to find his feet in the early stages of the IPL, facing many backlashes among the fans, which did take a toll on his form.

Coming after an ankle injury, he did not bowl his full quota of overs in the first half of the tournament. However, in the last three games, he bowled all four overs and picked up seven wickets, which is great news for team India.

Just like how Ajit Agarkar said in the team announcement press conference that there is “no replacement” for him. His good form makes him the best option for team India to rely on him for the role of finisher and a fifth bowling option.

Jasprit Bumrah

With India opting to go for just three specialist pacers in the World Cup, Bumrah’s prowess with the new ball and in the death overs will be crucial for the team. Scalping 20 wickets and bowling at an impressive economy rate of 6.48, he remains atop for MI amidst their poor season.

However, the likes of Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh not being in their best form in the IPL raise concerns for team India. But India is going into the tournament with four spinners with Rohit stressing on the fact that it was his decision to go that way and would give more details after going to the States later this month.