Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja have failed to strike above 130 in T20Is since 2020, a worrying pattern they have carried over from the IPL.
Amidst the discussions over India’s squad for the T20 World Cup with skipper Rohit Sharma and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar in the press conference on Thursday, two subtle indicators from the captain stood out.
With the shortcomings at the 2022 T20 World Cup before him, Rohit and India have chosen to bolster their areas of strength and back it to the hilt this time. The Indian captain was keen on shoring up the middle-order composition. “We wanted someone in the middle overs to come and play a role where he can play freely without worrying who is bowling. Based on that, we picked Shivam Dube,” he said.
Rohit also batted for the inclusion of four spinners in the 15, the intention behind which he said he would divulge on the eve of India’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign opener against Ireland in Nassau.
