With the Indian T20 League and 2020 T20I World Cup happening in the same year, the former inevitably becomes an overriding competition for several players eyeing a place in their country’s respective starting XIs. 

As far as the Indian cricket team is concerned, their back-to-back series wins over heavyweights like New Zealand, Australia and then England have put light on the sheer balance and hulking bench strength that the team has heading into the World Cup. 

The Virat Kohli-led team has never shied away from making necessary tweaks, but a competition as severe as the World Cup demands surety, and this is where the upcoming edition of the Indian T20 League comes into picture.

The Indian cricket team is stacked with options and these five players need to make the most of the Indian T20 League if they are to have a shot at the World Cup later in the year.

KL Rahul

Before the recent T20I series against England, opener KL Rahul had scored three half-centuries and had scored some vital quickfire knocks against New Zealand and Australia. The Punjab opener had, in fact, accumulated 305 runs in eight innings against the aforementioned teams, but all that changed when he faced a stern English bowling attack. He failed miserably to an extent that he could only muster 15 runs in four innings.

Now one might very well call it a bad run of form, but with players like Ishan Kishan waiting in the foray, Rahul just cannot afford any more errors. That coupled with a fantastic opening partnership between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the final T20I against England further explained how India might approach the World Cup if Rahul fails to make the cut. And thus it goes without saying that the 28-year-old needs a golden patch in the Indian T20 League.

Prithvi Shaw

Following his evident struggles against Australia Down Under, opener Prithvi Shaw was overlooked for the entire England series. The youngster, however, made a stunning comeback in the Vijay Hazare Trophy by scripting history, becoming the first player to score 800 runs in a single edition of the tournament. But while his batting has been on level, at least in the limited-overs format, his fielding and even his temperament has been a constant issue. Working under someone like Ricky Ponting at Delhi in the Indian T20 League might work in his favour as he continues his work towards a possible redemption.

Ravindra Jadeja

Loved by the fans, adored by his teammates, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja needs no introduction whatsoever. Injury issues, however, mean that he has not played a T20I game since December 4, 2020, when he scored an unbeaten 44 in India’s 11-run win over Australia. He was rightly expected to be a big miss against England, but as things stand, India have done fairly enough anyway. Jadeja’s all-round capability, which includes being an important lower-order batsman, comes in handy for India, but the addition of Suryakumar Yadav now makes things difficult for the left-arm spinner. With Yadav now batting at no.3 or no. 4, India have the luxury of playing as many as seven batsmen if the condition demands. Hence, Jadeja needs to have a telling impact in the Indian T20 League if he is eyeing a return to the shortest format.

Rahul Chahar

Rahul Chahar may have picked just two wickets in as many T20Is against England, but that effectively won India the 4th T20I. As the likes of Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes continued their annihilation, the Mumbai spinner got the better of the former right after he had dismissed a dangerous man in Dawid Malan. The 21-year-old spinner has been an expensive bowler in his international career so far, but the same cannot be said for his Indian T20 League tenure. In 31 matches so far, Chahar bowled at an economy of under eight as opposed to his international figure of over nine. As we speak, there’s even a stark contrast in his bowling average as well.

What Chahar really needs to work on is his inability to keep the batsmen at bay. It certainly remains a long shot for the 21-year-old to have a go at the T20I squad, but a fantastic Indian T20 League might very well warrant him a place in the team.

Khaleel Ahmed 

By the time the T20I World Cup looms, India might very well have a full-strength squad, which includes their fierce bowling attack of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami. So there will be little to no space for another pacer to be fair. Like Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed sure remains amongst wickets, but he fails to keep his economy in check. The 2021 Indian T20 League presents him an opportunity of working on the flaws. After having been retained by the Hyderabad team, Khaleel needs to make a case for himself or this might very well be his last throw of the dice.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @IPL

Steve Smith's Rajasthan pulled off a miraculous run chase on Sunday as Rahul Tewatia and Riyan Parag denied David Warner's Hyderabad a victory despite being second-best for the better part of the game.

Batting first, Hyderabad posted 158/4 - despite starting slow - in 20 overs and managed to keep Rajasthan within reach. With Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Steve Smith and Sanju Samson all getting out early, the onus came on Rahul Tewatia and Riyan Parag; two batsmen who batted through their full potential to achieve what was seeming like an impossible target.  

What a win for Rajasthan Royals.

They were 78 for 5 from 12 overs while chasing 159 then two Indian uncapped players Riyan Parag - 42*(26) & Tewatia - 45*(28) added unbeaten 85 runs from 47 balls and seal the deal.

�Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) October 11, 2020

The win takes Rajasthan level on points with Hyderabad, but a place behind them due to lower net run rate. That said, here are the key talking points from a game that produced one of the most entertaining finishes.

Warner continues to struggle against Archer

The lead-up to the game was all about the Archer-Warner rivalry. The England paceman had gotten the better of the Aussie during Australia’s tour of England ahead of the Indian T20 League, and he was at it once again at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. Warner might have scored a quick-fire 48 off 38 deliveries, but he could only manage to churn out a mere three runs against Archer today, further outlining his struggles while facing the 25-year-old.

Runs	Balls	Dismissed	SR
28	41	5	68.29

Table: Warner against Archer in 2020 (all formats).

Since the turn of the year, Warner has scored a measly total of 28 runs in 41 balls against Archer in all formats, striking at a poor rate of 68.29, and has been dismissed a whopping five times. He has starting to develop a trend here.

' , #SRHvRR | #HallaBol | #IPL2020 | @JofraArcher | @davidwarner31 pic.twitter.com/IoCFl1c3FN

�Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) October 11, 2020

On Sunday, Warner’s struggles were made evident in as early as the first ball of the game, as he mistimed his drive at a full-toss at outside off. The Englishman alongside Shreyas Gopal managed to keep both Warner and Bairstow in check as the duo could only manage 26 runs in the Powerplay overs; lowest by the team in the ongoing edition.

Match#	Match	Date	Venue	Innings	Bat Team	Bowl Team	Runs	Wkts
26	Hyderabad vs Rajasthan	11-Oct-20	Dubai (DSC)	1st	Hyderabad	Rajasthan	26	1
11	Delhi vs Hyderabad	29-Sep-20	Abu Dhabi	1st	Hyderabad	Delhi	38	0
8	Kolkata vs Hyderabad	26-Sep-20	Abu Dhabi	1st	Hyderabad	Kolkata	40	1
14	Chennai vs Hyderabad	02-Oct-20	Dubai (DSC)	1st	Hyderabad	Chennai	42	1
3	Hyderabad vs Bangalore	21-Sep-20	Dubai (DSC)	2nd	Hyderabad	Bangalore	48	1
17	Mumbai vs Hyderabad	04-Oct-20	Sharjah	2nd	Hyderabad	Mumbai	56	1
22	Hyderabad vs Punjab	08-Oct-20	Dubai (DSC)	1st	Hyderabad	Punjab	58	0

Table: Hyderabad in Powerplay overs in Indian T20 League 2020

Are Khaleel and Natarajan compensating for Bhuvneshwar's loss?

The loss of Bhuvneshwar Kumar was bound to hit Hyderabad hard, but against Rajasthan - a team that has one of the strongest foreign contingents - his absence was hardly felt in the opening overs as Khaleel Ahmed and Thangarasu Natarajan managed to hit the ground running. Khaleel set the momentum in his very first over, dismissing a dangerous Ben Stokes off the crease with an excellent short ball. His first ball of the second over was a dismissal of Jos Buttler, a batsman who was just setting up the momentum. Buttler averages a mere 9.1 against Hyderabad; his worst against any other Indian T20 League side.

Opp	Innings	Runs	Balls	Dismissed	Avg	SR
Hyderabad	7	64	65	7	9.1	98.5

Table: Buttler against Hyderabad in Indian T20 League

For Khaleel, he did go for 10 runs in that over, but Natarajan made up for that leak, delivering a subsequent maiden to pile the pressure on Rajasthan. While the duo was relatively economical in the opening overs, they were torn apart in the death. Natarajan conceded 14 runs in his final over and Khaleel 12, ending with an economy of 8.00 and 9.65 respectively.

'Lucky' Tewatia wins it for Rajasthan - AGAIN

You just cannot write Rahul Tewatia off, can you? The 27-year-old Haryana native is in sensational form this season, and it was his effort, alongside Riyan Parag, that took Rajasthan out of the jaws of defeat. Rajasthan were 105/5 after 16 overs, hitting at a rate of just 6.56 runs per over. All they needed was one or maybe two overs to turn the game on its ahead.

Warner brought Sandeep Sharma in the attack, a decision he might regret, as the pacer was hit for 18 runs in the 17th over. Tewatia caused further carnage against a mighty Rashid Khan, hitting the Afghan leggie for three back-to-back boundaries to bring Rajasthan back in the game. Well, there was luck involved as the 27-year-old survived a scare after the bails didn't go off in a stumping effort, but a win is a win.

When they buy a marquee player, franchises hope for 3 or 4 match-winning performances. In a team with four superstars, Rahul Tewatia, bought for 30 lakh, has already won Rajasthan two games #SRHvRR

�Sambit Bal (@sambitbal) October 11, 2020

With 22 runs still needed in the final two overs, Tewatia and Parag combined for 14 runs in the 19th over before finishing off the game with a maximum. A game that was going right for Hyderabad's way was snatched at the death by an 85-run stand between Tewatia and Parag.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter /  Indian T20 League

Hyderabad bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar was, on Monday, ruled out of the 2020 edition of the Indian T20 League after a thigh injury of grade 2 or grade 3 nature saw him hobble off the field in the game against Chennai last week. Now, Bhuvneshwar's loss is a body blow for Hyderabad who are just finding their feet in the season after a lacklustre start. Not only are they without their most containing bowling option but also someone capable of giving overs across phases. So, how will Hyderabad cope with Bhuvneshwar's loss?  

The added spin option

The pitches in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are getting drier and slower and starting to take turn. The finger spinners are coming into prominence with the slow wickets and Hyderabad could opt to go left-field early on and choose to add to their spin attack to replace Bhuvneshwar.

One spinner who probably deserves a go in the bench is Shahbaz Nadeem. The left-arm spinner was a regular feature in the Hyderabad setup for a couple of seasons and was mostly used as a match-up option. With them having no spinner in the powerplay phase right now, Nadeem could be a good bet, especially when the tracks start turning more.

Khaleel Ahmed as a powerplay specialist/Kaul as death specialist

Replacing a multi-utility bowler like Bhuvneshwar can be tough, and hence Hyderabad might have to settle for one of two options - a powerplay specialist or a death overs specialist. Khaleel Ahmed was the top wicket-taker in the powerplay overs for Hyderabad last season and could return to focus just on the first few new-ball overs. 

The other option is to persist with Kaul, whose death overs are impressive because of the variations he has. Kaul was used in the powerplay last game and leaked runs and it may not really be the best way to utilise him. Instead, he can focus on the death overs for Hyderabad with Sandeep Sharma, a spinner in maybe Nadeem or Nabi and Natarajan bowling in the powerplay.

Nabi or Holder in for Williamson to make up new ball options

Hyderabad will especially be hit in the first six overs as Bhuvneshwar was wicket-taking and economical. Mohammad Nabi and Jason Holder are two other powerplay specialists they have on the bench. But bringing an overseas option in will mean they will have to sacrifice the position that Kane Williamson is occupying.

While Holder adds powerplay value and spin hitting, Nabi can handle the death overs with the bat - an area Hyderabad are weak in now - and bowl in the powerplay and middle overs to make up for Bhuvneshwar's absence. Holder, on the other hand, may not quite be able to match up the batting loss despite his underrated stature as a hitter in this format. Either option can, however, be good on the bowling front.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter.com

The Delhi T20I exposed many of India’s short format frailties as Bangladesh, without Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal, trumped India by seven wickets to register their first ever win against India.

Shikhar Dhawan’s slow innings and India’s conservative approach might have played a hand in India’s loss, but with 22 runs needed from 12 balls, India should have won the game. Khaleel Ahmed bowled a game-changing over cost 18 runs with Mushfiqur Rahim hitting four boundaries on the trot against the left-arm seamer.

Khaleel has had a rather underwhelming international career so far. In T20Is in particular, Khaleel has never appeared threatening and has leaked runs. For Indian bowlers with minimum four innings in T20Is since his debut, Khaleel has the worst economy after Hardik Pandya.

He hasn’t taken wickets at a good enough rate to forget his poor economy either. This is perhaps slightly in contrast to his performance in the Indian T20 League.

In 9 games in 2019 for the Hyderabad-based franchise, Khaleel snared 19 wickets at an average of 15.1. Notably even when his economy was 8.23, Khaleel was wicket-taking. He picked three-wicket hauls in five of the nine games in the season for Hyderabad.

It is worth mentioning that these wickets were of top-order batsmen. 17 of the 19 wickets were of batsmen in the top six of the batting line-up. Hyderabad also used him more with the new ball where he would swing the new ball and create good angles with his left-arm action.

India, on the other hand, has used him more in the death and with no variations, Khaleel has been rather one-dimensional.

At Delhi, he never came on with the new ball, and was brought in after the powerplay overs. He was used for just one over then and was kept back for three consecutive overs in the death. The death overs from him, though, cost India big as Khaleel leaked 32 runs in three overs. With other bowlers waiting in the wings, Khaleel’s time will be running out.

Feature image courtesy: AFP/ Sajjad Hussain

The India-Bangladesh series has received a lot of coverage even before it has begun. From Shakib’s ban to the first day-night Test for both sides, and the environmental concerns of playing an international match in Delhi, the build-up has been nothing short of dramatic.

All of that will take backstage when the first T2o commences at the newly-named Arun Jaitley stadium. Some key names will be missing for India through a mix of rest and injuries, but they still bear a formidable look going into the game.

Read | How have India fared without Virat Kohli in T20s?

Openers and Top-Order

This is undoubtedly the most settled part of the Indian team. Although Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan are not the prolific opening pair in T20s, it is a no-brainer that the duo will be the first names on the batting line-up.

Rohit is in the form of his life in 2019 and has been given the additional responsibility of captaining the side. Dhawan had his most productive year in T20s in 2018 and will want to get into his attacking groove as he faces a deflated Bangladesh side.

KL Rahul is back in scintillating form, with his Vijay Hazare exploits leading Karnataka to the title. He will most likely bat at no.3, giving him the comfort of the top-order he thrives in.

Middle-order

Shreyas Iyer will likely get the nod ahead of Sanju Samson given the management’s plan to mould him into a long-term middle-order prospect.

Manish Pandey has been at his best at the no.5 position and the fact that he was the Vijay Hazare-winning captain further strengthens his case.

Rishabh Pant will don the wicket-keeping gloves and will fill up the last middle-order spot.

All-rounder

In recent times, India have gone with two all-rounders in the form of Hardik and Krunal Pandya, with both reliable enough to bowl their quota of four overs and provide the big-hitting down the order.

However, the lack of experience might prompt Rohit to go with just one all-rounder and Krunal will get the nod in that case ahead of Shivam Dube.

Bowlers

With no ‘senior�bowler in the squad as such, India is likely to go with four bowlers to have an extra cushion.

Deepak Chahar has been exceptional with the new ball, and is no slouch with the bat either, making him an automatic choice for the XI.

Khaleel Ahmed and Shardul Thakur, two names that have not done much of note in international cricket, will be given a go as the support pacers, giving them a chance to stake their claim for a ticket to the World Cup squad.

The final bowler will most likely be a spinner- and we may see Yuzvendra Chahal in India colours for the first time since the ODI World Cup ended. His experience gives him an edge over both Washington Sundar and Rahul Chahar, although the latter two might make an appearance as the series progresses.

Probable XI- Rohit Sharma (Capt.), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant (wk), Krunal Pandya, Deepak Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal

Read | India in T20s- still a work in progress

Featured image courtesy: AFP/ Indranil Mukherjee

India’s T20I series against Bangladesh will also mark a huge step into them identifying their core pace bowlers for the T20 World Cup next year. With the event set to be staged in Australia, India are seeking the ideal group of pacers, building a back-up group to the main core of Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami.

For the Bangladesh series, Khaleel Ahmed, Shardul Thakur and Deepak Chahar are the main pacers for India although it is likely they are tussling it out for one spot given that Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar and Shami, alongside all-rounder Hardik, will likely fulfil all positions for the T20 World Cup.

Read | India in T20s �still a work in progress

The worrying factor is that despite India constantly chopping and changing their pacers in the last two years in this format, they haven’t identified a clear cut plan for that fourth main pacer. As many as 14 pace bowlers (and all-rounders bowling medium pace) have been tried in the last two years in this format by India.

India's fast bowlers in T20Is since 2017
Player	Inns	Wkts	Ave	Econ	SR
JJ Bumrah	21	23	21.82	6.81	19.2
B Kumar	24	23	25.82	6.96	22.2
HH Pandya	23	23	26.78	8.51	18.8
JD Unadkat	9	14	18.42	8.41	13.1
KK Ahmed	11	11	31.9	8.77	21.8
SN Thakur	7	8	30.25	8.8	20.6
UT Yadav	6	8	24.37	8.86	16.5
DL Chahar	4	6	14	6	14
NA Saini	5	6	22.83	8.05	17
V Shankar	6	5	38.2	9.09	25.2
S Kaul	3	4	21	8.68	14.5
Mohammed Siraj	3	3	49.33	12.33	24
A Nehra	4	3	37.33	8	28
Mohammed Shami	1	0	-	15.33	-

But aside from Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar, even Shami has little claim to the third bowler’s slot. Although, his recent ODI exploits should tilt the balance slightly in his favour.

The interessting fact here is that none of the bowlers that have been tried clearly fit the bill of the extra seamer India seek in this format. Containment is a huge strategy for India’s bowling group in T20Is and in the potent pace attack led by Bumrah and the spin twins, they have a challenging bowling group.

Read | How have India fared without Virat Kohli in T20s?

The others tested all leak runs as evident from their economies while Chahar, like at Chennai-based India T20 League franchise, is a new ball bowler mainly. A glance at the record of the three pacers show different trends.

SHARDUL THAKUR IN T20Is and T20s
Format	Inns	Wkts	Ave	Econ	SR
T20Is	7	8	30.25	8.8	20.6
T20s	73	82	25.92	8.39	18.5

Thakur is a very ordinary T20 seamer even at domestic level as evident from his tendency to leak runs both at lower levels and in the highest level of the game.

KHALEEL AHMED IN T20Is and T20s
Format	Inns	Wkts	Ave	Econ	SR
T20Is	11	11	31.9	8.77	21.8
T20s	36	59	18.08	7.87	13.7

Khaleel Ahmed, on the other hand, keeps showcasing his potency for the Hyderabad-based Indian T20 League franchise every year, but his International numbers are a far cry from his domestic stats in this format; in particular, the strike rate and economy have taken a serious hit.

DEEPAK CHAHAR IN T20Is and T20s
Format	Inns	Wkts	Ave	Econ	SR
T20Is	4	6	14	6	14
T20s	62	72	22.22	7.28	18.2

Chahar has been impressive so far but that is primarily due to the role he has been handed. It is also the only role in which he has revelled so far and as things stand, it appears he is first in line to be that fourth seamer.

When Bhuvneshwar and Bumrah do return, Chahar could handle the new ball with Bhuvneshwar freeing up more overs for Bumrah in the death. But this series is likely to be a last-ditch chance for Thakur and Khaleel to step up and show what they are capable of.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Ishara S. Kodikara