Will Rohit Sharma make any changes to his winning combination come the last league match of the ICC Champions Trophy? Should he tinker with the perfect XI? Well, there are two sides of a coin and here we would discuss the possibilities and all the selection conundrums India face before the clash against New Zealand on Sunday, March 2.
India have had the best possible start to the Champions Trophy, with Mohammed Shami taking a fifer against Bangladesh and Shubman Gill scoring a match-winning hundred. What followed was another masterclass by Virat Kohli, who slammed his 82nd international century to confirm India’s berth for the semis. Before the knockouts, India face New Zealand in what will be an inconsequential match. However, the discussions would definitely be around the players who have been warming the bench for India so far.
4 selection conundrums for Rohit Sharma for IND vs NZ
- Rest Mohammed Shami for Arshdeep Singh?
- Bring in Washington Sundar?
- Give Rishabh Pant a look-in?
- Test Varun Chakravarthy before finals?
1: Rest Shami and play Arshdeep?
It came as a bit of a surprise when Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma partnered Harshit Rana with Mohammed Shami. Shami was expected to join Arshdeep Singh instead of Rana. But, the management thought otherwise, with Rana playing both the matches. So far, both Shami and Rana have looked equally good. Rana has picked up 4 wickets and has been clocking up speeds close to 150 kmph. Shami, meanwhile, took a fifer against Bangladesh.
But India could definitely utilise the left-arm angle of Arshdeep, who is already a vital member in T20I cricket. Arshdeep will surely take the ODI cricket as duck to water as well, having already taken 113 international wickets for India. Now, Shami is having injury issues. He is already making a comeback after a long hiatus and should be operated with care. In the last match, Shami didn’t bowl his full quota of overs, and was having some struggle as well. If he doesn’t pull up close to the New Zealand game, then Arshdeep should surely make his Champions Trophy debut.
2: Play Washington Sundar vs NZ?
India have carried an extra option of spin for the Champions Trophy. Surely, the pitches in Dubai have been aiding slower bowlers but the quality of the first-choice players are such that the likes of Washington Sundar is hardly going to get a chance. India will only take him into consideration if the opposition has a lot of left-handers in the playing XI. and which team has more lefties than New Zealand? The Kiwis have Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Tom Lathan and then two all-rounders – Michael Bracewell and Mitchell Santner.
Hence, if Sundar is going to get a game then surely New Zealand is the best option. But the main question is: who will make way for Sundar? Ravindra Jadeja could be a decent option. Jaddu has been in superb nick and a game off will give him a rest as well. We are not saying that India should drop Jadeja, but they can look to give Sundar a match by resting the left-arm maestro.
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3: Give Rishabh Pant match time?
Team India has (rightfully) been certain about it’s primary wicket-keeper. KL Rahul has nailed down the spot despite having inferior keeping skills to Rishabh Pant’s. However, Rahul’s incredible consistency of scoring runs in the middle-order has been paramount in “keeping” his place.
Despite the left-right combination strategy that head coach Gautam Gambhir favors, Rahul’s stellar record in ODIs has made him indispensable. With an average of 56.27 at No. 4 and 5, coupled with his ability to stabilize the innings and accelerate when needed, he remains India’s most reliable option. Pant’s superior strike rate of 109.18 is impressive, but Rahul’s consistency is a huge plus.
But what about Pant getting wasted at bench? Given that Rahul has played just one knock and has been batting at one slot lower, it won’t be wise to swap Pant for Rahul. Instead, one thought could be to rest an in-form batter to give a chance to the new LSG captain. Could be a wild choice but Shubman Gill can be rested out as well.
KL Rahul & Rishabh Pant: ODI stats comparison at No. 4 & 5
| Player | Inn | Runs | Average | SR | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KL Rahul | 44 | 1857 | 56.27 | 93.26 | 4 | 12 |
| Rishabh Pant | 24 | 808 | 35.13 | 109.18 | 1 | 5 |
4: Test Varun Chakravarthy before finals?
Varun Chakravarthy was the last-minute entrant in the Champions Trophy squad as he replaced Yashasvi Jaiswal, who is now in the non-travelling reserves. Chakravarthy did himself a huge favour by reinventing and becoming a genuine wicket-taking option. No one has taken more T20I wickets than him since his return in October last year. However, India went with Kuldeep Yadav in the Bangladesh clash. On a track that was quite slow and under the sun, Kuldeep was largely ineffective. But Kuldeep roared back phenomenally against Pakistan, taking a match-winning three-fer.
Rohit Sharma has always backed Kuldeep and now, he is likely to play against New Zealand. The left-armer looked in superb touch in his second spell, taking wickets in the death overs. But what about Chakravarthy? Will India make a way for him and play him before the knockout stages. There’s no denying that India see him as an X-factor player and it would be interesting if he continues to be on the bench.
