With the twin T20 World Cups dominating the spotlight for the majority of the last three years, ODI cricket was relegated to the background, but with the ODI World Cup less than a year away, it has returned to the forefront. India has played 42 ODIs since the 2019 tournament, including 21 of them in 2022 alone. They still have 18 bilateral ODIs and an Asia Cup left to determine their top 15. While several of the incumbents were occupied with T20 duties, a few peripheral players seized the chance to stake claims by seizing the initiative. Following the 2019 World Cup, India has tested 46 players overall, including up to 22 debutants. There will be a close finish to the Bangladesh series.
Top order :
Incumbents: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan & Virat Kohli
The Rohit, Shikhar, and Kohli trio was the backbone of India’s batting order during the previous World Cup, but they have only been together in 12 of the 42 ODIs since then. In the Powerplay before the last World Cup cycle, India was one of the more cautious batting teams, scoring 4.89 runs in the first 10 overs. In the first ten overs of the ODIs following the 2019 World Cup, they have been scoring at 5.37 per over, but when Rohit, Dhawan, and Kohli bat in the top three, the rate decreases to 4.96, which isn’t much different from what it was during the previous cycle.
The recent batch of white Kookaburra balls has been swinging more upfront in the last 18 months or so, which is highlighted by the fact that teams are averaging 29.14 and 28.05 in the first ten overs of ODIs in 2021 and 2022, the two years with the lowest averages since 2010. The conservative approach might not be completely obsolete. We may anticipate that the pitches for the World Cup the following year will give something for the bowlers early on, if recent ICC events are anything to take notes from.
Dhawan has played in the majority of India’s ODIs since the 2019 World Cup (34) but a century has escaped him during this time, and he is the only batter with a strike rate below 90 among those with at least 10 innings (82.43). Dhawan’s strike rate dips to under 76 in the first 10 overs, which is poor compared to the likes of Rohit (88.18), Shubman Gill (90.33), and Prithvi Shaw (116.78). While Prithvi Shaw has amassed a tonne of runs on the domestic circuit with an astounding strike rate, India doesn’t need to look further than Shaw should they require a more reckless approach upfront. Gill has emerged as the leading backup contender for any of the top three berths.
Middle order :
Incumbents: Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant & KL Rahul
If India’s weak spot in the previous World Cup was a nonexistent middle order, they have several problems this time around. With an average of 50.75 and a strike rate of 98.54 over the last three years, Shreyas Iyer has been India’s middle order batting staple. Many thought he could have been the #4 in England in 2019. Despite his struggles with the short ball, the middle order benefits from his consistency (13 fifty-plus scores in 27 innings), aggressive game against spin (SR 104.22), and ability to accelerate at the end (SR 141.60). Iyer, though, has previously been in contention for a number of World Cups across formats, only to lose out to the big winner in the last round.
KL Rahul began out as #four in remaining World Cup however following Dhawan’s damage he turned into shuttled up the order withinside the center of the tournament. The tale has remained the equal seeing that as he has been shuttling among pinnacle and center order relying at the availability of Rohit and Dhawan. He has been amazing in his confined possibilities withinside the center order averaging sixty seven with centuries and at a strike price of 109.23, the important thing stat being his strike price of 163.50 in dying overs. Rishabh Pant gives a left-passed alternative and is first-rate suitable to play the center overs disruptor position and comparing what he brings to the desk in phrases of common and different measures of consistency is like judging a ee-e book via way of means of its cover. Pant averages 87 with a strike price of 111 towards spin in ODIs seeing that remaining World Cup and could play a key matchup taking down spin withinside the center phase. In Indian tracks, the spinners could be served higher with a consultant at the back of the wickets which similarly complements Pant’s case.
Suryakumar Yadav has now no longer replicated his wealthy T20 shape in 50-overs cricket whilst Sanju Samson has made a compelling case as a finisher and backup wicketkeeper. Deepak Hooda gives matchup choice as off spinner however the jury remains out on whether or not his number one vocation can stand the check in opposition to exceptional competition attacks.
All rounders :
Incumbents: Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja
Hardik and Jadeja have each substantially advanced their batting numbers seeing that England 2019 and on any day can deliver 12-15 overs among them. The truth that the ones occupy slots withinside the pinnacle seven manner Rohit have sufficient bowling alternatives to name upon with out buying and selling off any the batting depth. Post a prolonged lay off from bowling, Hardik has began out to make contributions overs frequently even as it must be cited Jadeja’s bowling shares have dipped substantially on this period. Axar Patel and Washington Sundar are the 2 main contenders for Jadeja’s spot aleven though each are greater bowling orientated alternatives even as Shahbaz Ahmed gives a greater comparable dynamic to Jadeja. Hardik is the handiest participant who does not have a like-to-like substitute in India’s disposal however Shardul Thakur’s shares as a seam bowling all-rounder have risen appreciably withinside the closing 18 months or so. He has proven his hanging cappotential with the bat and is likewise the main wicket taker amongst Indian seamers submit closing World Cup however has the tendency to hemorrhage runs on the backend of the innings (ER of 8.sixty two in overs 31 to 50) making him much less of a banker with the ball..
