Team India defeated Afghanistan 3-0 on home turf to complete their preparations for the 2024 T20 World Cup. Asian opponents put the Men in Blue to the test, especially in the third Twenty20 International when they needed to win two Super Overs to end the match.
Even though India won handily, the series cannot be regarded as perfect in terms of preparation because they did not field their full roster. For the next Test series against England, the hosts were compelled to rest their top bowlers, and important short-format players like Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav were sidelined by injuries.
Rohit Sharma said something after the series ended. India got to check off some stuff on their list. Mostly things where they ended up in weird spots they didn’t expect.
Still, there’s stuff we don’t know. We might never know some things before the 2024 T20 World Cup rolls around.
With that said, here are three big things we still don’t know after India’s T20I series win over Afghanistan.
1. Can Virat Kohli match the intensity of India’s aggressive T20I setup?
The Afghanistan series was largely about testing Virat Kohli’s place in the updated T20I team after a gap of 14 months. Rohit Sharma had also taken a break from the T20I scene. Yet, his role hadn’t shifted much.
For Virat Kohli, the situation is quite different. Formerly the anchor of the team, he’s now expected to bring offensive power like the other players. Kohli sat out the series kickoff in Mohali. He made a quick appearance in the second game. Then he was out on the first bowl in the third T20I in Bengaluru.
Whether Kohli can succeed as No. 3 with his fiery style remains uncertain. The twist? He’s set to be the opening batsman for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 2024 Indian Premier League – a real curveball.
Opinions are split. Some argue Kohli should stay the course at No. 3 without tweaking his method too much for stability. Others feel his batting technique has got rusty and needs catching up to the more dynamic players in the team.
2. India’s T20 bowling puzzle: Can Kuldeep and Bishnoi play together?
India’s frontline spinner has been one of their major selection difficulties in the recent past. Both Ravi Bishnoi and Kuldeep Yadav have demonstrated their abilities; the latter even won player of the series during the home series vs Australia.
Together, the two played in the third Twenty20 International match against Afghanistan, when Bishnoi also bowled the game-winning Super Over. One may argue for three spinners, one of whom could be an all-rounder like Axar Patel or Ravindra Jadeja or a left-field option like Washington Sundar, given the sluggish playing conditions in the West Indies.
Team India might finish their bowling arsenal with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj or Arshdeep Singh as their two front-line seamers. Hardik Pandya can also bowl.
The team’s preferred bowling attack strategy is still up in the air, and a lot of it may rely on the depth and batting order. As the adage “It all starts at the top” so well describes.
3. How can India possibly fit all the in-form players into the playing XI?
When you take into account the players that Team India now has in form, the selection dilemma becomes threefold. Assuming the players keep up their current form, it may all disappear in the 2024 IPL, but there will be some important selection decisions to make.
First of all, there’s a good probability that someone from the middle order would have to drop out if Virat Kohli is locked in at No. 3, and that someone may well be Rinku Singh.
The left-handed hitter has performed flawlessly since making his debut for his country, so benching him seems incredibly unjust. However, if Team India chooses this path, they could be stuck with none of Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, or Jitesh Sharma being droppable.
The senior pair will have to begin the innings if Team India is determined to have Kohli, Rohit, and Rinku in the playing XI. Sadly, Yashasvi Jaiswal is left out in this situation. Therefore, in this playing XI scenario, something needs to give.
This also applies to Kuldeep Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi’s player clash. If Team India choose to play just two spinners, one of them would have to be benched. Two leg-spinners have no place in the lineup if Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj make it into the playing XI with all-rounders Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya.
