The Indian Premier League has given India’s T20I Team several superstars: Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzi Chahal and Suryakumar to name a handful.
Resultantly, the competition for a spot in the Indian short-format side has gotten cut-throat. Injuries to first-choice players and overlapping schedule has presented opportunities to new talents, and a lot of them have grabbed their chances.
Thus, a threat looms over the places of each and every cricketer in the T20 international side.
Hereon, we will look at some players susceptible to being sidelined and getting replaced by others banging on the door if they fail in the 2022 T20 World Cup.
India T20I Team: 4 players under risk if they fail in the 2022 T20 WC
1. Dinesh Karthik
Though every other player on the list is here because of their form, Dinesh Karthik is here due to his age.
Karthik –as habitual as he is at smoking 20* off seven– isn’t getting any younger at 37 years of age.
His comeback story is a fairytale. However, it isn’t one that is meant to last.
There are younger wicket-keeper batters like Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, etcetera in the line and a poor outing at the T20 WC should be enough for the management to move on from DK Popa.
2. Bhuvaneshwar Kumar
Leader of India’s bowling lineup across formats not long ago, Buvi is no more a test candidate.
Moreover, his form in T20Is has also fallen apart. In his last 4 outings, Bhuvi has leaked 161 runs off 15 overs and taken just two wickets at an average of 80½.
The yorkers aren’t landing, the short ball lacks brutality and if there’s no swing on offer, Kumar is a muppet.
Temporarily at least, the axe will fall on Bhuvaneshwar Kumar.
3. Rishabh Pant
Though Team India earmarked him for T20I success, Pant has turned out to be more of a Test Cricketer.
Ironically, RP’s big-hitting has not helped him in his now-mature T20 international career.
In total, Pant has just 960 runs off 58 T20 matches at an average of 24 and now has the clock running against him with Samson and Kishan having better ODI and T20I records under their belt.
Pant isn’t even a guaranteed starter for the 2022 T20 World Cup and should warm the bench unless someone in 1st choice XI has fitness issues.
4. Ravi Ashwin
Ravi is India’s most successful spinner in Twenty-20 tournaments and in recent times has –for some reason– pipped Yuzvendra Chahal as Rohit and co.’s preferred spinner.
However, he has been very ineffective in the opportunities he has got and a poor campaign at the 2022 T20 World Cup should see him done.
In the 8 T20I games he has played for Team India in 2022, COME ON ASH has been unable to come on and has just 5 scalps at an average of 43.80 and strike-rate of 38.40 respectively.
He doesn’t have form, isn’t athletic in the field, and is not exactly young at 36; Bishnoi on the other hand ticks all the 3 boxes.
Moreover, Ashwin has done nothing right to be starting over Chahal (21 T20I wickets at avg. of 22 in 2022) in the first place.