EXPERT COLUMN
Follow UsUnfortunately, the Indian Premier League has come to a premature halt. I was a part of the bubble and can say with conviction that it was really safe. But somehow, travel made it a difficult proposition. The IPL provided a base for every cricketer to prove their worth ahead of the T20 World Cup and that’s why I felt this was one of the most important IPLs for the young cricketers to stake their claim.
The dilemma of operating with Kul-Cha combo
Nothing really pained me more than witnessing the fall of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal. The duo was very successful in the early part of their career. Batsmen were not aware of what they were bowling but now they have been found out. There are computer analysts with every team to help batsmen study bowlers. They're studying the spinners mainly because a lot of foreign players struggle against the spinners. To be successful consistently like an Anil Kumble or a Muttiah Muralitharan or a Shane Warne, you have to keep developing different deliveries (variations) as you progress every year in your career.
I found Kuldeep has become inconsistent with this line and length and Chahal is not adding more variations to his bowling and has become predictable. On the other hand, Rahul Chahar was more impressive in his role because people were not able to analyse him that much. Rahul Chahar was definitely very gutsy, large-hearted — all the ingredients that a leg spinner needs and more importantly, not afraid of getting hit. His body language looked good.
Experience also plays a vital part. Bowlers like Imran Tahir or Rashid Khan - who play T20 cricket all over the world - preempt the batsmen. They study the batsman and know what exactly they want to try. Early in Rashid Khan’s career, he made a huge impact because they were trying to go after him. Now they try to play his four overs for 20 — or 25 or 30 — and make sure they don't lose too many wickets to him. Rashid Khan’s balls per wicket have gone up but his economy rate is still good. People are not taking too many chances.
India’s possible combination
For the T20 World Cup, India need to have an off-spinner in the squad. If the opposition have too many left handers, it would be a good idea to play the off-spinner. India need to have a left-arm spinner, a leg-spinner, and an off-spinner in the squad, so that they have the choice to look at the opposition and the batting order and pick the playing XI accordingly.
There are loud calls for the inclusion of Ravichandran Ashwin in the T20 World Cup squad. Even though Ashwin has got a lot of experience for the role, in the T20 format, you're looking at all three abilities — fielding and batting as well. In that regard, Washington may find the favor of being on the younger side and a little more agile on the field. He also has shown that he can contribute with the bat in Tests. Jadeja is becoming an outstanding all-rounder and Axar Patel is doing well too.
Washington is more of a containing bowler. India will need another off-spinner who can genuinely turn the ball big time. I thought the Mumbai Indians used Jayant Yadav cleverly, against teams which have left-handers like Chennai Super Kings or Delhi Capitals. Jayant Yadav is a useful cricketer.
India have enough bench strength. People who are currently playing and people who are not currently playing for India, have done well in the IPL. They will be hoping that the IPL can get over before the T20 World Cup, which means they have more matches to prove their worth. That all depends on when the ICC gives the deadline to name the 30 probables and the final squad.
Mindset is important
If the T20 World Cup takes place in India or the UAE, the spinners will have an integral part to play in the middle overs. I think Rahul Chahar has been more impressive than Chahal in the IPL 2021 so far.
Mindset and body language are very important in every sport. When I talk about mindset, it's not about keeping the batsmen tight. It's about taking wickets. And sitting in the commentary box, I get the feeling the body language of Rahul Chahar is to take wickets, whereas Chahal is quite happy containing. What happens with containing is if you don't take wickets in the middle overs and they have wickets in hand in the final overs, the other bowlers will suffer.
India need somebody with the skill, the mindset, the body language, the heart, and the courage to go for wickets in the middle overs. This is where I think Rahul Chahar impressed me the most. I will be happy to be proven wrong if Kuldeep and Chahal do well - they are two outstanding cricketers and have tremendous potential. It is only a matter of application and development in the right way.
Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri will definitely discuss whatever they’ve seen in the IPL and arrive at a decision. But they will definitely look at the situation and the IPL so far, and who can bring more value. Because Virat likes to win all the time, which is what you want as a leader. Knowing Ravi Shastri from a very young age — we've known each other for 40 years — he definitely wants to win at any cost.
