Be it Ruturaj Gaikwad as an opener or Rinku Singh as the middle-order finisher, they have been on the path of meeting expectations. On the bowling front, although ignored for the impending series against South Africa, spinner Axar Patel has made a statement of intent, while leggie Ravi Bishnoi has justified his selection. Overall, the second-string team — coached by National Cricket Academy chief VVS Laxman — has given a good account of itself. With three consecutive scores of 200-plus (209, 235, 222) they have signalled the readiness of the line-up comprising Yashasvi Jaiswal, Gaikwad, Tilak Varma and Rinku to stake claims for a regular slot in the team and shoulder responsibilities on a bigger stage.
Outlining the team’s thought process, skipper Suryakumar Yadavafter the 20-run win in Raipur on Friday night, said, “The boys showed character and that was most important for us. We spoke in the meeting before the game to go out and express ourselves and be fearless.”
After this series, India play six T20Is against South Africa (away) and Afghanistan (home), which will give head coach Rahul Dravid and his think-tank an opportunity to firm up the squad ahead of the World Cup in June.
The fifth and final fixture will be played at the M Chinnaswamy stadium here on Sunday. With the hosts having already claimed the series with an unassailable 3-1 lead, the contest may be a dead rubber, but of immense academic interest for the team management.
The match offers another chance to test Suryakumar’s acumen as captain. The 33-year-old, who will marshall the team in the format in South Africa, is a captaincy prospect for the World Cup.
Hardik Pandya, who took over T20 captaincy from Rohit Sharma in 2022, had led India in six outings, winning five with one being abandoned. But the allrounder, who sustained an ankle injury while stopping a ball during a league fixture against Bangladesh in the World Cup in October, is likely to be out of action for at least another two months. That means his possible return to competitive action will be in the IPL, which casts doubts on his preparations for leading India at the showpiece event.
Rohit, who last played a T20I at the World Cup last year and has been rested for the white-ball fixtures of the South Africa tour, has offered no public clarity on his future in white-ball cricket, which further pushes Suryakumar’s case.
India’s ICC trophy drought has stretched to 10 and a half years now, and this may well be the pathway to ending that.