India lost to South Africa by five wickets in Perth on Sunday and thus slipped to the second spot in the Group 2 points table at the 2022 T20 World Cup. They are still strong contenders for the semi-finals but need to win their remaining two games to avoid any hiccups. Their next match against Bangladesh On Wednesday is extremely crucial. Its result could have a big impact on India’s chances to advance to the next stage of the tournament.
While India have performed well as a team so far, KL Rahul is one player who has been receiving a lot of flak for his poor form. The batter has scored 22 runs across three games in the ongoing T20 World Cup.
With Rahul struggling with his form, will the Indian team management decide to drop him for the crucial match against Bangladesh?
Here is what we think could be India’s playing XI vs Bangladesh –
Rohit Sharma (c): The India skipper has not been in his groove so far in the tournament. He did score 53 against Netherlands in the second game, but failed to register noticeable scores in the other two matches.
KL Rahul: The lack of form is getting the better of KL Rahul. Too much of defensive approach is hindering his starts and he is yet to score in double digits in the mega event. Still, India might not drop him against Bangladesh as there is no other specialist opener in the 15-member squad and his absence will force India to shuffle the batting order — something they would not want at such a crucial phase in the tournament.
Virat Kohli: With two back-to-back fifties, including a miraculous 82 not out against Pakistan, Virat Kohli is in the vintage form. He failed to hit a big score against South Africa but his confidence is back. Once again he is proving to be a match-winner for India.
Suryakumar Yadav: The right-handed batter has been on song in Australia. He missed out to put a good score on the board in the first game, but the second and third matches saw Suyakumar Yadav at his very best. He scored quickfire fifties in both the recent games.
Deepak Hooda: Given that the management has shown trust in him and that Indian team performed well with Hardik Pandya being the fifth bowling option, Hooda is likely to get a spot in India’s playing XI vs Bangladesh.
Hardik Pandya: In the first match against Pakistan, Hardik Pandya put up an impressive all-round show but he has failed to show a similar impact in the following two games. The all-rounder must be raring to put a better performance.
Rishabh Pant (wk): Dinesh Karthik got injured during India’s recent match against South Africa and was replaced by Rishabh Pant mid-way in the game. In case, Karthik fails to recover in time, it will be Rishabh Pant, who will get a chance to play against Bangladesh.
Ravichandran Ashwin: He was impactful till the second game but the bouncy and fast surface of Perth saw him struggle and leak 43 runs in his four overs while claiming only one wicket.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar: Leaving the demons of the 2022 Asia Cup behind, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has emerged as a better bowler for India in the ongoing T20 World Cup. He has the best economy rate (4.87) among the Indian bowlers in the mega event in Australia.
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Mohammed Shami: The right-arm pacer too has been decent with the ball in the ongoing tournament. He has bowled at an economy of 5.41, while claiming three wickets.
Arshdeep Singh: The left-arm pacer is an extremely important member of the Indian bowling line-up in the T20 World Cup. He leads the wicket-takers’ chart among the Indian players with 7 wickets to his name. His economy in the tournament so far is 7.83.
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