What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
Though India has had seven different captains across formats in 2022, their performance has not taken a beating. The necessity to appoint so many captains arose due to a couple of factors – injuries to deputed skippers before a few series and the policy of trying different combinations, especially in the T20I format ahead of the World T20 which is slated to take place later this year.
In 2022, India has won 5 out of the 9 ODIs they have played. As for the T20Is, out of 16 matches, India notched up victories in 12 of them. This lucidly underlines that too many captains in such a short period show the depth of the talent pool, not the in-fighting or uncertainty about leadership.
At the start of the year, Kohli was removed as the ODI captain and the reins were given to Rohit Sharma. However, Rohit was unavailable for the ODI series in South Africa and KL stepped in as the leader. But India ended up losing all three matches as Quinton de Kock and Rassie van der Dussen blasted Indian bowlers with impunity. While Bhuvneshwar Kumar was bowling splendidly in the T20Is, his ODI bowling lacked bite.
Also, the leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was woefully out of form during that time and the all-rounder Hardik Pandya was not a part of the squad. Rohit’s absence also immensely hurt the prospects of the team in that series.
But India soon bounced back with a vengeance and whitewashed the visiting West Indies side 3-0 at home in the next series. Rohit was back at the helm, while Chahal also regained his form and bowled adroitly. Prasidh Krishna also shone with the ball and made his presence felt. Kohli’s patchy form was the only fly in the ointment.
In the recently-concluded ODI series against England, which India won 2-1, Hardik’s resurgence as an all-rounder, Chahal’s nifty show with the ball, and Pant’s whirlwind hundred in the decider tilted the balance in India’s favor.
As for the T20Is, India’s performance has been even better. They trounced West Indies and Sri Lanka, under the leadership of Rohit, 3-0 in the T20I series at home as Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, and Harshal Patel rose to the occasion.
Rohit and KL Rahul were unavailable for the T20I series against South Africa at home, so Rishabh Pant took over the captaincy for five matches. After losing the first two matches, the hosts sallied back and humbled the visitors in the next two encounters. The final at Bengaluru was washed out and the series ended at 2-2.
Hardik led the team for the T20I against Ireland as most of the top players were preparing for the rescheduled fifth Test at Edgbaston. India once again asserted their dominance in the T20I format as it edged a strong England side 2-1 in their backyard.
While Bhuvneshwar is India’s best T20I bowler at present, the likes of Chahal, Patel, and Avesh Khan have also contributed to India’s success. Kishan, Yadav, Iyer, and Pant are the pillars of India in the batting department. The resurgence of Hardik has lent fabulous balance to the side.
At present, India is the No.1 T20I team and the No.2 ODI team in the ICC rankings. They accentuate the fact that India is a force to reckon with in white-ball cricket and will be one of the favorites to win the upcoming World T20.
