Indian Openers Battle: India’s top-order of Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli hasn’t been in great form of late. Rohit Sharma is the skipper who is sure to feature as the opener. Virat Kohli registered an ODI century after 3 years. He is a certainty at number 3 for the World Cup.
The travails of Shikhar Dhawan:
Shikhar Dhawan though might find it difficult to escape the axe. The southpaw who was once the mainstay of the ODI side has looked like a pale shadow of himself. With young players all grabbing their opportunities it will be difficult for him to retain his spot.
We look at who are all Indian Openers Battle for the ODI World Cup:
#5 Prithvi Shaw
He is currently not part of any Indian squad. But Prithvi Shaw is a talent that can’t be ignored for long. He had a brilliant domestic season last year wherein he toppled records for fun. In his limited international appearances, Shaw has continued to play in an aggressive manner.
The World Cup being played in India will suit someone like Shaw. He is the modern-day opener who starts batting in the fourth gear right from ball one. He might not be on top of the pecking order but is surely an X-factor.
#4 Rishabh Pant
As the team currently stands, Rishabh Pant has no option but to front up as an opener. Shreyas Iyer has all but sealed the number four spot. KL Rahul has done exceedingly well at number 5. Hence the opening slot is the only vacant spot for Pant. The left-hander has had a mixed year with his white-ball returns being strictly average barring the hundred against England. Pant who generally doesn’t seem to have any visible weakness needs to up his game to stake a claim in the playing XI.
#3 Ruturaj Gaikwad
He had a splendid Vijay Hazare trophy this season. Ruturaj Gaikwad kept churning hundred after hundred including one in the final. Gaikwad who was touted for greatness post a fantastic IPL 2021 hasn’t exactly set the stage on fire. He is an accumulator who can at times be a slow starter. Gaikwad necessarily isn’t the dasher that teams prefer to have in these days. But when backed then there are very few like Gaikwad who can win games all on their own.
#2 Ishan Kishan
His stunning double century has seen him leapfrogging the others on this list. Ishan Kishan powered his way to a scintillating maiden double hundred. It was his first century in international cricket. The fact that he converted his maiden ODI hundred to a double shows his penchant for big scores. Kishan is good against pace while being brilliant against spin. He could be the ideal foil to Sharma as the left-right combination at the top.
#1 Shubman Gill
He is someone who has consistently proven himself in this format. Shubman Gill has racked up runs across different conditions as an opener. Gill has the technique and the temperament to succeed as an opener across any format. He is one of the few Indian players who is fantastic off the back foot. Gill makes batting look effortless. He in all honesty is the one who has been breathing down the neck of established Indian openers.
