“No, I don’t see the IPL having any influence on World Cup selection.”
This is what Indian skipper Virat Kohli had said prior to the beginning of India’s ODI series against Australia at home. He tried to make it clear that IPL performance wasn’t going to be a criterion for World Cup selection. However, it is also necessary to take into account that India didn’t get any meaningful answer to some of their questions even after the series, which they ended up losing by a 3-2 margin.
One of those areas of concern was the No 4 slot, which is still a revolving door. Ambati Rayudu failed miserably in the series whereas Vijay Shankar showed promising signs of flourishing as a No 4 batsman. Another area is KL Rahul’s uncertain position in the side.
The Indian management have time and again stressed upon the fact that Rahul is their backup opener. However, he batted at No 4 in the only match he played during the entire series. So, that aspect is unclear as well. Ravindra Jadeja has consistently been preferred as the all-rounder in absence of Hardik Pandya. So, it remains to be seen if he finds a place too.
Last but not the least, there is currently an ongoing tussle between Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant for that backup wicketkeeper’s slot in the World Cup squad. None of them came up with performances which could serve as a basis for selection. In these circumstances, their performance in the IPL has become a very important basis of selection for the Indian think-tank.
This, however, is not only restricted to Indian players. There are two other foreign players for whom the IPL is actually an audition for securing World Cup berths. They are none other than Australian batsmen Steve Smith and David Warner, who returned to the IPL after an exile of one year following the ball-tampering saga in Cape Town last year.
Even Australian coach Justin Langer sent out a word of caution to Smith and Warner prior to Australia’s ODI series against India. “We’re planning to pick the best XI to win these games. It’s about us winning games of cricket and then selections and positions look after themselves. We can’t plan for them (Smith and Warner) to be here because they’re not here,” Langer had said. It is pretty clear that their performance is being monitored and the duo is well aware of that.
So, there are a total of eight candidates who are auditioning for World Cup berths if Rahul, Pant, Karthik, Shankar, Rayudu, Jadeja, Smith and Warner are considered. The first round of IPL is already over with each team playing one match each. While some of the aforementioned players have gotten off to flying starts, the others need to step up soon if they don’t want to fall behind in the race.
David Warner & Rishabh Pant Make Immediate Impact
The last year has been a forgettable period for Warner. But he made it evident that he means business when he played a superb inning of 85 off just 53 deliveries in Sunrisers Hyderabad’s opening game against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on Sunday. It looked like he started off from where he left during the 2017 edition of the tournament. The intensity and passion with which he plays was the same. The frustration he showed when he got dismissed even after playing such a superb hand, made it quite evident that he is hungry for more runs. He has already gotten off to a good start and he just needs to carry on now.
Pant, on the other hand, produced yet another swashbuckling inning that we are accustomed to see him playing. He followed up Warner’s return with a superb knock of 78 off just 27 deliveries, an inning consisting of seven fours and an equal number of sixes, in the second game of the day between Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians in Mumbai. He was the highest run-getter for Delhi last season and his grand opening this year only suggests that things are going to be no different this season as well.
Promising Returns From Vijay Shankar and Ravindra Jadeja
Shankar showed a lot of promise during India’s recent limited-overs series against New Zealand and Australia, and he continued his good form in Sunrisers’ first match in the IPL as well. He walked out to bat at No 3 and remained unbeaten on 40 off just 24 deliveries, thus propelling the team total to 181/3. He showed good composure at the crease, rotated the strike well, and hit the occasional boundaries as well to keep the bowlers under pressure. It was a well-thought knock from Shankar which showed that he has the temperament to marshal the middle-order duties. More of such performances will only strengthen his case.
Jadeja also showcased his skills as a bowler on a turning Chepauk track. He ended up with a spell of 4-1-15-2 in Chennai Super Kings’ win over Royal Challengers Bangalore, which saw the latter getting bundled out for just 70 runs. It only remains to be seen if he can show the same level of consistency in unhelpful conditions.
Indifferent Start for Ambati Rayudu & Steve Smith
Rayudu started the last season smashing everything in his sight. This time, however, the Chepauk track didn’t turn out to be of any help for the batsmen. Rayudu played an indifferent knock of 28 runs off 42 deliveries while opening the innings for the Super Kings. It was a tricky track but he will need to do better in the next few games to make up for his slow start to the tournament. He will need to have an extraordinary few games like last season in order to assure a World Cup berth for himself.
Smith, however, walked out to bat in a pretty tough situation in their opening game against Kings XI Punjab. Jos Buttler had just been ‘mankaded’ back to the pavilion by Ravichandran Ashwin and the Royals required 77 runs to win from 43 deliveries. While Andre Russell showed the perfect art of chasing in tricky situation the other day, Smith perished trying to go for a big shot after a decent knock of 20 off 16 deliveries. Warner has already made a statement in his very first game. The pressure is now on Smith to deliver.
Dinesh Karthik & KL Rahul Stumble
While Karthik was dismissed on a score of two during Kolkata’s chase of 182 against the Sunrisers on Sunday, Rahul was out caught behind off Dhawal Kulkarni’s bowling for four during Punjab’s match against the Royals on Monday, 25 March. They haven’t been in great form for India either and their position in the squad is under scrutiny. The start to the IPL obviously hasn’t been great for them but they have a number of games coming up to show what they are capable of.
(Prasenjit Dey is a freelance cricket writer. He can be reached at @CricPrasen. The opinions expressed are the author’s own and The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)
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