India's Shreyas Iyer, center, with batting partner Tilak Varma (AP/PTI)
New Delhi: India’s team management and selectors are working on backups for the middle order ahead of the ODI World Cup next year. TOI has learnt that Tilak Varma’s name has come up as a potential backup option for Shreyas Iyer in the top six of the batting lineup. Tilak, being a left-handed batter, is seen as someone who can break the monotony of right-handers in the batting lineup. Tilak has been asked to work on his bowling since it is believed that his off-breaks have a lot of potential. The team management, in fact, has flagged the dearth of bowling options in the top order, citing it as a reason for extra pressure on the lower order and the bowlers. The planning for the ODI World Cup will only begin in earnest when India reach New Zealand in October, since most of the first-choice players will not be available for the ODI series against West Indies at home from September 27. A full-strength T20 team is also scheduled to travel to Japan for the Asian Games at the same time. “Head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill feel there isn’t any backup ready for the middle order. With Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy being prone to injuries, they want someone in the top order who can at least chip in with four overs in an ODI,” a BCCI source said. Over the last year, the team management has been compelled to play either Washington Sundar or Axar Patel at No. 5 or No. 6 to balance the playing XI. In the last series in England, Ishan Kishan was sent in ahead of vice-captain Iyer. “The team has to be prepared for conditions in South Africa in the World Cup. Iyer got injured in Australia and his game against pace and bounce is untested of late. The team already has two ageing players in Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. They are having niggles as well. KL Rahul too will be over 35 by the time the World Cup comes around. Ravindra Jadeja isn’t a certainty either. The fielding of the team has suffered due to fitness issues. The team management feels that they need younger backups ready,” the source said.
Selectors wary of moving batters around
The selectors, it is learnt, are not comfortable with playing batters out of position. Last year, Ruturaj Gaikwad was played at No. 4 and scored a hundred against South Africa in Raipur. But he has not been picked in the ODI team since. “Gaikwad was picked as backup opener since Gill was injured. The team management feels Tilak could have been tried in that place. That’s why they don’t want to rush Devdutt Padikkal in the ODI setup because he found his calling in white-ball cricket while opening the batting,” the source said. The team for the West Indies series, however, will be an anomaly since Iyer, Tilak, Ishan and Axar will not be available. The selectors are more focused on picking another wicketkeeper for the series.
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Team for Afg series likely by Sept 3
The selection committee is due to meet by September 3 to pick the team for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in Delhi from September 13. Sources said that the selectors are likely to retain the team selected for the subsequent Asian Games. The official fitness reports of Hardik, Nitish Reddy and Jasprit Bumrah are awaited. Varun Chakravarthy has regained full fitness, it is learnt.
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