10 Changes India should make across all formats in 2022

Over the last few years, India have been a sensational side, to say the least. They were decent in 2021, and had several cherishable moments. From the Gabba heist to the spectacular win at Lord’s, there were several wonderful games for the Indian fans to celebrate. Having said that, the Indian team would want to erase a few memories. Be it the painful loss in the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) final, or their poor performance in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021, the Kohli-led side did have its fair share of disappointments this year. Hence, heading into 2022, the Asian giants would want to ensure perfection in their performances on the field. For that to happen, they’d have to make some debatable changes. So what are the new things which need to be done in Indian cricket? Today, we shall be taking a look at 10 changes India should make across all formats in 2022. 10 Changes India should make across all formats in 2022 1. Find a replacement for Ajinkya Rahane Ajinkya Rahane. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images) One of the most questionable moves of 2021 was undoubtedly not dropping Ajinkya Rahane. Despite leading India to a series win in Australia earlier this year, there’s nothing significant that the 33-year-old accomplished with the bat. In the 12 Tests in which he played this year, he managed to score only two fifties. While he was only able to score 411 runs, he was averaging just 19.57. However, his couple of fifties came at crucial junctures for India including the one at Lord’s. His constant poor form led to Rohit Sharma replacing him as India’s vice-captain in the longest format of the game. As the Mumbai batter is already in his 30s, giving him a long run wouldn’t make much of a sense. Besides, players like Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari have been superb of late and should be groomed to replace Rahane in the long run. 2. Invest in Shubman Gill and Prithvi Shaw Shubman Gill. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images) Considering their immense potential, it gets really hard to ignore generational talents like Shubman Gill and Prithvi Shaw. From their Under-19 days, both of them have been hailed as the next big thing in Indian cricket. While the Punjab opener did show a glimpse of his potential during the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21, where he scored 91 in the fourth innings, Shaw has shown that he can play aggressively. IPL or international cricket, he has always looked positive. An important point to be noted is the fact that both of them have proven themselves time and again. With several players in their mid-30s, it should only be a matter of time until the two rising stars get a consistent run in India’s XI across all formats. 3. Ask the batters to play a little more freely in limited-overs cricket KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma. (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images) The defensive approach of India’s top-order was clearly visible during their first two games of the ICC T20 WC 2021. This generally creates a negative impact, and dents the chances of a victory. Although Indian batters get runs on a consistent basis, there have been several occasions where they’ve taken time to get in. In modern-day cricket, very seldom would you see a situation where you need more than one anchor. Besides, teams like England have adopted the “strike from ball one” policy and have more often than not, succeeded. Going from ball one becomes more important when the conditions are batting-friendly especially in T20s. Thus, on flat pitches, you need to go all-out in order to get the big scores. Besides, the team can always have one batter to anchor the innings. This propels the others to bat around the anchor, and thus, assures stability. 4. Test the likes of Harshal Patel and Avesh Khan Avesh Khan. (Photo Source: Twitter/Indian Premier League) While Jasprit Bumrah has been one of the best bowlers in the world, he is a human being at the end of the day. He too is going to have a few off days on the field. Thus, the best option is to have a backup, who could bowl well in the death overs. Besides, there have been numerous occasions where the opposition batters have attacked the Indian bowlers in the final few overs. Another concern is the fact when the captain needs a wicket in the middle overs, he has no option but to turn to Bumrah. This then leads to him having only a few overs at the death. Thus, the best option would be to test the likes of Harshal Patel and Avesh Khan, and back them. This would give Rohit Sharma the luxury to rest Bumrah for a few matches. Such an idea helps ease the workload of the pacer as well. 5. Move on from Shami in T20Is Mohammed Shami. (Photo by AAMIR QURESHI/AFP via Getty Images) Mohammed Shami has been one of India’s best pacers in the recent past. In fact, over the years, he has been one of their key players. However, there has always been a question mark about his bowling in the shortest format of the game. The speedster has been far from impressive in T20Is and has more often than not, leaked runs. The 31-year-old has picked just 18 wickets in 17 T20Is so far. His bowling average and strike rate in this format are 31.55 and 19.83 respectively. Besides, his economy rate is 9.55, which isn’t too inspiring. With the improvement players like Harshal Patel, Deepak Chahar and Mohammed Siraj have shown, it isn’t even a necessity to play the Bengal pacer. Last but not the least, this gives an opportunity for him to rest and remain fresh for the longer formats of the game. 6. Invest in a leg-spinner Rahul Chahar. (Photo Source: Twitter/BCCI) Post 2017, India had turned to wrist-spinners in limited-overs cricket. While the move did go on to succeed, it was discontinued during the 2019 ODI WC. In a matter of a few months, both, Yuzvendra Chahal, as well as Kuldeep Yadav, were no more certainties in the XI. While the latter did go on to lose his form, Chahal was in and out of the side. However, the shorter versions of the game require at least one leggie in the XI. The need of picking wickets in the middle overs has now become a norm. Thus leg-spinners in India need to be groomed. Spinners such as Adam Zampa and Adil Rashid have shown how beneficial it can be to have a wrist spinner in the team. Moreover, India already has several talented leggies in the domestic circuit as well as the IPL. Rahul Chahar is already in the set up but more spinners need to be groomed. 7. Groom a future captain KL Rahul. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images) The captaincy controversy pertaining to Virat Kohli managed to grab the headlines not too long ago. Although India’s red-ball and white-ball skippers are sensational, they don’t have age on their side. Kohli is 33 years old while Sharma is already 34. Thus, it is essential to groom a future captain. Owing to the IPL, several youngsters have already proved their leadership skills. Someone like Shreyas Iyer even led the Delhi Capitals to the IPL 2020 final. Even the likes of Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul have been considered as future captains for a really long time. Thus, the ideal way of grooming one of them for the captaincy role is to introduce them into the leadership group instantly. This not only gives them time to get used to the responsibilities, but also helps them to understand a thing or two about captaincy from the likes of Kohli and Sharma. With Rahul Dravid in the dugout, one gets to learn a lot as well. 8. Don’t change combinations just before an ICC event Yuzvendra Chahal. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images) ICC trophies are the pinnacle of cricket. Teams invest several years in order to build their team for an ICC trophy. Thus, sides are expected to stick to their combination during a tournament as important as a World Cup. However, in the case of India, they have made it a habit to change their combinations during, or before an ICC tournament. While the 2019 ODI WC so Ambati Rayudu being dropped just before the mega-event, the 2021 T20 WC saw Chahal being abruptly dropped from the squad. Changing sides can lead to a clarity crisis, which is probably the worst thing to happen during an ICC tournament. With the 2022 T20 WC and 2023 ODI WC coming, the Rohit Sharma-led side needs to start working on their team combinations as early as possible. This leads to the rise of confidence among players during an all-important tournament as well. 9. Always play a practice match before playing an Overseas Test Virat Kohli. (Photo Source: Twitter) Winning matches outside home is one of the toughest tasks. Add to the fact that it generally takes time for players to get accustomed to the overseas conditions. If the individuals aren’t familiar with how the pitch is going to behave, expecting them to instantly make a mark in an away Test is too much to ask for. Thus, India always needs to ensure that they play a practice game before playing an overseas Test series. Not only does this gives the players an idea of what to expect, but it also gives them the luxury to experiment before the important matches. In places like England and South Africa, where the conditions are adverse for the batters, to say the least, it helps India’s batters to get used to the uneven swing and bounce respectively. Over the years, there have been several cases where India have gone on to play an overseas series without playing a practice match, and thus, have ended up losing the series. Thus, the BCCI needs to make it a habit to ensure that practise matches are arranged before an away tour. 10. Better communication between selectors and players Virat Kohli. (Photo Source: BCCI) As mentioned earlier, the captaincy controversy managed to shock one and all. One of the major reasons for it is the lack of communication between Virat Kohli and the selectors. A communication gap not only creates a ruckus in the public, but also causes uncertainties in the mind of the individuals involved. Thus, heading into 2022, the Indian selectors need to be specifically accurate in conveying information to the players. An effort to give a concise response regarding the omission or inclusion of players is very beneficial. This is mainly due to the fact that it helps the players to understand where they went wrong, and what are aspects they need to work on. The expectations and demands need to be specified, as only then can players decipher the requirements. This helps the budding youngsters to understand their progress, and work on the necessary area of improvement. Last but not the least, while taking a big step, the selectors need to inform their plans to the captain and coach.

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10 Changes India should make across all formats in 2022

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