3 Opening combinations India can try before the ODI World Cup 2023
With India playing an awful lot of cricket in the lead-up to the ODI World Cup 2023, it might not be possible for Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan to play each and every game.
2. Ishan Kishan and Rishabh Pant
After India’s disappointing loss to England in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2022, the team management decided to open with Ishan Kishan and Rishabh Pant in the T20I series against New Zealand. The new opening combination was in line with the aggressive brand of cricket the Men in Blue have advocated to play in the shortest format of late.
With the ODIs witnessing 300 runs being chased for fun, the Men in Blue could push themselves to play fearlessly in the 50-overs format too. And in a bid to do so, the think tank could ponder over giving the opening duties to Kishan and Pant for a couple of ODI matches going ahead.
The ace batting duo is known to take any bowling attack apart with its swashbuckling style of play and has displayed its batting might in the international arena time and time again. Kishan has played nine ODIs and smashed 267 runs at a strike rate of 90.50. On the other hand, Pant has scored 855 runs in 29 ODIs at a strike rate of 107.54.
Moreover, Kishan and Pant have a good amount of experience in opening the innings together, having done the same in the 2016 Under-19 World Cup. Thus, the duo starting the proceedings with the bat in the ODIs is definitely on the cards.
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