India need to keep an eye on the strike rate going forward in T20I format: Nikhil Chopra

Former Indian cricketer Nikhil Chopra opined on how India needs to prepare for the next ICC event, especially in the T20 format. India were handed an embarrassing defeat by ten wickets by England in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2022 and there was a lot of criticism over the strike rate of the top-three batters.  

KL Rahul perished early for just five runs while skipper Rohit Sharma could manage just 27 runs after facing 28 deliveries, which was no way going to benefit in a batting-friendly Adelaide wicket. Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya bailed India out of trouble with blistering half-centuries however the total of 168 wasn’t enough in the end. 

Speaking on that front, Nikhil Chopra mentioned the importance of the strike rate in T20Is and explained how India needs to address their issues moving forward.  

You have to figure out who are your wicket taking options: Nikhil Chopra 

Chopra mentioned that India needs to figure out how they play the 120 balls in the T20 format and also choose the wicket-taking options in the bowling department. He added that five quality bowlers are needed to win a tournament unless India has a genuine world class all-rounder and highlighted the significance of conveying the requirements across India.  

“You have just 120 balls in T20 format. You have to see how many batsmen are playing how many deliveries and at what strike rate. And you have to figure out who are your wicket-taking options. If you have an out and out established all-rounder who has performed with both bat and ball in the tournament, then it’s ok, or else you need five bowlers to win a tournament, “ Nikhil Chopra on 'BatBricks7 presents Run Ki Runneeti' on CricTracker. 

“If you are preparing for the big tournament, send a message about the team requirements throughout the country including the first-class cricket and Syed Mushtaq Ali tournaments. Pick out the situations and prepare them accordingly. In a 120-ball game, India needs to keep an eye on the strike rate going forward,” he added.