Nidahas Trophy 2018: 5 things India will look to gain during the tournament

India recently have had a successful campaign against South Africa in the Rainbow nation. They outplayed the Proteas in all departments and comprehensively emerged as the winners. The Men in Blue will now be playing a T20 triangular series involving Sri Lanka and Bangladesh which starts on March 6 at the iconic R.Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

The team will be looking to carry forward their rich vein of form and string together some decent performances in the series. However, the team management has decided to make some alterations to the squad. India won’t be fielding their full-strength team in the tournament, however, they still have plenty to look forward to in the event. In our article, we take a look at five of them.

1. Rohit Sharma’s international leadership skills

Rohit Sharma has arguably been a stalwart in the Indian lineup, especially in the limited-overs format. He has grown in stature as his career has progressed and has shown consistency across the globe. Moreover, he has also been outstanding skipper, especially in the Indian Premier League where he has led his team to glory on three occasions.

The Mumbai cricketer has also led India in four T20Is and hasn’t tasted defeat yet. Rohit captained India to their series whitewash against Sri Lanka when Kohli was in Italy, tying the knots with Anushka Sharma. He was also the skipper in the deciding T20I against South Africa. The management has rested Kohli for the tri-series and Rohit’s captaincy prowess will again be in the spotlight in Virat’s absence.

2. Vijay Shankar as Hardik Pandya’s backup

Vijay Shankar has been a prolific cricketer for Tamil Nadu in the domestic circuit. He has lately shown exemplary form and has subsequently been drafted into the Indian team for the upcoming triangular series. He has developed into an efficient all-rounder over the years. Not only can he smack the leather, but he also can crank up a fair bit of pace.

Hardik Pandya has been rested for the series and Shankar is expected to find a place in the playing eleven. Virat Kohli and the management has recently mentioned that Shankar will be groomed as a backup for Pandya. Going into the series, it will be interesting to see how Rohit and Co. decide to utilise the abilities of the all-round cricketer.

3. Rishabh Pant’s grooming as Dhoni’s replacement

Rishabh Pant has emerged as a fearless cricketer who doesn’t shy away from playing his strokes. He has been speculated as the successor of the evergreen Mahendra Singh Dhoni and rightly so, bearing in mind his stupendous abilities with the willow. The Delhi cricketer was among the few cricketers who were retained by their franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The wicket-keeper batsman made his debut one year ago against England at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. However, despite being in India’s scheme of things, he has only played a couple of games. Nevertheless, MS Dhoni has been rested for the triangular series, which presents Pant an opportunity to stake a claim in the Indian team for further international assignments.

4. India’s bench strength in the fast-bowling department 

The pair of Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar has emerged as one of the deadliest duos in international cricket. The pacers have been scintillating for India in all the formats. They haven’t only restricted the batsman, but also churned out wickets at crucial stages of a game. Most importantly, the pacers have shown efficiency in bowling with both the new and old ball.

However, both have been rested and the likes of Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat and Mohammed Siraj need to step up for Rohit Sharma’s men. Moreover, India’s bench strength will be also be tested, which is expected to be backups for Bumrah and Kumar. Bharat Arun, the Indian bowling coach, has also emphasised the significance of generating a pool of pacers ahead of the World Cup in England.

5. The untested middle-order

Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli have been significant performers for India in the middle-order. They can arguably be rated among the greatest Indian cricketers to have played the game. They have helped India snatch victories from the jaws of defeat on several occasions. There have also been very few instances when both the cricketers haven’t been a part of an Indian lineup.

However, both cricketers have been rested for the upcoming triangular series in Sri Lanka. The onus will now be on the likes of Manish Pandey, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant to shepherd India in the tournament. While India will be handicapped by the absence of the stalwarts, it’s also an opportunity for the others to display their abilities.

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