Though the recently-concluded T20I series between India and Australia lacked star power, with several seniors like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell Starc, David Warner, Steve Smith giving it a miss, the bilateral series proved to be of great value for several fringe players, serving as an audition for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 to be held in West Indies and USA next year.
Here are some players who can make the squad of their respective teams for the marquee event:
Ravi Bishnoi (India)
The young right-arm spinner continues his impressive international run in white-ball cricket. He was a standout with India, taking a total of nine wickets in five matches, three more than any other player at an economy rate of just 8.20.
After the pacers received the beating in the initial three overs of the powerplay, Bishnoi was India’s go-to-man for a breakthrough and wickets came easy to him. His performances earned him the ‘Player of the Series’ award.
He could be battling the likes of Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravi Ashwin for a couple of slow bowling slots, but Ravi has showcased his capability enough in 21 T20Is played so far, taking a total of 34 wickets at an average of 17.38 and an economy rate of just above seven.
Jason Behrendorff (Australia)
Ever since his international debut in 2017, Behrendorff has struggled for a regular place in the side due to the presence of big three pacers, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc. But during this series, he put his name out for selection in a big tournament once again.
He claimed six wickets in four matches, with his best figures coming in the fourth T20I, in which took 2/32. The most impressive trait of Behrendorff’s bowling this series was his miserly economy rate of just 6.68, the best among all Australian bowlers. In the fourth T20I, Behrendorff was extremely impressive during powerplay and restricted India’s run flow.
Though Australia has enough depth in bowling, Behrendorff, who has played 14 T20Is so far, could still be a fine addition to the team for T20 WC next year.
Rinku Singh (India)
Rinku’s 105 runs in the series of five matches do not have a lot of impact on face value, but the ones following the matches know the real impact of the rising left-hander as a finisher. His strike rate was an impressive 175, more than any other batter. His fours and sixes in the final few overs proved to be extremely useful for India and gave them an extra 15-20 runs to fight a competitive Aussie side.
His best performances in this series were 31* in just nine balls in the second match to take India to 235/4. No doubt, Rinku will be looked on by selectors as they continue their search for a finisher. He could very well be the one to end this search.
Tanveer Sangha (Australia)
The young Australian spinner has only made nine appearances for his country, but he has already established a strong resume that indicates he will be a valuable player in the future.
Sangha participated in all five of the Indian matches, taking five wickets overall, the finest of which came in the fourth game of the series, taking 2/30 in his full spell.
During the series, just two of Australia’s wicket-takers bowled at a more economical economy rate, and if selected, Sangha has enough tools in his arsenal to make life difficult for opposition batsmen in the USA and the West Indies.
Sangha appears to be the most sensible option to travel as a backup for the T20 World Cup, even if he is probably going to be behind first-choice spinner Adam Zampa in the Australia spinner rankings.
Ruturaj Gaikwad (India)
In the game’s shortest format, India has no shortage of top-order batting options, and Gaikwad never fails to impress when allowed to play on the international stage.
The right-hander compiled an incredible 123* in the series’ third encounter, and his 223 runs overall–by far the most of any player over the five matches–made him India’s lone century-maker during the Twenty20 International series.
Should selectors choose to follow that route, Gaikwad could easily partner captain Rohit Sharma at the top of India’s batting order at the T20 World Cup in 2019. Gaikwad also placed among the top 10 run scorers from the previous IPL season.
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