I have always loved being on stage as an actor… I love the butterflies in my stomach, the rising of the curtains still sends shivers down my spine. Slowly the announcements are done, auditorium lights are turned off and there you step onto the stage. Little jittery, and a little nervous but the moment you see the audience silhouettes in the dark, my adrenaline starts peaking. What a feeling that is.
The curtains are about to go up for the Champions Trophy in just a few days from now. Team India has rehearsed well. The actors are all looking their part, the technicians are performing to the best of their capabilities and the production promises to be a blockbuster. The best part is there is no dearth of options and talent. Wait, is that the best part? Or a slight headache? Let’s look at the remaining pieces of the Indian team’s jigsaw puzzle before the final ODI against England and the ICC event in Dubai.
- KL Rahul or Rishabh Pant?
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the unluckiest among them all? Mirror doesn’t even hesitate for a split second before saying KL Rahul. What else can the sorry mirror do? An opener in the first two Test matches of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, then some musical chairs by the team management and again back to the opening slot for the final Test. Rahul showed signs of consistency and reliability before turning inconsistent. However the team management has found a different option. In both the matches against England in the ongoing ODI series, Axar Patel was promoted to No. 5 ahead of Rahul. Axar came good in both matches. Rahul came in when the chase was all but done. Will you keep promoting Axar to maintain the fancy term ‘left-right combination’ instead of sending out a specialist batter at No. 5? If Rahul comes in after the 35th over in every game, then Rishabh Pant is a far better choice going by that logic, although Pant’s ODI records are ordinary. But will you trust Pant or Axar if India is 10/3 against Pakistan or New Zealand inside the Powerplay or will you go back to your flexible option? All eyes will be on the wicketkeeping slot for the final ODI against England.
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- Who leads the Indian pace attack in Dubai?
In both the ODIs against England, Mohammad Shami and Harshit Rana have shared the new ball. Shami is clearly taking time to get back into his rhythm and needs time in the middle. Make no mistake, Shami has a stellar record in ICC tournaments and his experience will benefit India massively in Dubai. The question is for how long will India ease Shami in? In both matches, he has not bowled his full quota and has looked scratchy in patches. Rana on the other hand has been pretty good, but nothing extraordinary. The absence of Arshdeep Singh in both the matches has been a baffling call. With the left-armer’s angle, the pinpoint yorkers, the initial swing with the new ball plus a genuine wicket-taker; Arshdeep has all the weapons in his armoury to succeed in 50 overs format. Ideally, Arshdeep and Shami should share the new ball in the Champions Trophy in Jasprit Bumrah’s absence. Without him, India’s pace attack lacks fire.
- Varun Chakravarthy or Kuldeep Yadav?
Current form or X-factor? Mystery or experience? This will be an interesting and massive call. The way Varun has stepped up in India colours for the last year, he might travel to Dubai with the team. Coming back after a long injury lay-off, Kuldeep too looked the part in the first ODI against England. Don’t forget the fact that both the bowlers are genuine wicket-takers. They will not only choke the runs in the middle overs but will be expected to take the crucial middle-overs wickets. With Axar and Jadeja inevitable to the team composition, head coach Gautam Gambhir’s strategy seems pretty clear. He will go in with three seamers and three spinners. Axar and Jadeja will hold things up from one end (despite the fact that Jadeja has been amongst the wickets consistently in the last couple of games) while Varun or Kuldeep is expected to be the wicket-taker. Both are proven match-winners on their days. Who will India prefer? Who can keep their nerves on the day it matters the most?
The stage is set. The rehearsals are more or less done. Make-up and costumes are ready too. Time for the curtains to go up and time for us to take a seat in the audience. The last 50 overs ICC tournament had been cruel to a majority of these players in the starting XI. Will history repeat itself or will history be rewritten? Let’s wait and watch.
Also Read: Champions Trophy, 2025: The Bumrah-shaped hole in India’s formidable squad