Team India’s possible XI: With The Hundred consuming the world like a storm, it is hard to resist one’s interest in the captivating new format of the sport that is being played in England at the moment. Though the Indian players were initially thought to be a part of this fray, the official confirmation showed that they will not be a part of this format given the approaching Test series in India tour of England.
It is an intense format of the sport that is being played with twisted rules and regulations to accommodate the new perks of cricket in an altogether different avatar. A few call it blasphemy, a few call it the supposed destruction of the cricket, while we will present you the strongest XI that could have played this tournament if BCCI wanted to field a team in the ongoing fray.
Openers:
Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan
Sharma is definitely one of the most dynamic openers in any format of the sport throughout the face of the planet. His crazy dynamics consorted with his fluid stroke play make him a top contender for the perfect batsman for this new incarnation of the sport.
Ishan Kishan is a relentless striker of the ball and dished out a couple of impeccable performances against the likes of Sri Lanka and England to establish himself in the fabric of Indian cricket. Known for his aggressive hammering, Ishan Kishan can be a brilliant choice for this format of the game.
Middle-order:
Virat Kohli, Nitish Rana, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja
Kohli is arguably India’s best batsman ever since Sachin Tendulkar pulled the plug on his international cricket career. His exploits on the cricket field are too overwhelming to ignore him in any discipline of the game, and he continues to be India’s most imperative catalyst in the run-chases.
Nitish Rana is a paragon in domestic cricket, and his recent selection in the Indian team has been the result of a few reckoning performances for the Kolkata Knight Riders. He is a tremendous hitter of the white ball and can be a decent choice for this new format of cricket.
Another tormentor of the white ball, Rishabh Pant, has rooted his position in the side with an extraterrestrial display of aggression. The youngster is relentless in his pursuit of glory, and his approach to the crease is never about settling down. It is about inflicting pain on your opposition.
Despite Pandya struggling off late and his bowling being limited to a few handful of overs, his form against Australia was one of the burning odes to his incredible excellence as a finisher. Right since the departure of Dhoni, he has shown the maturity to carry the team on his shoulders in desperate times.
Ravindra Jadeja is the best all-rounder for India at the moment, and he cannot be ignored even for a second in any format of the sport. A sensational fielder, a wicket-taking bowler, and a dynamic batsman, Jadeja’s involvement is the perfect fit for this exerting format of the game.
Bowlers:
Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Rahul Chahar
Chahar’s all-round display in Sri Lanka is why he will now be a favourite to make inroads into the Indian team, despite many being on the bench. He has also displayed some exemplary bowling displays in the latest edition of IPL making him the next big thing that India can fall back on.
Despite Bumrah being questionable of late, he is still one of India’s best fast bowlers and his ability to conjure those toe-crushing yorkers consistently makes him a fearsome choice for a format like the Hundred, given his preceding reputation.
Mohammad Shami proved it to the world that why he is one of the most lethal reverse swing bowlers across any format of the sport, ripping through one of the best batting-line ups in the WTC final. Given the proclivity for the batters to strike early, the swing factor can produce a few early scalps for Shami and India.
Rahul Chahar is a downright wicket-taker, and he doesn’t care if he gets expensive in the process, but his solitary objective is to claim at least two to three wickets in the entire haul. That is why his inclusion will be a crucial point in this juncture, given his rare art of leg-spin and the batter’s difficulty to gauge the wrong ones.
