In Barbados on Saturday, India will play its next ODI against West Indies. As the management is in the zone of experimenting with options, we could see a number of surprises for this encounter. Although a few players did well in the first game, it may not be a surprise if they are sidelined for other cricketers. That said, Rahul Dravid and co. can also opt for a different strategy. On that note, here, we look at two changes India could make in the playing 11 for the next ODI against West Indies.
1) Axar Patel for Mukesh Kumar
Mukesh Kumar made his ODI debut in the first ODI. However, it needs to be noted that the West Bengal pacer is in the Asian Games 2023 squad. Hence, it is unlikely that he would play in the 2023 ODI World Cup. In this context, it makes sense to give a chance to someone else.
Axar Patel is in the best phase of his career. Yes, Ravindra Jadeja is a similar option but Axar can surely compete for the No.7 spot. Moreover, since Jaddu is injury-prone, it is logical to have a good backup in the squad. In fact, both these players can together be a part of playing XI also. Hence, Axar needs to get a chance soon.
2) Sanju Samson for Suryakumar Yadav
India needs to have a few wicket-keepers ready before ODI World Cup. While Ishan Kishan is one option, Sanju Samson is another. The Kerala batter is a more solid option when it comes to the batting department since he is skilled enough to finish games.
SKY may not get a chance in the ODI setup once Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul return. Ishan Kishan may be persisted with because he is a left-hander and a wicket-keeper. It makes better sense to have a backup in this department. Sanju can anyways be a backup for Shreyas and KL, too. Therefore, India could make this change for Saturday.
