Former India captain Suryakumar rues T20 omission after World Cup success

New Delhi: India's team management and selectors are exploring backup options for the middle order in preparation for the ODI World Cup. The speculation points to Tilak Varma, a left-handed batsman, as a potential replacement for Shreyas Iyer in the batting lineup. Varma's inclusion would introduce variety to the batting lineup, which is currently dominated by right-handed players.

The team management has requested Varma to focus on honing his off-break bowling, as his variations could prove beneficial for the team. However, the planning for the World Cup will only intensify once India arrives in New Zealand in October, as most of the first-choice players will be unavailable due to the upcoming series against West Indies at home.

Additionally, a full-strength T20 squad will also journey to Japan for the Asian Games concurrently. Head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill express concerns about the lack of a ready-made backup for the middle order. With injury-prone players like Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy, the team seeks an option capable of contributing with the ball in One Day Internationals.

Over the past year, the team has resorted to fielding Washington Sundar or Axar Patel in the No. 5 or No. 6 slots to maintain balance in the XI. Last year, Ishan Kishan was deployed at No. 5 in place of vice-captain Iyer due to his absence from the series in England. The selectors are cautious about shifting batters to unfamiliar positions, as evidenced by the limited playing time given to Ruturaj Gaikwad last year.

The selectors are apprehensive about fielding ageing players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, whose performances may be affected by age-related ailments. Ravindra Jadeja's availability remains uncertain as well. The team's fielding standards have also been impacted by fitness-related concerns. Consequently, the management is seeking younger backups to fill these gaps.

The team assembled for the West Indies series will be an exception to this trend since key players Iyer, Tilak, Ishan and Axar will be unavailable. The selectors are concentrating on selecting a replacement wicketkeeper for the series. The selection committee is set to meet by September 3 to finalize the team for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in Delhi, scheduled to commence on September 13.

The team selection for the Asian Games is expected to be finalized by the same date, contingent on the availability of fitness reports for Hardik, Nitish Reddy and Jasprit Bumrah. Varun Chakravarthy has regained full fitness, according to sources.