India is always looking for more success in the ICC world cup tournaments, and with the 2023 edition just around the corner, it is important for the team to try out new opening pairs ahead of the tournament. This will give the team a chance to assess the strengths and weaknesses of different combinations, and find the best combination that works for the team.
The current opening pair of Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma has been a successful one in the past, but it is time to try out something new. Other options that India could explore include KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, or even Shreyas Iyer and Prithvi Shaw.
Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, who first opened for India in the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, are still the preferred opening tandem in one-day internationals. They are still available for India in the ODI series if both are available. Their performance, though, is not as good as it was a few years ago.
Both Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan have struggled to establish their dominance as openers. As a result, they can be replaced as the opening partnership in ODIs by someone else. Know the 3 reasons why there is a need for some change in the opening pair ahead of ICC World Cup 2023.
Aged Players
While Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan are still excellent batters for India, they are older players with little playing time. Shikhar Dhawan will be 38 years old next year, while Rohit Sharma will be 36.
Although age does not determine a player’s strength, it does influence a player’s fitness. As a result, they may not be as successful in the ICC World Cup 2023 as they were in the previous ODI World Cup event.
Opening Pair’s Performance Is Not Upto The Mark
Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan were once a potent opening pair for India. However, their pairing diminished over time, at least in T20Is and Tests. In Tests and T20Is, players such as Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul, and Ishan Kishan outperformed Shikhar Dhawan and took his place in the team.
Later, Dhawan was only given the ODI spot. Both Sharma and Dhawan appear in only a few ODIs together because the former is rested in some series. Their supremacy as openers has waned, and there are few games in which both of them have a strong partnership.
Availablity of Young Opening Options
Young openers that the Indian squad can invest in include Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill, and Ruturaj Gaikwad.
These players have performed well in white-ball formats and can be effective opening choices for the squad. Because these players are young and have many years left in their careers, selecting them will also help India establish a strong top order in the future.
As a result, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan may be benched as ODI openers, while others may be given opportunities.
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