IND vs SA: These 3 players will have to score runs, otherwise it will be difficult to play T20 World Cup
1. Venkatesh Iyer
Venkatesh Iyer took the second half of the IPL 2021 season in UAE by storm. He scored 370 runs in 10 matches to take Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the final. He was also impressive with the ball. But Venkatesh had a bad IPL 2022 season. Venkatesh scored just 182 runs in 12 matches at an average of 16.55 and took no wickets at 11.5 runs per over. At the same time, in international T20 cricket for India, he scored 133 runs in nine matches and took five wickets in his name. He replaced Hardik Pandya as an all-rounder. The South Africa series could be Venkatesh’s last hope for a place in the T20 World Cup squad.
2. Ishaan Kishan
Ishan Kishan has done well for India whenever he has got the opportunity. He has scored 289 runs in 10 matches. Played 14 matches in IPL 2022 season. Though he scored 418 runs, he came at a strike rate of just 120.11. He also looked quite uncomfortable against swing bowling, which is not right for an opener. With the likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Virat Kohli having expressed their desire to open in T20Is in the past, Kishan may need to pile on the runs against the Proteas to stand a chance of making it to the T20 World Cup squad.
3. Shreyas Iyer
The name that can surprise many people in this list is probably that of Shreyas Iyer. The 27-year-old Iyer was the man of the series against Sri Lanka, where he scored half-centuries in all three matches. He appeared to be in complete control of his shots and was almost a certainty in India’s T20 World Cup squad. However, the KKR skipper did not have a very convincing season for his new team. He scored 401 but looked incredibly uncomfortable against short-pitched bowling. Australia has bouncy pitches. Many feel that Shreyas will not be effective in the T20 World Cup. However, he will face players like Kagiso Rabada and Enrique Nortje and will be tested with short pitch bowling. If Shreyas finds a way to dominate these fast bowlers, he will instill confidence in the selectors that he can at least be one of the backup batsmen for India in the event.
