What's the best team combination for India going forward in the World Cup? Should Shardul Thakur be in the playing eleven?

India has been performing exceptionally well in the World Cup, winning all 6 matches they played. Hardik Pandya's injury provided opportunities for Suryakumar Yadav and Mohammed Shami to demonstrate their skills. Both have proven themselves, with Shami taking 9 wickets in 2 games and SKY contributing a crucial 49 runs against England during a difficult phase of the match.

Given the following stats and performances, there's little reason to worry about India's 6th bowling option, Shardul Thakur, who can also contribute with the bat. Here are some notable stats to consider:

SKY - No. 1 ranked T20 player

  • Man of the Match Awards (T20): 12 in just 53 matches (i.e. wins MOM every 4.41 matches)
  • Career Batting Avg (ODI): 27.6, SR 105.3 
  • Career Batting Avg (T20): 46, SR 172.7, Centuries: 3

Mohammed Shami - Best Ever WC Bowler

  • Man of the Match: 7 in 96 matches (i.e. wins MOM every 13.7 matches)
  • Career Batting Avg: 24.65 SR 26.63 Eco 5.55
  • Bowling Avg In India 26.87 SR 27.60 Eco 5.84
  • Batting Avg: 8.44

Interesting Fact: In 13 World Cup games across three editions, Shami has taken 40 wickets at an average of 14.07 with an economy rate of just under five. Among bowlers with more than 20 World Cup wickets, Shami's average is comfortably the best.

Hardik Pandya - No. 2 ranked T20 all-rounder
Man of the Match (T20): 3 in 92 matches (i.e. wins MOM every 30.6 matches)
Man of the Match (ODI): 4 in 86 matches (i.e. wins MOM every 21.5 matches)
Career Batting Avg: 34, SR: 110.35
Career Bowling Avg: 35.2, SR: 38.1, Eco: 5.55

Point of Concern: Hardik Pandya's strike rate has been going down. His average career strike rate, excluding the year 2023, was 110.77. In 2023, it dropped to 94.8. His dot-ball percentage also increased from 42.05% to 47% in 2023. This is another reason why we need SKY on the team!

Mohammed Siraj
Man of the Match: 1 in 36 matches
Career Bowling Avg: 22.87, SR: 27.12, Eco: 5.06
Bowling Avg In India: 22.39, SR: 26.97, Eco: 4.98
Batting Avg: 6.17

Shardul Thakur
Man of the Match: 1 in 47 matches
Career Bowling Avg: 30.98
Bowling Avg In India: 37.82, SR: 29.8, Eco: 6.22
Batting Avg: 17.31

These numbers indicate that Shami, SKY, and Hardik are valuable assets to the team.

Suryakumar Yadav provides that x-factor and has already demonstrated it with three centuries and 12 Man of the Match awards in just 53 T20 matches. While some may argue he's primarily a T20 player, his batting style can be effective in ODIs, particularly when coming in to bat with around 20 overs remaining. He can also farm the strike while playing with the lower-order batters and see through the innings with confidence!

Considering these factors, here's my proposed playing eleven for the remainder of the World Cup if Hardik Pandya is fit for the remaining matches:

India Playing 11: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami

Unfortunately, Siraj has to sit out going by the current bowling form. The only strategic change should be based on conditions, such as including a third spinner like Ashwin if needed.

If Hardik remains to be unavailable for the rest of the tournament then India should continue playing with the same team that played against England.

Upcoming matches for India:

  • 2 Nov, 2023: Ind vs SL (ODI 33)
  • 5 Nov, 2023: Ind vs SA (ODI 37)
  • 12 Nov, 2023: Ind vs Ned (ODI 45) - the last ODI in the group stage

India should maintain its dominant form and approach each game with the same winning attitude. Resting players should be considered only if they request it, and this is not the ideal time to experiment or give any chances. Also, there's a significant gap of 6 days after the South Africa match for players to rest and recover. Let's aim for our third World Cup! 

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Article by: Bhargav Nanduri