Dinesh Karthik has named his two finishers who he rates highly and praised them.
The Indian team is going through a transition in the shortest format, with as many as three players retiring after the triumph in the T20 World Cup 2024. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja have hung their boots from T20Is, so India are on a hunt for ideal replacements.
A few players have been tried in different positions, and the results have been encouraging. For instance, Yashasvi Jaiswal has been absolutely phenomenal at the top, whereas Ruturaj Gaikwad has also been consistent.
The Indian team has also given opportunities to IPL stars like Abhishek Sharma and Riyan Parag in bilateral series, so the planning towards the next T20 World Cup is in the right direction. The next T20 World Cup will see a fairly different team from the previous one, with several new players coming through.
However, the biggest challenge will be to find more middle and lower-middle-order batters for the next event. It is a tough role, so the key will be to find batters who can sustain consistency in the longer run.
Dinesh Karthik has named his two finishers who he rates highly and praised them. On Cricbuzz, he named Hardik Pandya and Riyan Parag as two finishers, speaking highly of the skillsets they possess.
“For finishers, I have a lot of time for Riyan Parag and Hardik Pandya. Pandya as a finisher is again someone very special. He has won games. Yes, he has batted for Gujarat Titans slightly up the order in between IPL, I did think he enjoyed that role a lot more. But I think he will be looked at as the finisher. India will do well with two strong finishers. Bat speed is needed, Riyan Parag has got pure muscle and a lot of skill in terms of hitting a ball. Add to the fact that they are proper all-rounders, India is going to be a different team here on in T20 World Cups and the Champions Trophy as well.”
Hardik has played the role of a finisher for India. Batting in the lower order and hitting from the first ball are something he has done successfully in the past, and the team can look to slot him in the same job again.
However, Riyan Parag is fairly new to the setup, and his success in the IPL came when he started batting at No.4 for Rajasthan Royals (RR). So, it will be interesting to see how the Indian team management uses him, for they should be prudent with his batting position.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram, and YouTube.
