Playing XI India can try to achieve batting depth until No.10

Team India endured a difficult exit from the 2022 T20 World Cup. Had the team had a better batting depth, things could have been easier for them. On that note, in this article, we take a look at the playing XI India can try to achieve batting depth until No.10.

In the semi-final XI, England had all the players capable of doing well with the bat. This gave the openers the freedom to go after the bowling from the first ball. India can also try to achieve this kind of depth in the future.

Openers: Rishabh Pant (WK) and Prithvi Shaw

Pant and Shaw will be the openers in the playing XI India can try to achieve batting depth until No.10. It is inevitable that India will have to move on from the combination of Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul at the top of the order. There are already a number of contenders to take up the two slots. At the moment, Shubman Gill is a great option but it won't be a surprise if India eventually settles with the options of Rishabh Pant and Prithvi Shaw. The Delhi Capitals duo are modern aggressive cricketers and can change games just with their partnership on their day.

Middle Order: Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson

Unless Virat Kohli himself leaves the T20 squad, he is still a necessary candidate at No.3. Especially with India likely to adopt an all-out approach, an anchor of VK's quality is necessary. SKY and Sanju are likely to form the future of the Indian middle-order. Both these players are excellent against various types of bowling and having them together at the crease at one point will be a treat to watch for the fans.

All-Rounders: Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar

India needs to have more all-rounders in the playing XI to achieve batting depth until No.10. While Hardik Pandya might even get the captaincy of the T20I squad, there are reports that Sundar might get a long rope. Sundar's bowling skills are suited to the T20 format but his batting needs to improve. However, in crunch games, at No.8, his batting skills right now are sufficient. While Jadeja will be preferred at No.7, the likes of Axar Patel and Shahbaz Ahmed also have a chance.

Bowlers: Harshal Patel, Deepak Chahar and Jasprit Bumrah

Harshal Patel may not be retained in the XI but the only other option India can have to increase the batting depth is Shardul Thakur. The selectors need to have one of these two to have a long batting line-up. Deepak Chahar at No.10 is a luxury and at No.11, Bumrah is also a solid addition to the batting line-up because in recent months, he has improved his performances with the bat.