Former Indian wicket-keeper batter, Saba Karim has opined that Team India is using a different template in the T20Is in recent times through which they are scoring as many runs as possible in the powerplay. His comments came after they won the first T20I against West Indies by six wickets. The Indian openers came out all guns blazing as they scored 58 runs without losing any wicket in the powerplay.
India started the three-match T20U series with a dominating 6-wicket win over the West Indies team at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Batting first, West Indies posted a total of 157/7 courtesy of a half-century by Nicholas Pooran. Chasing the target, Rohit Sharma smashed 40 runs off 19 balls and his knock almost denied India’s chances of losing the game.
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Reflecting on India’s victory, former Indian wicketkeeper Saba Karim believes that India’s new template for T20Is is to maximize the power play.
During a recent chat on Youtube channel Khelneeti, Saba Karim said, “India’s new template for T20Is will be to maximize the powerplay. Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli tried to do the same in the 1st T20I. They opened with Ishan Kishan because of the same. Sharma’s strike rate in powerplays has been low, but he ensured that he maintained a healthy strike rate during those overs this time.”
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The selection committee is looking at Venkatesh Iyer as a replacement for Hardik Pandya as he can bowl at a medium pace along with his batting skills. Suryakumar Yadav and Venkatesh Iyer made a decent partnership, in the end, to take the team a crucial partnership in the end and played a key role in the victory. Yadav played an unbeaten knock of 34 runs from 18 balls and Iyer scored unbeaten 24 runs from 13 balls. Karim opined that the team management is looking at both of them will be expected to do the finisher’s role.
Talking about the same, Saba Karim said, “India’s team management is looking at Suryakumar Yadav and Venkatesh Iyer for the finisher’s role. While Yadav is a smart batter who improvises a lot, Iyer has great power-hitting abilities.”
