That one-line promise by Hardik Pandya on phone to BCCI secretary Jay Shah went a long way in the national selectors putting together a winning combination for the T20 World Cup in the US and West Indies. The said conversation took place at an informal meeting during the May-June IPL where Hardik, returning after a long injury lay-off to lead Mumbai Indians, wasn’t bowling regularly.
However, the bigger decision on the team’s main pillars, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, – was taken by the national selectors and other top BCCI officials at the start of the year. It was this early call and the conviction to stick by their decision despite criticism that resulted in the coming together of the 15 cricketers that won India a World Cup after over a decade.
Shubman Gill in action. (FILE)
Before Ajit Agarkar took charge as chairman of selectors, India seemed to have moved on from Rohit and Kohli in T20Is. Hardik Pandya was seen as the leader in the shortest format and Shubman Gill the opener. Agarkar and his committee weren’t sure about the timing of this T20 transition. Those in the know speak of the conversation Agarkar had with Rohit.
“Rohit agreed straight away. He felt he would give one last shot in the T20 format. Rohit felt the way his batting form is, he can push one more season,” a BCCI official told The Indian Express.
Around this time, Kohli would seek clarity about his T20I future. He too would be given a thumbs up. Kohli’s IPL runs and the relative batting failure of Shubman Gill and Yashaswi Jaiswal got the veteran the opener’s slot. “With these three important pieces of the jigsaw in place, the picture was clear. Now we needed to put a plan in place,” said a selector.
For that, they would bank on data from the West Indies where the business end of the tournament would take place. Numbers indicated that left-arm spinners were very effective in the Caribbean. “We saw a pattern, where left-arm spinners had a big role to play in T20s in the Caribbean. On slow pitches, because they attack the stumps more, they were always in the game,” points out the source.
Learning from history
The selectors would also use the template Yash Dhull’s Under-19 team used to win the World Cup held in the Caribbean in 2021. In India’s U19 triumph, left-arm spinner Vicky Ostwal was the leading wicket-taker. That S Sharath, who was chairman of the junior selection panel that picked the victorious U-19 squad, was now part of the senior set-up also helped.
India would pick four frontline spinners – Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal – in the squad. At the World Cup, Kuldeep (10) and Axar (9) played huge roles in their unbeaten run. “One thing we are mighty pleased about is how the spin formula worked. Of course, we didn’t have an off-spinner to make it rounded, but in Kuldeep we had a bowler who brought the ball into the right-hander. In the lead-up to the T20 World Cup, we were certain that left-arm spinners will have an impact in the second half of the tournament,” is how one of the selectors put it.
India also had to pick batsmen who could play spin well. With Sharma, Kohli, Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav among the regulars and Jadeja and Axar making up the lower order, the decision-makers now had to decide on the wicketkeepers and an extra batsman. And for these two slots, India wanted role-specific players that all successful T20 teams around the world have had.
India’s Shivam Dube plays a shot during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final cricket match between India and South Africa at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, Saturday, June 29, 2024. AP/PTI
In came Shivam Dube, the designated spin-hitter, who could also bowl a couple of overs if the need arises. Given Pandya’s fitness struggles, India were wary of a situation where he suddenly breaks down in the middle of the tournament – like in the 50-over World Cup – and his absence hurts the team balance.
“Having role-specific players is one thing that Rohit insisted on because in the IPL, certain players were doing a particular role. But when it came to India, it wasn’t the same. They were either batting out of position or were not given the right role,” the source adds.
And for the crucial wicketkeeper slot, the selectors would give multiple left-right options and, more importantly, ones who could be flexible in terms of where they bat. Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson offered that option and were also capable of providing the flourish whenever their team needed it.
Hence, a clear vision, reliance on data and conditions-specific selection went a long way in ending India’s long wait for major ICC silverware.
