Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag feels that India needs to play a more aggressive brand of cricket in T20Is going forward. The major reason for India’s failure in the 2022 T20 World Cup was due to the conservative approach of the Men in Blue in the shorter format of the game.
India promised under Rohit Sharma to play an aggressive brand of cricket after losing in the first round of the 2021 T20 World Cup. India modified their approach, playing aggressively and without concern for the outcome in the eight bilateral series. Except for a series against South Africa that ended in a tie, they won practically everything but failed to do so in the 2022 World Cup.
Taking his X handle, Virender Sehwag wants the team management to invest more in the players, who have the gears to attack from the Word-go in T20 cricket citing the example of young Rinku Singh and Suryakumar Yadav.
“I just feel we have too many batters who play in the same gear. Need to nurture more explosive players who can play top gear, especially in T20 cricket. Many more in the Rinku and SKY mode needed to become a dangerous side,” Virender Sehwag Wrote on his X handle.
I just feel we have too many batters who play in the same gear. Need to nurture more explosive players who can play top gear, especially in T20 cricket. Many more in the Rinku and SKY mode needed to become a dangerous side.
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) October 3, 2023
The Indian veteran’s comments came after the Men in Blue’s victory over Nepal in the Asian Games 2023. After winning the toss, the Men in Blue chose to bat first in China. Jaiswal dominated the innings, hitting eight fours and seven sixes.
In 9.5 overs, the southpaw and captain Ruturaj Gaikwad (25 off 23) scored 103 runs for the first wicket and Yashasvi Jaiswal scored a well-earned hundred off just 48 balls, pushing the bowler to the leg side for a single. The brilliant cameo by Rinku Singh at the end of 37 runs off 15 balls helped the team to post a competitive total in the game.
India defeated Nepal by 23 runs to advance to the semifinals of the continental event. But contrary to what many had predicted, Nepal gave them a fight that no one saw coming. It wouldn’t be overstating things to state that India nearly lost today’s match after Nepal finished at 179/9 in opposition to India’s 202/4.
The Men in Blue will look to be aggressive in T20 cricket as they invested in the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma, and Tilak Varma in the shorter format of the game and they could be crucial for the team’s chances in 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA.