It will be five years since the last T20 World Cup was held by India host the next edition in October and November 2021. Australia was forced to cancel the 2020 competition. Still, with cricket returning to our screens, the upcoming months offer India’s best players the chance to focus on the shortest form of the international game. There won’t be much better preparation for the T20 squad than a full IPL back in India after the previous version was moved to the UAE.
IPL 2021 Points Table: IPL 14 standings, Points Table and Net Run-Rate
Advantage India on home soil:
The IPL is the world’s highest quality domestic competition. The best players on the planet compete for eight franchises in the hope of being crowned champions of the Indian Premier League each season. With such high-quality talent on the show, over 400 million viewers are treated to a feast of cricketing action, and interest is at fever pitch. Many IPL betting sites have dozens of betting markets available, including outright winner, purple or orange cap winner, and named player of the tournament.
Now back on Indian soil, the vast pool of homegrown players will have a distinct advantage over their counterparts in the 2021 T20 World Cup. At least 7 of the 11 players named in each teams’ starting line-up must be Indian. This offers the selectors a fantastic opportunity to see the best players available in the same surroundings they’ll face later in the year.
Top international talent such as Chris Gayle, AB De Villiers, and Jos Buttler play too, of course, but with fewer spots for these players, teams may opt to rotate their stars, reducing the amount of time they have to experience the conditions.
IPL hopefuls aiming for a World Cup spot:
Virat Kohli will lead the national team into the World Cup, but there is still plenty of competition for places. The IPL offers those not-yet assured of a spot the chance to demonstrate their skills with the bat, ball, and in the field.
MS Dhoni will continue to keep wicket for CSK but the 39-year-old retired from international cricket in 2020. The decision of who will be his long-term successor could be a pivotal one for the selectors. Rishabh Pant looks to be the most likely candidate after starting all five of the T20Is against England in Ahmedabad earlier in the year.
The talent pool of wicketkeeper-batsman is a deep one for India, though. KL Rahul and Sanju Samson have both taken the gloves in their international careers, with the former doing so on 45 occasions since 2016. With Pant’s explosive hitting, though, another good IPL for Delhi should ensure he remains the first choice behind the stumps.
Questions over the middle order:
Rahul could compete for an opening spot, too, but it’s further down the batting that could pose one of the biggest selection dilemmas. India has tried a varied cast of young players in the top and middle order in recent months. Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, and Ishan Kishan have all been deployed between positions 3 and 6 in the past year.
Assuming Hardik Pandya’s bowling will give him an advantage in the lower middle order, picking as the final specialist batsman could prove to be a very tricky decision as the World Cup approaches. IPL form will undoubtedly contribute to the equation.
Who will partner Bhuvi in the seam attack?
Bhuvneshwar Kumar should lead India’s attack with the new ball, but there are a few options to join him. Shardul Thakur consistently picked up wickets against England, starting all five of the T20Is. Thangarasu Natarajan impressed too but will miss the IPL due to a knee surgery which he’d been dealing with since the tour of Australia. It remains to be seen if he can regain fitness and do enough to force his way into the team and partner his Hyderabad Sunrisers teammate ahead of the World Cup getting underway in October.
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