RCB Vs DC – IPL 2021 Match #22 Quick Review! Ishant-Avesh’s spell, AB de Villiers’ 75*, Pant’s struggle, Kohli’s captaincy, Harshal-Siraj at the day, and Hetmyer’s blitz were some of the highlights of the day.
The IPL is full of surprises and memorable moments. Here are my moments of today:
AB de Villiers already has scores of 48, 76*, and 75* in the six innings in IPL 2021 and yet, he has only finished games so far. Coming in at 60-3 in 8.3 overs, he stitched a partnership with Rajat Patidar, who scored an attacking 31*(22). Final over, DC took a gamble with Marcus Stoinis, and ABD launched him to all parks for a 23-run over. That was the difference between the two sides. Imagine what if he bats at #3 instead of #5?
When Stoinis departed, DC were struggling at 92/4 in 12.4 overs. In came Shimron Hetmyer, hit 4 sixes (including 21 in an over to Kyle Jamieson) and changed the game. It is a pity that he did not face the last few deliveries. Who knows, the result may have been different had he been on strike. Helped DC’s net-run-rate though.
Mohammad Siraj & Harshal Patel gave a combined 81 runs in 8 overs, but their impact was much more valuable. Harshal has been the most impressive bowler of IPL 2021 (barring the 37-run Ravindra Jadeja over) and took Shaw’s wicket right away today. Siraj’s ball to get rid of Steven Smith was a gem as well. After Hetmyer’s 21-run assault, DC only needed 23 in 2 overs. Harshal’s slower deliveries and Siraj’s yorkers sealed the game for RCB by 1-run.
Broken Cricket Dream of the Day: Rishabh Pant Struggles
Rishabh Pant has had a glorious few months in international cricket, solidifying his place in the Indian team and becoming DC’s captain after Shreyas Iyer’s injury. Today was the first day that everything Pant touched did not turn to gold. Although Pant held the innings together, he could not take them home. Usually if he stays till the end, you would say DC wins. He ended with 58* (48), which included 2 fours of the last over. At one point, Pant was 41 (40), while Hetmyer moved to 47 (21).
No worries though. Expect Pant to learn from this and bounce back quickly.
IPL 2021 Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap Leaders
No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap. We will keep updating it in every article!
Shikhar Dhawan – 265 runs (DC, 6 matches)
Harshal Patel – 17 wickets (RCB, 6 matches)
Teams
Played
Won
Lost
Tied No-Result
Points
Net Run Rate
1. Royal Challengers Bangalore
6
5
1
0
10
+0.089
2. Chennai Super Kings
5
4
1
0
8
+ 1.612
3. Delhi Capitals
6
4
2
0
8
+ 0.269
4. Mumbai Indians
5
2
3
0
4
-0.032
5. Kolkata Knight Riders
6
2
4
0
4
-0.305
6. Punjab Kings
6
2
4
0
4
-0.608
7. Rajasthan Royals
5
2
3
0
4
-0.681
8. Sunrisers Hyderabad
5
1
4
0
2
-0.18
IPL 2021 Points Table
Tomorrow’s Preview
Chennai Super Kings take on Sunrisers Hyderabad, battle of two extremes (#2 Vs #8).
Also, if you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:
The IPL is full of surprises and memorable moments. Here are my moments of today:
Faf-Gaikwad give CSK another great start. Once again, Faf (50 runs) & Ruturaj Gaikwad (33) set the platform with a steady 74 (58) run partnership. With a steady opening partnership & the addition of Moeen Ali/Suresh Raina at the top, this CSK team is beginning to look threatening. Top of the table now.
Ravindrasinh Anirudhsinh Jadeja – One of the greatest all-rounders of all-time. From 19 overs, 154/4, Sir Jadeja hit 6,6,6nb,6,2,6,4 to take CSK to 191/4. On the bowling front, with RCB strolling around with 65/2 in 6.2 overs, in comes Jadeja. Out goes Washington danger & the in-form duo Glenn Maxwell & AB De Villiers. RCB 83/6. Game-Set-Match. Including an iconic direct hit as well. Brilliant Jaddu.
Imran Tahir is 42-year-old. A spell of 4-0-16-2 in tandem with Jadeja and a direct hit sealed the game for CSK.
Broken Cricket Dream of the Day: The Drop Catch & Harshal Patel
Harshal Patel is the purple cap holder. His figures read 3-0-14-3 before the 19th over. Dan Christian’s dropped catch off Jadeja cost them heavily. Patel’s last over cost 37 after Jadeja’s assault, and he ended with 3-0-51-3. Broken Cricket Dream.
IPL 2021 Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap Leaders
No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap. We will keep updating it in every article!
Shikhar Dhawan – 231 runs (DC, 4 matches)
Harshal Patel – 15 wickets (RCB, 5 matches)
Teams
Played
Won
Lost
Tied No-Result
Points
Net Run Rate
1. Chennai Super Kings
5
4
1
0
8
+ 1.612
2. Delhi Capitals
5
4
1
0
8
+ 0.034
2. Royal Challengers Bangalore
5
4
1
0
8
+ 0.096
4. Mumbai Indians
5
2
3
0
4
-0.032
5. Punjab Kings
5
2
3
0
4
-0.428
6. Rajasthan Royals
5
2
3
0
4
-0.681
7. Sunrisers Hyderabad
5
1
4
0
2
-0.18
8. Kolkata Knight Riders
5
1
4
0
2
-0.675
IPL 2021 Points Table
Also, if you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:
Winner: Royal Challengers Bangalore won by 4 runs.
Scores:RCB 181/0 – RR177/9
Player of the Match: Devdutt Padikkal
Best Figures
Mohammad Siraj – 3/27
Chetan Sakariya – 0/35
Most Runs
Shivam Dube – 46 (32)
Devdutt Padikkal – 101* (52)
Stars of The Day:
The IPL is full of surprises and memorable moments. Here are my moments of today:
Shivam Dube, Riyan Parag, Rahul Tewatiarescue RR to a respectable total. Rajasthan were struggling at 18/3 and later 43/4. Shivam Dube’s counterattack with support from Riyan Parag – 25 (14) & Rahul Tewatia – 40 (23) got RR to a respectable 177/9. Unfortunately, this was never going to be enough at the Wankhede.
When RCB last reached the final in 2016, Virat Kohli opened the batting and scored 973 runs. Moving from Chennai to Mumbai, the flow came back to his batting with a steady 72*. The star of the day was Devdutt Padikkal. At one stage, Padikkal was on 80* (36) while Kohli was still in his twenties. That is domination. One to watch out for sure. With Maxwell & AB De Villiers already performing, Kohi-Padikkal’s form at the top is yet another box ticked.
Speaking of which, RCB finally have their death bowling figured out. Mohammad Siraj & Harshal Patel have been the pick of the bowlers. Siraj is giving RCB ideal starts with eye catching in-swinging deliveries while Harshal Patel’s off cutters are too hot to handle. While Patel is the purple cap holder with 12 wickets to his name, Siraj is #6 on the economy charts with a miserly 6.06 economy to go with his five wickets.
Honorable Mentions:
Broken Cricket Dream of the Day: RR’s Campaign Going South Quickly
Manan Vohra is not giving RR the starts that they want. With only 3 fifties in more than 50+ IPL games, it is not a particularly impressive record. Ben Stokes’ injury, release of Robin Uthappa, and Liam Livingstone going home (due to bio bubble fatigue), these are not good signs for RR. Already at the bottom of the table, they need a few Tewatia shows to rescue them from that position.
IPL 2021 Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap Leaders
No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap. We will keep updating it in every article!
Shikhar Dhawan – 231 runs (DC, 4 matches)
Harshal Patel – 12 wickets (RCB, 4 matches)
Teams
Played
Won
Lost
Tied No-Result
Points
Net Run Rate
1. Royal Challengers Bangalore
4
4
0
0
8
+ 1.009
2. Chennai Super Kings
4
3
1
0
6
+1.142
3. Delhi Capitals
4
3
1
0
6
+0.426
4. Mumbai Indians
4
2
2
0
4
+0.187
5. Sunrisers Hyderabad
4
1
3
0
2
-0.228
6. Kolkata Knight Riders
4
1
3
0
2
-0.7
7. Punjab Kings
4
1
3
0
2
-0.824
8. Rajasthan Royals
4
1
3
0
2
-1.011
IPL 2021 Points Table
Tomorrow’s Preview
MI takes on PBKS tomorrow. What are your thoughts?
Also, if you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:
While the IPL is in full swing in India, the Pakistan-South Africa series is catching the attention of many.
In the 3rd T20I, Pakistan chased down 204 runs with 9 wickets & 2 overs to spare, courtesy a 197-run partnership from Mohammad Rizwan & Babar Azam, who scored 122 (59). Earlier in the day, news broke that Azam also dethroned Virat Kohli as the #1 ICC ODI batsman after a mammoth 1258 days.
Add Fakhar Zaman’s brilliant 193 in the ODI series, Hafeez’s second coming, & the fast bowling line up, the question should be asked—Is the IPL really the best T20 tournament without Pakistani players?
The Fall of Pakistan Cricket
Pakistan dominated the Indo-Pak cricket rivalry in the 1990s, while India has crushed it in the 2010s. Only in the 2000s, did we have battle of equals.
For India’s tenacious Rahul Dravid, Pakistan had Younis Khan. Similarly, the elegance of Yousuf & Tendulkar, stability of Inzamam & Laxman/Ganguly, & exuberance of Afridi & Sehwag were on par with each other. The destructiveness of Shoaib Akhtar-Asif-Sami on one side matched the abilities of Irfan Pathan-Zaheer Khan-Kumble-Harbhajan on the other.
India narrowly won the 2004 Test series 2-1 & ODI series 3-2 held in Pakistan. Pakistan returned the favor next year with a 1-1 drawn Test series & 4-2 ODI victory held in India. Both memorable events.
Hence, the struggle of Pakistan cricket team over the last decade & lack of competitiveness in recent ICC tournaments has been disheartening. The new generation of Pakistan cricket is slowly making this a battle of equals again.
The New Generation of Pakistan Cricket Rises
Mohammad Rizwan is currently the best T20I batsman in the world (sorry Dawid Malan). Shaheen Shah Afridi can compete with the Rabadas & Bumrahs of the world. The leg spin of Shadab Khan & Usman Qadir with a line up of Afridi-Naseem Shah-Hasan Ali-Haris Rauf can send shivers down the opposition camp.
Babar Azam is the best player in the world. Period.
Each IPL team can benefit from Haider Ali & Faheem Ashraf’s power, experience of Mohammad Hafeez & Shoaib Malik, and the pace of discarded Mohammad Amir & Mohammad Hasnain.
“Imagine Babar-Kohli opening for RCB, Fakhar-Rohit hitting double centuries, & Bumrah-Shaheen bowling together at the death.”
With South African, Sri Lankan, & West Indian foreign contingent in the prime of their careers from 2007-2017, absence of Pakistani players in the IPL made sense.
It no longer does.
South Africa & Sri Lanka’s Eternal Transition Period
Kumar Sangakkara & Mahela Jayawardene once used to captain IPL teams. They are now the only Sri Lankan representation in IPL 2021 (as coaches) as no SL players were picked in the auction. Gone is the era of Malinga-Murali-Dilshan.
With an eternal transition process in South Africa, only Rabada-Nortje (and Ngidi to a certain extent) have risen to the occasion. Otherwise, AB De Villiers & Faf Du Plessis from an earlier generation are still carrying the South Africa baton. Similarly, lots of West Indians in the IPL are from the World Cup winning generation (Gayle, Narine, Pollard, Russell).
The lack of variety in foreign talent is hitting the brand of the IPL. It seems that only India & England are producing new talent year in & year out, with Australia & New Zealand close behind.
It is time for some more talent to flow in—Pakistani talent that is. On the flip side, BCCI’s reluctance to let Indians play abroad should also be reconsidered, but that is a story for another day.
Looking Back to IPL 2008
The inception of the tournament in 2008 is the perfect template to follow.
Rajasthan Royals benefitted from having Pakistan talent in their squad with Kamral Akmal, Younis Khan, & most importantly Sohail Tanvir, the maiden purple cap winner. The Knight Riders enjoyed the pace duo of Shoaib Akhtar & Umar Gul, who took a match-winning 4-fer. KKR also had Salman Butt & the ageless Mohammad Hafeez in their ranks.
Few others participated in the IPL as well—Shahid Afridi (Deccan Chargers), Shoaib Malik & Mohammad Asif (Delhi Daredevils), & Misbah-ul-Haq (Royal Challengers Bangalore).
IPL 2020 Was Ideal But There Is Still Time
IPL 2020 was the best opportunity for adding Pakistani players to the IPL auctions. The world was struggling from a pandemic, and the tournament was taking place at Pakistan’s adopted home ground, the UAE.
What better time to get Pakistan players in? Unfortunately, that did not happen.
There is still time.
Babar is 26, Rizwan 28, & Amir 29. It would be great to watch Mohammad Amir versus Virat Kohli once again, and there is enough love across the border to make it happen.
Moments of The Day: Maxwell, Catches The Highlight
The IPL is full of surprises and memorable moments. Here are my moments of today:
Glenn Maxwell was the difference between the two sides. After a poor IPL 2020 (and no sixes) he has come up with 39 (28) with 2 sixes and 59 (41) with 3 sixes on slow tracks. The reverse paddle to yorker-master Natarajan was my moment of the match.
Scores of catches have been dropped over the past week, but Rashid Khan, Vijay Shankar, & Manish Pandeycame up with running/diving catches for SRH, and the over that turned the game—Harshal Patel, AB de Villiers running catch, & Shahbaz himself caught skiers.
Rashid Khanis an absolute gun T20 player. 4-0-18-2 and 17 (9) giving SRH some hope at the end.
Honorable Mentions:Warner’s 54, Holder’s dismissal of struggling Kohli
T20 World Cup Spotlight: Shahbaz Ahmed, Harshal Patel Add To India’s Depth
Given that the T20I World Cup is around the corner, and pandemic induced rules has changed the rules to 23-player squad, we will be analyzing the impact of each match on the T20I World Cup squad.
Shahbaz Ahmed & Harshal Patel – In all reality, they may never wear an Indian cap given the tough competition, but these two have been brilliant first class cricketers who are finally getting their dues in the IPL. Shahbaz is the Ben Stokes of Bengal Cricket, while Harshal has been consistent over the last 5 years. Shahbaz’s 2-0-7-3 & Harshal’s economical overs to Manish Pandey (with slower off-cutters/nailed yorkers) sealed the game for RCB.
Manish Pandey has probably been mismanaged by the Indian cricket team, but has been given ample of opportunities by SRH. He has now two consecutive innings – 61*(44) & 38 (39) – that could be considered ‘losing’ knocks. Dot balls & strike rate of 97.43 are not going to win you games.
As Simon Doull quoted Cricbuzz’s statistician, “In the last 4 seasons, Manish Pandey has faced 30+ 14 times in the last 4 seasons. Sunrisers has lost 11 of them.” That is the story of his IPL career.
IPL 2021 Points Table
No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table. We will keep updating it in every article!
Teams
Played
Won
Lost
Tied No-Result
Points
Net Run Rate
1. Royal Challengers Bangalore
2
2
0
0
4
+0.175
2. Delhi Capitals
1
1
0
0
2
+0.779
3. Mumbai Indians
2
1
1
0
2
+0.225
4. Punjab Kings
1
1
0
0
2
+ 0.2
5. Kolkata Knight Riders
2
1
1
0
0
0.00
6. Rajasthan Royals
1
0
1
0
0
-0.2
7. Sunrisers Hyderabad
2
0
2
0
0
-0.4
8.. Chennai Super Kings
1
0
1
0
0
-0.779
IPL 2021 Points Table
Tomorrow’s Preview
The Delhi Capitalstake on the Rajasthan Royals in Mumbai. Who do you think will win this one?
Also, if you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:
— Broken Cricket Dreams Cricket Blog (@cricket_broken) April 9, 2021
What Actually Happened
Winner: RCB won by 2 wickets
Player of the Match:Harshal Patel (5/27 & 4*)
Best Figures
Harshal Patel (RCB) – 5/27
Jasprit Bumrah (MI) – 4/26
Most Runs
Chris Lynn – 49 (35)
AB De Villiers – 48 (27)
Moments of The Day
The IPL is full of surprises and memorable moments. Here are my moments of today:
Surprises
Washington Sundar opens….the BATTING: In a slow Chennai pitch, it was surprising to see Sundar & Maxwell bowling a combined total of 1 over (and Sundar taking a wicket). On the other hand, he came out to bat with Virat Kohli in absence of Devdutt Padikkal.
Harshal Patel Announces His Arrival: A major Indian first class player in recent times, he has never really lived up to his potential. Traded two years ago to the Delhi Capitals from RCB, he repaid their faith in style. After conceding 15 in his first over, came back with slower deliveries, yorkers, bowleds to get a 5-fer & almost a hat-trick. Hope it is a sign for big things to come. Also the first player to take a 5-fer against the Mumbai Indians in ALL 14 seasons.
AB De Villiers Is Still The Best In 2021: Last played in IPL 2020’s eliminator, he was timing it beautifully where most struggled!
Honorable Mentions:RCB’s collapse, Maxwell’s fluency, LynnSanity, & decent tall debuts by Marco Jansen & Kyle Jamieson were the other major moments today.
Rahul Dravid Breaks The Internet
But the best moment of all…actually happened right before the game. Rahul Dravid at his hilarious best—check this video out!
Virat Kohli: Dropped the catch and almost injured his eye. The bruise was evident for the rest of the game. Hope it is okay
#BrokenCricketBats: Krunal Pandya actually broke his bat defending Jamieson’s delivery!
The Dropped Catches: The standard of catching in the IPL is depreciating by the year. Brilliant boundary saves & run-outs at one end and dropping dollies on the other. Mohammad Siraj, Virat Kohli, & Rohit Sharma the culprits today.Net
IPL 2021 Points Table
No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table. We will keep updating it in every article!
Teams
Played
Won
Lost
Tied/No-Result
Points
Net Run Rate
1. Royal Challengers Bangalore
1
1
0
0
2
+0.05
2. Mumbai Indians
1
0
1
0
0
-0.05
Chennai Super Kings
Delhi Capitals
Kolkata Knight Riders
Punjab Kings
Rajasthan Royals
Sunrisers Hyderabad
IPL 2021 Points Table
Tomorrow’s Preview
The Chennai Super Kings take on Delhi Capitals at the Wankhede in Mumbai.
MS Dhoni Vs Rishabh Pant
Watch Out For: The return of Ishant Sharma & Amit Mishra (DC)
Questions: Rahane Vs Smith, Tom Curran Vs Umesh Yadav Vs Ishant Sharma
Watch Out For: Faf Du Plessis, Robin Uthappa, Ruturaj Gaikwad (CSK)
Questions:Fate of Suresh Raina, Moeen Ali Vs Sam Curran Vs Dwayne Bravo Vs Imran Tahir
My Prediction: Delhi Capitals win
Comment on your thoughts below and share ahead!
If you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:
From the young Ravindra Jadeja in 2008 & Manish Pandey in 2009 to the inspirational stories of Natarajan & Chakravarthy last year, the IPL has a habit of thrusting new faces into limelight. In 2020, uncapped players like Ravi Bishnoi, Abdul Samad, and Devdutt Padikkal had breakout seasons. Here are some of exciting candidates for 2021:
Finn Allen signed as a replacement for Josh Philippe and announced himself to the international stage with a whirlwind 71(29) against Bangladesh. Will he get a match though in the star-studded RCB line-up?
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy graduates Mohammad Azharuddeen (WK/batsman), Shahrukh Khan (finisher), and R Sai Kishore (spinner) would be quite handy if they carried their devastating forms earlier this year.
Surprise Packages Paul Valthaty & Rahul Tewatia became household names after bizarre IPL seasons. Would love to watch a Chetan Sakariya, Lukman Meriwala, or someone we have not heard much about (yet) rising to the occasion.
2. Can the Discards Find Their Way Back to the Pack?
Due to COVID-19, ICC events have allowed up to 23-player squads. For India, this has provided the window for discarded players like Prithvi Shaw, Dinesh Karthik, & Sanju Samson to squeeze into the T20 World Cup squad in October later this year.
Since the World Cup is scheduled to be held in India, it is also a golden opportunity for players from other countries like Liam Livingstone, the Currans, & Dawid Malan (England), Allen & Kyle Jamieson (New Zealand), & Riley Meredith & Jhye Richardson (Australia) to impress their selectors.
Eoin Morgan has made it clear he wants England to hold both the World Cup trophies. He has even gone as far as suggesting that rivals Rajasthan Royals will open with Buttler-Stokes combination (to help England prepare for the World Cup).
3. This is it, isn’t it?
Christopher Henry Gayle is 41 and has recently stated his desire to win a third T20I World Cup and even play for 5 more years. Imran Tahir at 42 and Harbhajan Singh at 40 are still spinning oppositions.
It is unlikely any of them will play all the 14 games, but their experience will be crucial in pressure situations.
We should just sit back and enjoy because this might be the final chance we get to watch players like MS Dhoni on the field. With IPL 2022 having a large auction, this year is definitely the end of an era.
4. Can Cricket Get Any Longer? Rule Changes For IPL 2021
The limited overs series between India and England have caused direct rule changes to this IPL. Some of those T20I games took up 5 hours and Suryakumar Yadav’s soft-signal caused uproar. Last year, the double super overs went well into the next day. For IPL 2021,
Teams have been accommodated 90 minutes per innings including the Strategic Time Outs. Penalties have been raised for violation.
No soft-signal for catches and obstruction of field appeals.
Time capped for multiple Super Overs. If time elapses, the game will be declared a tie (one point each).
5. The World Must Come Together as One
Before we can enjoy the spectacle, the real question is will we even have a complete IPL due to the pandemic?
The PSL showcased brilliant display of cricket…for two weeks before the insecurity of the bio-bubble packed up the tournament.
Mitchell Marsh, Josh Hazlewood & Philippe have already withdrawn days from the IPL, and the likes of Axar Patel & Padikkal have tested positive for coronavirus. Cases are rising in India, and several travel concerns still remain.
With mental health, bio-bubble fatigue, and financial security all at stake, only time will decide the fate of this tournament. Let’s just hope that this virus is defeated, the spirit of the IPL remains alive, and the surprises keep on coming.
If you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:
Virat Kohli has had a rough time converting his 50s to three figures recently, but his T20I form is still stellar, receiving the Player of the Series award in the India Vs England T20I series.
The real question is when will Kohli-ABD convert the semi-finals & finals into IPL trophies? I think 2021 is RCB’s year. Keep on reading this preview.
4th. Probably an accurate reflection. When RCB edged out KKR & KXIP narrowly for the fourth spot, not many complained. When RCB crashed out at the hands of Kane Williamson, nobody complained either.
Yuzvendra Chahal was the pick of the bowlers, picking up 21 wickets.
Devdutt Padikkal did not seem like the ‘new kid on the block.’ Scored 473 runs as an opener and played some mature knocks.
The S factor – Mohammad Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Washington Sundar might not have had the best IPL 2020, but in Australia, they formed the bowling core of the 3rd and 4th Tests. Their maturity was brilliant to watch.
Devdutt Padikkal has tested postive for coronavirus. He might not make the first two games due to quarantine protocols. Big blow for RCB, and not the only one.
Josh Philippe has withdrawn days before the IPL for personal reasons. The only good news is that Finn Allen, who just scored a whirlwind 71(29) against Bangladesh in a T20I, is recruited as a replacement.
All-Rounders: Pavan Deshpande, Harshal Patel, Shahbaz Ahmed
Fast Medium: Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Washington Sundar
Spinners: Yuzvendra Chahal
Overseas: Finn Allen, Dan Christian, AB de Villiers, Kyle Jamieson, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Daniel Sams, Adam Zampa
Withdrawn: Josh Philippe
Predicted RCB XI
The Padikkal absence and Kohli’s insistence of Kohli-Sharma T20I opening partnership can change things up for RCB. One option is a Kohli-Azharuddeen partnership at the top. Alternatively, pair Finn Allen up at the top, drop everyone one spot, and replace one of Christian or Jamieson.
1. Mohammed Azharuddeen, 2.*Virat Kohli (C), 3. AB de Villiers(WK), 4. Glenn Maxwell, 5.Daniel Christian, 6. Washington Sundar, 7.Kyle Jamieson/Daniel Sams/Adam Zampa, 8. Shahbaz Ahmed/Harshal Patel, 9. Mohammed Siraj, 10. Navdeep Saini, 11. Yuzvendra Chahal
*Devdutt Padikkal slots in at 2 whenever he recovers with everyone moving down a slot.
Watch Out For
Virat Kohli, the opener. 2016 season all over again? Maybe a little change is all Virat needs to get back in top gear.
Mohammed Azharuddeen lit up the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with a 37-ball 100 and ended up as the third highest run scorer in the tournament. If Azharuddeen-Padikkal can form a solid opening partnership at the top, the middle order can be really destructive.
Jamieson has seen lots of highs & lows recently with the IPL auction & the Australia T20I series, but the one to really watch out would be Dan Christian. A veteran and winner of almost all T20 championships, he is the fix that RCB never had. Overdependence on Kohli-ABD no more. With Maxwell, Dan Christan, and insurance policy of Sundar and Jamieson below, RCB finally have the consistent finishing.
Where Can Things Go Wrong For the Challengers?
All good, except they no longer play in Bangalore. With 8 games combined in Chennai & Kolkata, the likes of Maxwell & Christian might struggle. However, the spin duo of Sundar-Chahal might come to the rescue.
No other major flaws as long as Saini-Siraj can keep their economy rates in check.
Venues & Fixtures
Venues
Kolkata- 5, Ahmedabad- 4, Chennai- 3, Mumbai- 2
Fixtures
9 April: MI vs RCB (Chennai)
14 April: SRH vs RCB (Chennai)
18 April: RCB vs KKR (Chennai)
22 April: RCB vs RR (Mumbai)
25 April: CSK vs RCB (Mumbai)
27 April: DC vs RCB (Ahmedabad)
30 April: PBKS vs RCB (Ahmedabad)
3 May: KKR vs RCB (Ahmedabad)
6 May: RCB vs PBKS (Ahmedabad)
9 May: RCB vs SRH (Kolkata)
14 May: RCB vs DC (Kolkata)
16 May: RR vs RCB (Kolkata)
20 May: RCB vs MI (Kolkata)
23 May: RCB vs CSK (Kolkata)
25 May: Qualifier 1 (Ahmedabad)
26 May: Eliminator (Ahmedabad)
28 May: Qualifier 2 (Ahmedabad)
30 May: Final (Ahmedabad)
Prediction
Prediction
1st
Most Runs
Virat Kohli
Most Wickets
Washington Sundar
Emerging Player
Mohammad Azharuddeen
Surprise Package
Finn Allen
X Factor
Dan Christian/ AB De Villiers
Broken Cricket Dream
Glenn Maxwell. Less of a broken dream, more of a warning. If Maxwell fails again, he would be the next Aaron Finch. Not to be picked in future auctions.
Royal Challengers Bangalore Preview Predictions
What do you think of the Royal Challengers Bangalore Preview? Your First XI? Will they make the IPL 2021 qualifiers?
India Vs England Series Review. The most anticipated limited overs series of the year—#1 England vs #2 India.
Did the series live up to the hype? Not quite. Except the Sam Curran game, none of the games went down to the wire, but there were plenty of talking points regardless:
40 is the new 50 feat Jason Roy
Debutants Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Liam Livingstone, & Prasidh Krishna storm the international arena
Shardul Thakur is the new Liam Plunkett
The power game of Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, & Ben Stokes is second to none
Here are the series stats, video highlights, winners & losers, and emerging players. Read till the end forWorld T20I Squad Predictionsand some Dinesh Karthik content.
Mark Wood – 5 wickets (best of 3/34, 21.80 average, 6.41 economy)
India Vs England Series 2021 – ODI Stats
The Highlights
India
The highest wicket-taker across both the ODIs & T20Is from both sides, Shardul Thakur has been a revelation over the last few months. After his match-winning contribution at the Gabba, he has contributed in almost every match, either as a power hitter down the order or with important wickets. Only fitting that Ajit Agarkar (with 288 wickets on his name) was on-commentary during some of Thakur’s spells.
India’s young brigade—Ishan Kishan began with a solid 56, Suryakumar Yadav 57 (with one-legged six for first shot), and Krunal Pandya scored India’s fastest debutant 50. The lanky Prasidh Krishna was my pick of the lot. Expensive in his first spells but came back with figures of 4/54 & 2/58. Great spirit! Add Shreyas Iyer’s stable performances, Shikhar Dhawan’s return to form in the ODIs, & Virat Kohli’s consistency, this Indian line up looks really solid. Even without Kohli’s elusive 71st ton.
The old Bhuvneshwar Kumar is back. Bhuvi’s economy of 4.65 in a high scoring series & KL Rahul’s 62* & 108 in the ODIs (after 0,0,1, 14 in the T20Is) hold well for India. Maybe KL in the middle order is the way to go with Kohli-Rohit opening in the T20Is.
Middle overs bowling is a concern for India. Since the break of Kuldeep-Chahal, neither have been convincing. Time for Kuldeep to go back to first class cricket or a county cricket stint. R Ashwin limited overs comeback?
Jonny Bairstow& Jason Roy were the reason behind England’s rise & 2019 WC victory, but both had questions over the place over the last few months.
Bairstow, the Test batsman, had scores of 0,0, 28 & 0.
Bairstow, the limited overs batsman, is something else. First full over – 2 sixes to Chahal. Regained confidence in the T20I and came to the fore in the ODIs with 94 & 124. Except for the ill-timed shot in the first ODI, good signs for England
Roy’s the new Root: 49, 46, 9, 40, 0, 46, 55, & 14. After a poor 2020, finally good to have the old Roy back, but needs to convert more often.
Mark Wood was my player of the series based on his commitment. The highest wicket taker for England in the ODIs, he bowled his heart out. In the last ODI, he was visibly under the weather but kept bowling at 141+ kph. To add the cherry to the cake, he stayed in the game in that 60 (61) partnership with Sam Curran.
Let us talk about the player who was not here (and no, I am not talking about Alex Hales, whose window for return may have opened). Liam Plunkett has been sorely missed since he was dumped post World Cup victory. Tom Curran & Chris Jordan have been expensive across both the formats, and Adil Rashid has only been successful in his new Powerplay position. England can definitely chase 350+, but without Plunkett, they are consistently giving away that many runs.
Sam Curran‘s 95* in the final game was the highlight of the series. The make things happen guy had not done much of note for the entire series, but showed his worth in the final ODI dismissing the dangerous Rishabh Pant and displaying his finishing game.
Oh and by the way, my tweet right before the Pant wicket. All he needed was this tweet. You’re welcome Sam Curran fans.
The Umpiring Anti-Award:Soft-signal (we know it is bad when this rule is dropped from the IPL). This rule received strong criticism after Suryakumar Yadav’s catch by Dawid Malan was deemed out on soft signal (although camera angles were inconclusive).
India
England
Emerging Players
Kohli-Rohit T20I opening
Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Prasidh Krishna
Liam Livingstone
Surprise Package
‘Intent’
Sam Curran, the finisher
Broken Cricket Dream
Shreyas Iyer, Kuldeep Yadav
Eoin Morgan (injured), Tom Curran & Chris Jordan’s economy rate
New Zealand tour England for two Tests in June followed by India Vs New Zealand for the World Test Championship final. Oh and if you did not have enough of watching these two teams, India tour England for 5 Tests in August-September.
During that series, Australia announced a Test & T20I squad that would have been played at the same time (before Australia cancelled the South Africa tour of course).
These two events got me thinking—Can India field two Test XIs at the same time without overlapping players? How about an additional ODI & T20I team?
Today’s Twist
Build FOUR Indian National Cricket Teams Roster: 1 Test team, an ODI, and 2 T20I XIs so that (1) each team can field a team (wicketkeeper & 5 bowling options), and (2) a player is not repeated in any of the lists.
The Catch
Would you pick Virat Kohli for the Test team, ODI, or the T20I? Bumrah?
Can you make all 4 teams balanced? The goal is that each team is just as good and competitive on the international stage. The ODI & T20I teams should be good enough for the World Cups and the Test teams for the World Test Championship.
Before we start making the list, here are all the 106 cricketers in India currently who are vying for an Indian national spot!
Batters
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Shubman Gill
Rohit Sharma
Ruturaj Gaikwad
Virat Kohli
Suryakumar Yadav
Rinku Singh
Shreyas Iyer
Abhishek Sharma
Devdutt Padikkal
Sai Sudharshan
Sarfaraz Khan
Tilak Verma
Abhimanyu Easwaran
Wicket-Keepers
Sanju Samson
Rishabh Pant
Dhruv Jurel
KL Rahul
Ishan Kishan
Jitesh Sharma
Spin All-Rounders
Axar Patel
Ravindra Jadeja
Riyan Parag
Washington Sundar
Tanush Kotian
Krunal Pandya
Pace All-Rounders
Nitish Kumar Reddy
Hardik Pandy
Venkatesh Iyer
Ramandeep Singh
Vijay Shankar
Spinners
Kuldeep Yadav
Yuzvendra Chahal
Ravi Bishnoi
Rahul Chahar
Varun Chakravarthy
R Sai Kishore
Fast Bowlers
Jasprit Bumrah
Mohammad Shami
Arshdeep Singh
Mohammad Siraj
Mukesh Kumar
Deepak Chahar
Prasidh Krishna
Harshit Rana
Akash Deep
Avesh Khan
Mukesh Choudhary
Khaleel Ahmed
T Natarajan
Mohsin Khan
Kuldeep Sen
Umran Malik
Mayank Yadav
Navdeep Saini
Fringe Players
Hanuma Vihari
Rahul Tripathi
Rajat Patidar
Prithvi Shaw
Deepak Hooda
Mayank Agarwal
Rahul Tewatia
Karun Nair
KS Bharat (WK)
Nitish Rana
Shardul Thakur
Harshal Patel
Shahbaz Ahmed
Abhishek Porel (WK)
Anuj Rawat (WK)
Abdul Samad
Shahrukh Khan
Shashank Singh
Mayank Markande
Sandeep Sharma
Yash Dayal
Ashutosh Sharma
Kartik Tyagi
Future Stars
Ayush Badoni
Sameer Rizvi
Kamlesh Nagarkoti
Shivam Mavi
Angkrish Raghuvanshi
Nehal Wadhera
Vaibhav Arora
Musheer Khan
Rajvardhan Hangargekar
Raj Bawa
Yash Dhull
Vidwath Kaverappa
Vijaykumar Vyshak
Baba Indrajith
Narayan Jagadeesan (WK)
Anshul Kamboj
Past? (But have not retired yet)
Ajinkya Rahane
Cheteshwar Pujara
Jayant Yadav
Karn Sharma
Manish Pandey
Ishant Sharma
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Mohit Sharma
Jaydev Unadkat
Shahbaz Nadeem
Four Possible XIs for Indian National Cricket Team
*Note: Since our original iteration in 2021, Rahane, Pujara, Ishant Sharma, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Dinesh Karthik. have dropped out of these lists.
Test XI
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Abhimanyu Easwaran
Hanuma Vihari
Sarfaraz Khan
Rishabh Pant (WK)
Dhruv Jurel
Axar Patel
Nitish Kumar Reddy
Kuldeep Yadav
Jasprit Bumrah (C)
Akash Deep
ODI XI
Rohit Sharma (C)
Shubman Gill
Virat Kohli
Shreyas Iyer
KL Rahul (WK)
Hardik Pandya
Ravindra Jadeja
Mohammad Shami
Mohammad Siraj
Yuzvendra Chahal
Avesh Khan
Indian Cricket Limited Overs Teams:
T20 Team 1
Sanju Samson (WK)
Abhishek Sharma
Tilak Verma
Suryakumar Yadav (C)
Rinku Singh
Riyan Parag
Washington Sundar
Deepak Chahar
Prasidh Krishna
Ravi Bishnoi
Arshdeep Singh
T20I Team 2
Ruturaj Gaikwad (C)
Ishan Kishan (WK)
Devdutt Padikkal
Venkatesh Iyer
Ramandeep Singh
Jitesh Sharma
Krunal Pandya
Harshit Rana
Navdeep Saini
Rahul Chahar
Varun Chakravarthy
Players Who Have Retired Since the List Originally Came Out in 2021
Retired: R Ashwin, Dinesh Karthik, Dhawal Kulkarni, Siddharth Kaul, Murali Vijay, Ambati Rayudu, Amit Mishra
Out of Favor: Priyam Garg, Priyank Panchal, Mandeep Singh
Conclusion
Problem of plenty for Team India.
We have all criticized Indian cricket selectors at some point in time, but we can clearly see it is difficult to give every player an extended run. Gone are the days where we can find players who play 2 or 3 formats for more than a decade. Virat Kohli maybe the last of his breed in India.
Next week, we will do a similar exercise with the England cricket team. Their limited overs depth is quite something, and they are a rising force in Test cricket as well.
What will your Indian XIs be? What do you think of Indian cricket right now? COMMENT BELOW! Would love to know your thoughts!
If you like this, check out the rest of our World XIs with TwistsHere – Best Fielding XI, Best Commentators XI, and much more!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) – Indian Cricket Team Squad Depth
How many Indian cricketers are there?
As of 2025, at least 100 Indian cricketers are fighting for a place in the national team. Today the Indian national cricket team player list is one of envy with its massive depth.
How many teams can Indian cricket team field?
At least four professional cricket side can be fielded with the talent of Indian cricket team depth. These includes a separate squad for Test matches, ODI tournaments, and T20 series.
