One Rule for Kohli, Another for SKY?

When Virat Kohli retired from T20 internationals after India’s 2024 T20 World Cup victory, many (including yours truly) believed the decision was not entirely voluntary but was also influenced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the team management’s desire to transition toward a younger T20 side. Though I was sad, the reasoning sounded logical and not out of place. I had the same opinion. T20 cricket has evolved into an extremely aggressive format where, these days, even 200 is no longer considered safe. I recall when Manish Pandey scored the century in IPL in 2009, the total team score was around 160 runs and it was considered a good score back then. Players from Kohli’s generation had to adapt to this format later in their careers, whereas today’s youngsters are growing up naturally suited to this style of cricket.

That is why Kohli’s retirement, while emotional, did not feel entirely unreasonable. The argument was simple - T20 cricket is now a young man’s game, and India must prepare the next generation. 

But...if that was truly the philosophy...and there was no ulterior motive...then the same standards must apply to everyone equally. Which brings us to the curious case of Suryakumar Yadav aka SKY.

SKY is currently 35 years old, the exact same age Kohli was when he stepped away from T20Is. If age and transition were the criteria then, how can they suddenly stop mattering now? The argument cannot change based on convenience or personal preferences within the system. If players like Bhuvneshwar Kumar or Mohammed Shami are no longer seriously considered for T20 cricket largely because of age and long-term planning, then the same logic must also apply to SKY. Selection policies cannot have different versions for different individuals.

Some may argue that SKY must continue because in March this year, India won the last T20 World Cup under his captaincy. But if success is the yardstick, then Kohli should never have been nudged toward retirement in the first place. He retired immediately after India won a T20 World Cup and after being the Man of the Match in the final. More importantly, his recent IPL performances clearly show that he still has plenty to offer to T20 cricket. If a player performing at that level could be moved aside in the name of transition, then success alone cannot suddenly become the justification for extending someone else’s T20 career.

This is not about disrespecting SKY or denying his contribution to Indian cricket. It is about consistency and fairness in selection philosophy. In few months, SKY would be 36 years old. India has enough young talent emerging every IPL season to build the next T20 core. If the management truly believes that the future of T20 cricket belongs to younger players, then that principle must apply uniformly, irrespective of success, captaincy, dressing-room influence, or proximity to the current leadership. Otherwise, the message becomes very clear - some players are asked to move on because of policy, while others continue because of preference.

A Special Night for Pandey Ji...and His Fans

Really happy to see Manish Pandey finally get an opportunity to bat today - and he made it count in style.

He played a calm, crucial, and match-winning knock when his team needed him the most. The composure, experience, and timing he showed throughout the innings reminded everyone of his class and value under pressure.

Winning the Player of the Match award made the moment even more special and well deserved.

For fans - like yours truly - who have always backed him, this performance felt emotional. Cricket can sometimes move very fast, and players often get judged too quickly. But innings like this prove that class never disappears. Given the right opportunity, quality players can still shine brightly.

Today was more than just a good batting performance. It was a reminder of resilience. A reminder that staying prepared matters, even when chances are limited.

And honestly, it was simply wonderful to see Manish Pandey smiling at the end, holding the Player of the Match trophy after playing such a crucial knock for his side. 

While destiny has not been very kind to you, Pandey Ji, your patience, and perseverance (and fielding) have always stood out. God bless you.

King Kohli Does It Again!

Good game. Virat Kohli scored another century and Royal Challengers Bengaluru marches on. Back at the top of the table now, and qualification looks certain. The next target has to be finishing in the top two.

Happy with the RCB win. Happier with Kohli’s century.

But honestly, the moment that made me happiest was that stunning catch of Tim David taken by someone who I have always supported and wanted him to do well - Manish Pandey. Nonchalant. Clean. Effortless.

We speak a lot about great fielders like Kaif, Yuvi, Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja, but I genuinely think Pandey Ji belongs right up there with the very best. His catching and outfield work have always been elite.

That catch today was pure class.

Excited about India A tour to West Indies

India A is touring West Indies and am excited about the series. Indian team failed to win the WC 2019 and it has been acknowledged that the team requires changes. Finally, people are realizing the need of a 'solid' batsman at number 4. Manish Pandey, Shreyas Iyer, Shubman Gill (not quite a number 4 though), Hanuma Vihari are part of the India A squad and would try to put their best foot forward. I hope we get some answers from the tour.

In my opinion, India should have a selection policy that the best player of such series (India A tours) would get selected for the Indian team. That would create a healthy competition and would motivate the youngsters to do well. Performance at the domestic level and on such tours must count for something. 

Manish Pandey: Worth Investing

Manish Pandey must be a worried man. He has been a prolific scorer in domestic cricket in past several seasons. He come up with some great knocks in previous seasons of IPL to knock on the door. When he got an opportunity, he scored a match-winning and face-saving century against Australia in Australia. Though he was ignored for a long time but he cashed upon the limited opportunities to make a mark. 

However, in the recently concluded 5-match one-day cricket series, he had a great opportunity to cement his place in the team. Suresh Raina was down with flu and that ensured a place for Pandey in the team in all 5 matches. May be Pandey knew that being a specialist batsman, he may not be preferred over Raina when Raina recovered from his illness. Probably he wanted to do something extraordinary to remain in the team. The truth past those 'may be' and 'probably' is that Pandey had a pretty poor series. Batting at No.5 is not easy but more than the scores, it was his shot selections that would be questioned. Compared to him, Kedar Jadhav came up with some good knocks and also played a good part with the ball. The ability to score quickly coupled with his part-time bowling and wicket-keeping skills give Jadhav a much better chance. 

India has not been playing too many ODIs and since Pandey is being considered only for ODIs, he would not get to play too many matches. In the next series, when KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar make a come back and if Raina is retained, the structure of the team would be completely different. Yuvraj Singh has also been playing well in the domestic cricket and may make a comeback. That would make it even more difficult for Pandey to find a place. 

It is worth investing in a team that is likely to play in the 2019 World Cup. Some cricketers may be too old, unfit or unsuitable for the conditions in UK. That must be kept in mind. India should identify suitable talent and give them a good run.

Hopefully, Pandey is in the scheme of things. If he is, someone should tell him that he would get X number of chances. Past captains have done that with players and it has boosted their confidence. Pandey is a match-winner and some patience is required - both by him and by the 5 wise men of Indian cricket. He should not be allowed to fade away. 

Well Played Manish Pandey!!!! Have waited for this for 5+ years!!! So happy for him. And finally a win for India!!! #IndiaVsAustralia

Unlucky Mr. Manish Pandey

These are the recent stats of Manish Pandey. He has been performing well since last few years. Based on his gopod performances in IPL and recent domestic T20 matches, he finally was selected for the National squad for a one-off T20 International against West Indies.

However, before he could make his debut, the West Indies cricket team decided to abandon the tour mid-way during the One-Day series.

The young cricketer would have been elated by the maiden call only to see his dreams getting shattered later on. This is not the first time that he would have considered himself unlucky. After becoming the first Indian centurion in IPL, he was banned for a few matches when he tried to negotiate a better contract. He was making a paltry 30 Lakhs a year in IPL. That time, since he had not played for India, his name was not eligible for the players' auction. That year, he made 30 lakhs and Saurabh Tiwary, after having played 1-2 matches for India, walked away with 9 crores and 30 lakhs!!! It was not fair.

He was given a chance to play for India A against the touring Srilankan side and made an unbeaten 135 in the match. Afterwards, he has been consistently coming up with good performances.

I hope the opportunity knocks at his door again...and soon.

All the best Manish Pandey

Times of India has published a nice article on Manish Pandey. I have always liked the young cricketer. He definitely has the technique for International cricket. However, he probably lacks the temperament and of course the experience. He should take a leaf from Robin Uthappa's book, who was on the same boat but have now become much more consistent. I hope Manish Pandey makes his debut in International cricket pretty soon.

Disappointing Selections

Indian selectors picked up the teams for the ODI series in Bangladesh as well as the 5 Test series in England. The team that has been picked for Bangladesh has several new faces and that is a good thing. It lacks experience but if the players play to their true potential, they should be able to overcome the challenge of a full-strength Bangladesh side. Uthappa makes a comback, after a splendid run in the IPL. Tiwary is back. Kedar Jadhav, a heavy scorer in the domestic circuit has been given a nod and that is a positive sign. 

There are indeed a few names that probably do not make that much sense and probably there were better alternatives available. However, at the end of the day, it is a series against Bangladesh. Who gives a damn!!!

The England-bound team, on the other hand, is extremely important. Firstly, it is a five match test series,  which is a rare event in case of India. There are three reasons that I can think of - (a) England has started to take Indian team seriously (b) ECB is interested in the monetary benefits. After all, matches with India means higher number of eyes watching the matches and (c) England wants to improve their test ranking. They beat us all ends up the last time. Whatever may be the reasons (or combination of reasons), it is a significant tour.

Selectors have done the right thing by selecting Gambhir for the tour, as the reserve opener. He may play a bigger role than a 'reserve' opener as Dhawan's technique would be tested in the swinging conditions that England presents.

The other thing that the selectors have done is that they have picked a 18 man (!!!) squad. Probably, the potential injuries to the players after the gruelling IPL tournament was the reason behind the thought process. The last time around, the injury list was pretty big.

Selectors have loaded the team with pace options. The usual suspects are there. Bhuvaneswar Kumar and Mohamad Shami have obviously been included. Ishant Sharma has been picked as well and it is a shame that we cannot see beyond him. For how long would the selectors go merely by potential? Performances need to be considered as well. Ishwar Pandey has been selected and he seems like an interesting and exciting prospect. Varun Aaron, for his extra pace, is an interesting selection. 

However, the last pace option is baffling. Why Pankaj Singh? Or probably, a better question is, who is Pankaj Singh? He may have had a good domestic season but is clearly not the kind of bowler who is likely to trouble English batsmen. Better options are available. Considering the swinging conditions, selectors could have gone with Dhawal Kulkarni, though he had a pretty average run in the IPL. However, performances in IPL (good or bad) should not be the yardstick for selection of a test side. Umesh Yadav is also a better choice than Pankaj Singh. Since  Praveen Kumar is now fit (and has served his informal ban on disciplinary grounds), he should have been considered. Afterall, he was by far our best bowler in the last tour to England.

The most 'surprising' selection is of course Stuart Binny. He has not even played a test match in India. In the limited chances that he has got in the ODI side, he has not done anything exceptional. His performance in the last domestic season was indeed good but there were better performances. Manish Pandey did well. If they were looking for an allrounder then Irrfan Pathan would have been a much better option. Another option was Abhishek Nayar. He had a decent run in the domestic season with the bat as well as ball. Moreover, he looks a better option for test cricket that Stuart Binny. Binny's military medium pace is not likely to be a very useful option in England. I guess his father's friendship the chairman of selection committee has played a role here.

Now when the teams have been selected, I hope everyone comes up with a great performance. This time around, we must give a better performance than the last tour to England (4-0 drubbing). 

Its mighty depressing...and humiliating

I cannot believe that I am letting it affect me so much. I had decided that I will not even check the proceedings after what happened yesterday but it was impossible. I can feel a strange heaviness on my chest. I am feeling depressed, disgusted and humiliated.

India is on the verge of another defeat in Tests away from home. I am not a man of numbers but I think it is seven in a row in as many test matches away from home. That is pathetic since in tests 'winning and losing is not everything'. You can draw a test match as well. 

For winning or drawing a test match, a team needs bowlers who can take 20 wickets and batsmen who can put decent runs on the board or give enough resistance to the opposition to bat out the sessions. India has neither the batsmen nor the bowlers. 

'India does not have the bowlers' should not come as a surprise as that has been a historic problem. Seldom has India boasted a bowling line-up that could consistently take 20 wickets in Test matches away from home. In India, these bowlers are 'kings'. You make a track that has uneven bounce, which starts to turn from the first session on Day 1 and then every bowler starts looking the best bowler in the world. Put these bowlers away from their 'comfort zone' and then you realize that they look as average as they truly are. 

Moreover, we pick bowlers based on their past performances. Not on the basis of what a bowler has been doing but what he did a zillion years ago. Before this test series, I was surprised that everyone was excited about what Ishant Sharma would do on Australian track. The reason for that excitement was his performance on the last tour to Australia. Come on people, wake up. Ishant Sharma has been a mediocre bowler ever since. The team management, for some reason, always defend him by making statements like 'Ishant bowled his heart out but was unlucky not to get a wicket'. If that is true then we need a luckier bowler. A good bowler would be 'unlucky' in 1-2 or 5 matches. If he is always unlucky then he should be unlucky in a domestic tournament. If you have to pick and send bowlers only on the basis of past performances then why not send Kapil Dev or Agarkar to Australia. They have bowled well in Australia in the past!!!

This bowling attack lacks variety to dazzle an opponent like Australia. Zaheer is good and is clearly the spearhead. No issues with him. Umesh Yadav has managed to surprise everyone (at least me). He has shown that he does not only have the pace but also has decent variation. In spite of his inexperience, he adds a lot of value to the bowling attack. We lack a third quality seamer. Injury to Praveen Kumar did not help but injuries are common and we cannot blame them. Sreesanth is injured and moreover, he is one inconsistent performer. Aaron, thankfully injured himself or this tour would have been a bigger disaster (if there is any room left). We need experience and variation. Sadly, we do not have enough choices. We keep hearing names like Dhawal Kulkarni, Deepak Chahar, Sudeep Tyagi, Arvind etc but none of them have got enough exposure to be suddenly put to fight the tiger. Moreover, these bowlers have also been pretty inconsistent. I firmly believe that an Irrfan Pathan would have added a lot of value to our bowling attack in Australia. He has been bowling well and seems to have rediscovered his inswingers. He has the experience and he can also bat. Still, the selectors chose to overlook him. I guess the selector of the west zone ran out of his quota after getting Sachin, Zaheer, Rahane, Rohit Sharma selected in the squad. He clearly does not have as big a quota as the chairman of the selection committee.....Dravid, Laxman, Ashwin, Mithun, Vinay Kumar and Ojha....impressive!!! If Sachin, Dravid and Laxman retire now, my money is on Murali Vijay, Badrinath and Abhinav Mukund to come as replacements....unless the chief selector is replaced!!!

Coming to the batters, it has clearly been a disappointing performance. And it is not a single performance that I am talking about here. They have failed to cross 300 runs in an innings mark in many innings across last several test matches. So much for the so-called best batting line-up in the world. It is the batting performance that truly surprises me. It is not that these batsman lack technique, experience or class. Sachin, Dravid, Laxman, Sehwag are truly world class batsmen. Though I am not a big fan of Gambhir, he has a good record in test matches. Kohli has not been performing well in Test matches away from India but he is a good talent. He is a straight bat and certainly has a long future in Indian cricket. All of them have scored runs but collectively they have failed as a batting unit. That surprises me. What is so wrong? 

What I want is that Sachin should score his 100th hundred in this series (and by that I mean the last test match) and retire. There are already calls for dropping Laxman. Sachin and Dravid have played particularly  well in the last few seasons but they should not wait too long. They should leave as Gavaskar did. People were surprised and questioned why did he retire? Players should not wait for so long that people start questioning why dont they retire.

In my opinion, the biggest issue with India's performance in Test matches is our captain. I do not think he is fit to be a test player. It goes without saying that Dhoni is an asset in ODIs and T20s but he clearly is not a test batsman. He does not have the temperament. He bats lower in the order but has hardly batted successfully with the tail. That is a trait that one should learn from Laxman, who has done that successfully many a times. He tries to bulldoze his way out of pressure situations. As a captain, he has been equally mediocre. He tries to restrict batsmen in Test cricket!!! That is when there is hardly any shortage of overs available to a batsman and especially when he simply does not have the bowlers to maintain pressure. You do not give any runs for 5 balls and then bowl a boundary ball.....mission failed!!!

Some heads should definitely fall. This performance and India's past few performances abroad have been shameful. It calls for some major changes in the team. Issue is...what changes. If one wants to change the Captain, the other logical choice is Sehwag but he has been surprisingly inconsistent. However, I guess that is a change which is definitely required. However, I doubt that change will happen soon. Dhoni plays for Chennai Super Kings, which is owned by N. Srinivasan., who is a biggie in BCCI. Krishnamachari Srikanth, our chief selector is the ambassador (!!!) of Chennai Super Kings and his son plays for the side. It is a family drama out there. This association makes Srikanth one of the biggest fans of Dhoni and I doubt if he would go against the boss of his son. Conspiracy Theory? Probably.

The other changes that needs to be made are infusion of fresh talent and finding a good wicket-keeper batsman. We should give more opportunities to the likes of Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwara Pujara (I think he is pretty much in the scheme of things but is out due to injury), Manish Pandey, AT Rayudu while persisting with Kohli and Rohit Sharma. When the Big 3 retires, Yuvraj Singh should be included to provide stability to the middle order. 

Finding a wicket keeper batsman is going to be tough. Right now, the choices do not go beyond Parthiv Patel,  Dinesh Karthik and Wriddhiman Saha. Among these, Parthiv should be given the chances. Though, he is a mixed bag. He is neither a great wicket keeper nor a great batsman but he is decent at both. Karthik is a good wicket keeper but he is a unreliable batsman for the Tests format. Haven't seen much of Saha except IPL but have followed some of his scores in domestic cricket and there is nothing extraordinary about him. Or  we can try a new guy. No, I am not suggesting that we should make part time keepers like Rayudu or Utthapa to take up the gloves. It could be a fresh talent. I do not know how is Sreevats Goswami doing? All I am suggesting is we should make a change but keeping in mind the future.

As far as bowlers are concerned, the biggest issue is the lack of a quality spinner. What will make a big difference is the presence of a good leggie or a left arm spinner. Ojha is decent but inexperienced. Leggies like Mishra and Chawla have been disappointing. I like Rahul Sharma and I think if we persist with him, he could be a winner. We definitely need to find a good spinner and quickly.  

And we need to find a replacement of Zaheer pretty quickly as none of the others look good enough to fill those shoes. After Zaheer, PK is likely to spearhead the attack but he needs to avoid injuries. Early days but Umesh Yadav could be a choice. We need to find 1-2 good seamers.

So, there is a need for improvement and change in all the departments. No wonder we are performing so badly!!!

(Photograph Courtesy: FirstPost)        

       

The curious case of second keeper

The India squad for the upcoming tour of Australia was selected yesterday. The team composition is more or less on the 'expected' lines. I was personally disappointed with the omission of the leggie, Rahul Sharma. With whatever I have seen of him in IPL matches, he seems to be a promising spinner for all formats of the game. However, he did not do too well in his last few domestic cricket outings and did not get included in the playing XI for the test matches against WI. On the other hand, Ashwin and Ojha grabbed the opportunity with both hands and bowled really well. That is the main reason why Rahul Sharma got dropped. In any case, too many spinners cannot be included for a tour like Australia. 

The inclusion of Ajinkya Rahane in the Test squad is a positive move as he looks an extremely talented batsman, who should somewhat fill the gap once the big guns leave the scene. I would love to see some more young batsmen to be given a chance and tested. AT Rayaudu looks like a good batsman for the longer format of the game and should be given a chance soon. Manish Pandey looks good but had a quiet domestic season last year. Moreover, I think some of the top bosses (who are friends with Vijay Mallya) are not too happy with Pandey. If that is the case, I hope the issue is resolved soon as we may lose a gifted cricketer otherwise. Cheteshwar Pujara is still recovering from the ACL damages in both knees. I read an article on him a month back that suggested that his injuries could be career-threatening. I am not sure if this is correct or not but I really hope and pray that he recovers soon and gets backs to business. However, the batting composition of the squad does not have too many surprises. It is a good line-up. Kohli and Sharma deserve more opportunities and they have been rightly retained.

I am not too excited about Aaron. I think he lacks variety and experience. Moreover, Australian batsmen would have faced such "pure play fast bowlers" regularly in their domestic cricket. Compared to him, Umesh Yadav looks much more promising. I would love if Aaron proves me wrong though. But I also think that he may not get a chance in Australia, especially if Khan dost (Zaheer Khan) proves his fitness. I do not think India will include five bowlers (that is why we seriously miss an all-rounder. I really wish Irrfan Pathan was fit and in-form. Someone should tell him where he can find his swing!!!) and I think the bowling line-up will have 3 seamers and 1 spinner. If that is the case and if Zaheer is fit, it would be Zaks, Sharma and Praveen Kumar who will get included. If the team gets a little adventurous, Umesh Yadav may get a game or two. The chances of Aaron getting a game are remote unless he bowls really really and REALLY well in a build-up game.

The only member of the squad that I am surprised about is Wriddhiman Saha!!! I think Parthiv Patel did reasonably well in England (in ODIs) to get included in the test squad. I personally believe that Patel can be a better Test batsman than ODIs or T-20s. He has a good and steady stance, plays straight, has good timing and has good temperament. I do believe that his batting has been somewhat corrupted by IPL, yet he is a good batsman. And why Saha? I sometimes believe that selectors pick the reserve keeper in a squad only to give equal 'earning' opportunities to keepers. Lets face it, there is no chance of a keeper getting selected in the playing XI of a test match unless Dhoni gets injured or he finally realizes that he is not a great test batsman. (okay, I let my personal feelings flow a little bit over there)!!! So, the second keeper is merely a passenger. I believe that the selectors do not pick the second keeper purely on the basis of performance. Of course they will not suddenly pick the wicket keeper of Nagaland!!! They pick 1-2 good keepers (of course, except Dhoni) and keep rotating them on tours. "So Parthiv, you travelled to England...did sightseeing...had good food....did shopping....earned enough to settle your bills, loans in India....Now, we will give a chance to Saha...let him also have a little fun....let him also earn a little. In any case, he wont get a chance to play so do not worry, he can not cement his place in the team. Even if he gets a chance and does well, we will still pick you for the next tour.....But ya, we have not given a chance to Dinesh Karthik in a while. If he scores in  double digits in ANY domestic match, even if it is against Arunachal Pradesh Team A, we will have to consider him. But then, next series...and you will be back!!! Fair, isnt it?" 

I guess its too late but I should buy a pair of keeping gloves. 

Future look of the Indian Team

The Indian team is struggling in England. We have always struggled in the english conditions however, expectations were really high this time around since we were on top of the rankings in both Tests and ODIs. That did not happen. Infact the performance of the Indian team was so dismal that it has made watching matches a pretty boring affair; something that had never happened to me in at least last 20 years.

Due to our performance in England, everyone is talking about who should be in the side and who should be omitted. I have my opinion as well. However, I am so bored with cricket now that I want to see some changes. A lot of key players are not available due to injuries and when they come back, there would be limited scope of a change in the team. Yet, we need to rethink our strategies, especially when some of the big guns are not likely to continue playing cricket to their grave. We must ensure that the big guns do not leave behind too big a void to fill. Moreover, we need to be a bit 'radical' in our approach as far as team selection is concerned for the shorter formats of the game.  

One good thing that IPL has done is that it has given visibility to a lot of players. It is a difficult format to judge someone's technique but it does help in comparing players. Following is the team that I want to see once the big guns leave the scene.

Test Side (Based on current form) 

1. Virender Sehwag
2. Gautam Gambhir
3. Cheteshwar Pujara
4. AT Rayadu
5. Ajinkya Rahane
6. Rohit Sharma (we seriously lack a genuine all-rounder for this spot)
7. Mahendra Singh Dhoni (though I do not think that he is fit to be a test batsman)
8. Harbhajan Singh (this is where the problem lies as we do not have quality spinners)
9. Zaheer Khan (we need to quickly find a replacement for him)
10. Ishant Sharma
11. S Sreesanth
12. Parthiv Patel
13. Virat Kohli
14. Rahul Sharma
15. Dhawal Kulkarni

(other probables could include Murali Vijay, Suresh Raina (deserves more opportunities), Deepak Chahar (need to see more of him though), Manish Pandey, Abhinav Mukund, Irrfan Pathan (if he rediscovers his swing), Shikhar Dhawan, Pragyan Ojha)

T-20 Side (Based on current form) 

1. Virender Sehwag
2. Robin Utthappa
3. Suresh Raina
4. Yuvraj Singh
5. Rohit Sharma
6. Yusuf Pathan
7. Mahender Singh Dhoni
8. Irrfan Pathan
9. R Ashwin
10. Zaheer Khan
11. Praveen Kumar
12. Virat Kohli
13. Manish Pandey
14. Manoj Tiwary
15. Munaf Patel

(other probables could include Gautam Gambhir, AT Rayadu, Ravindra Jadeja, Rahul Sharma, Iqbal Abdulla, S Arvind, Murali Vijay, Varun Aaron (need to see more of him though), Deepak Chahar (need to see more of him though), Shikhar Dhawan)

ODI Side (Based on current form)

1. Virender Sehwag
2. Gautam Gambhir
3. Virat Kohli
4. Yuvraj Singh
5. Suresh Raina
6. Yusuf Pathan
7. Mahender Singh Dhoni
8. R Ashwin
9. Zaheer Khan
10. Praveen Kumar
11. Ashish Nehra
12. Rahul Sharma
13. Ajinkya Rahane
14. Parthiv Patel
15. Ishant Sharma

(other probables could include Rohit Sharma, Manish Pandey, Manoj Tiwary, Robin Utthappa, Ravinder Jadeja, Deepak Chahar (need to see more of him though), Irrfan Pathan (only if he rediscovers his swing), Pragyan Ojha, Munaf Patel)