India have only eight T20Is and an IPL between now and the next men's T20 World Cup, to be played in the West Indies and the USA in June next year. One of the key selection questions for the selectors will be about the opening options. Here's a look at some of the candidates and what they bring to the table.
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Jaiswal made his T20I debut only in August this year, and has played just 11 matches in the format so far. Still, he is one of the frontrunners for the opening slot. That is because he offers something not many in India do: the ability to attack from the first ball. Since the end of the last T20 World Cup, 132 batters have opened the innings across all T20s. Among those, Jaiswal's strike rate of 167.51 in the first ten balls is the second-best.
He has also been honing his legspin in the nets and can potentially chip in with an over or two. However, he has bowled only 19 deliveries so far in 76 T20s. At the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he played eight matches but didn't send down a single ball.
Ishan Kishan
What separates Kishan from the competition is that he is a wicketkeeper. Given Sanju Samson is not in the scheme of things at the moment, Jitesh Sharma is too raw, and there's uncertainty over Rishabh Pant's return, Kishan is India's only serious wicketkeeping option for T20Is right now. Unless the selectors go back to KL Rahul, of course.
But when it comes to doing it with the bat, Kishan has fallen short of expectations. Since the last T20 World Cup, he averages 19.46 at a strike rate of 111.94 in 13 T20Is. Among the five contenders mentioned here, he is also the slowest starter. It has been on show during the ongoing series against Australia as well: he was on 19 off 21 in the first T20I and 22 off 21 in the second. While he did recover well in both games, the approach might not be the best one.
Ruturaj Gaikwad
Gaikwad is one of the best players of spin in T20s, averaging 47.37 and striking at 166.22 against that type of bowling since the last T20 World Cup. With the pitches at the World Cup expected to be on the slower side, he could play an important role if selected. And his record against pace isn't bad either.
When it comes to starts, he is more Kishan than Jaiswal, but is probably more versatile than either of them. He can also bat through the innings, as he showed in the third T20I against Australia with an unbeaten 123 off 57 balls. But do India need an anchor at the top of the order?
Rohit Sharma
Rohit's last T20I was the semi-final of the 2022 T20 World Cup against England. Since then, Hardik Pandya, in the main, and now Suryakumar Yadav have led India in the format, with Rohit focusing on ODIs and Tests. But, officially, he is still the all-format captain.
Till not so long ago, Rohit was considered an anchor. But in the last one year, he has completely changed his approach, particularly in ODI cricket. At the recent World Cup, he unlocked another level of his batting, scoring 597 runs at a strike rate of 125.94. There's no reason not to back him to do the same in T20Is. With Hardik's fitness being a concern, it will not be a surprise if Rohit returns to the T20I side not just as an opener but also as the captain.
Shubman Gill
After the 2022 T20 World Cup, Gill was seen as India's first-choice opener in T20Is. He had an incredible IPL 2023, scoring 890 runs at a strike rate of 157.80, which added to his reputation and further cemented his place in the side. During this period, he took his six-hitting ability a notch higher. Since the last T20 World Cup, he has been hitting a six every 16 balls; earlier it was every 28 balls.
Despite all that, he is not a lock in India's playing XI for the T20 World Cup. If Rohit returns, it will be a tough competition between Gill and the others - with Jaiswal perhaps the frontrunner - for the second opener's role. The positive side is that, like all other candidates, he will get the chance to present his case.