India Show They Have Strong Limited Overs Batting Line Up In 2022

It has been a very good year so far for Indian cricket in the limited-overs format. They top the ICC T20I rankings, while they are fourth in the ODI standings, just behind New Zealand, England and Australia.

Here is a look at how India has put together a batting line-up that is feared by every team in world cricket.

Openers Capable of Getting Team Off to A Fast Start

Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul have established themselves as the set opening partnership for India in T20 cricket, whilst Shikhar Dhawan and Shubman Gill have been the one-day openers of late. The level of experience that these players have is vital to India’s success, especially when a fast start is required.

Since taking over the captaincy from Virat Kohli, Sharma has led by example at the crease. He led his team to 14 consecutive victories in T20I back in July. They had an excellent series win against Australia prior to the T20 World Cup, which was perfect preparation for the tournament.

Sharma is 35 years old now, but his game is not showing any signs of being on the decline. In a victory over the Netherlands at the 2022 T20 World Cup, he broke the record for the most sixes hit by an Indian in the competition’s history. India got off to a great start in Australia in the 2022 T20 World Cup, but ultimately fell to a sobering 10 wicket defeat against England. Attention will now firmly be on the 2023 50 0ver World Cup, where India are seen as front-runners in the cricket betting for tournament glory, particularly as they have home advantage. If Dhawan and Gill continue to excel together, they will have a great chance of lifting the trophy for the third time.

Kohli Back to His Best

In the second half of 2022, Kohli rediscovered his best form again, and he has looked unstoppable. The innings which he will be remembered for the most this year was the one against Pakistan in India’s opening game of the Super 12s at the T20 World Cup, as he hit a matching winning 83 not-out.

3⃣rd FIFTY of this #T20WorldCup! ?

3⃣6⃣th T20I FIFTY overall! ?

Well played, @imVkohli! ? ?

Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/Tspn2vo9dQ#TeamIndia | #INDvBAN pic.twitter.com/zxwJd6NZJ7

— BCCI (@BCCI) November 2, 2022

Kohli followed his impressive score against rivals Pakistan with an unbeaten 62 in his side’s clash with the Netherlands in Sydney. The number three batsman was also there at the end of the 20 overs with a 64 from 44 balls in India’s victory over Bangladesh. In his opening four innings of the tournament, he had scored 220 runs, which includes 19 fours and seven sixes.

At the 2022 Asia Cup back in August and September, only one player finished ahead of Kohli in the top runscorers’ standings in the UAE. Mohammad Rizwan scored 281 runs, but Kohli was not far behind with 276. The Indian batsman also played one fewer innings, and he had a much higher average of 92.00.

Having the captaincy taken away from him by the India board has taken some pressure off Kohli’s shoulders, and it is showing at the crease. The 33-year-old only has to worry about his batting now, and that could help him climb back to top the number one spot in the T20 and ODI batting rankings over the next 12 months.

Jadeja And Yadav Add Depth

The middle order of any team in limited-overs cricket is important. If the openers in a team get out cheaply, they are relied on to help the team to a competitive score. In Ravindra Jadeja and Suryakumar Yadav, India has two players who can play the role very well.

Jadeja has played all three formats of the game this year. Not only is he important with the bat, but he is proving to be an excellent all-rounder who takes valuable wickets with his spin bowling.

Restart? pic.twitter.com/jP5Siv18Il

— Ravindrasinh jadeja (@imjadeja) September 20, 2022

Unfortunately for India, Jadeja picked up an injury before the T20 World Cup, so the all-rounder missed out on the squad which travelled to Australia. They will be hoping to get him back fully fit before the end of the year.

Yadav has taken his opportunities in the limited-overs teams in 2022. He scored his maiden T20I century against England in Nottingham back in July. His 117-run innings came off just 55 balls.

India’s number four batsman is now the number one batsman in the ICC T20 rankings, and he has shown he can score runs quickly at the T20 World Cup. In a game against the Netherlands, he recorded a half-century in 25 balls in the Super 12s.

With such a strong and settled batting line-up, India look set for a lot more success in white ball cricket heading into 2023.