5 Indians who could be better openers in T20Is than Dhawan and Rohit

Eoin Morgan's men managed to put an end to the Indian team's 7-match unbeaten streak. A match-winning knock from Alex Hales made sure that the English side forced the series into a decider.

The Indian team got off to a poor start even though they had two of the best openers in Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma. The two have proven themselves in the ODI format. While Rohit Sharma has been a different player in the 50 over game, and has put up record-breaking statistics, Shikhar Dhawan has been the big-match player India have needed.

The two have also been successful for their respective IPL franchises.

However, both of them are players who take their time to get going. Rohit Sharma, in fact, now plays at No.4 for Mumbai Indians.

The IPL has thrown up a lot of talent in front of us, and with the kind of performances that have been observed this year, trying a few of those options for India, especially in the shortest format, is something that the selectors should look at.

Apart from Dhawan and Rohit, the Indian team can try these options in the T20 format:

#1 Ambati Rayudu

The Chennai Super Kings managed to bring Ambati Rayudu into their ranks this year and it worked wonders for them. He was part of the Mumbai Indians from 2010-2017 but had to make the move to his new team to play under MS Dhoni.

He opened for the CSK side in a few games and looked in good touch. He has the ability to find the gaps with ease and hit over the infield, something which is very useful in the powerplay overs. He can also accelerate when required or slow his game down based on the conditions, all because of his experience.

He has played a handful of games for India, but even with his age at the wrong side of 30, he can be a valuable asset to the side if used well, just as he showed during Chennai's triumphant IPL season this year.

#2 Sanju Samson

Sanju Samson

Sanju Samson's Indian team experience is limited to only one T20I against Zimbabwe in 2015. However, the wicket-keeper batsman can be considered to be a successor to MS Dhoni along with Rishabh Pant. If groomed properly, he can use his IPL experience to become successful at the top of the order in international cricket as well.

He has played for the Delhi Daredevils and Rajasthan Royals where he has shown that he is a player who doesn't shy away from playing his strokes when needed. His USP is his versatility and he ensures that the scoreboard is always ticking. He is only 23 years old, and still has a bright future in front of him.

#3 Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant

This name was on most people's lips throughout the IPL. He is a stupendous batsman who can go absolutely berserk in any stage of a T20 game. Short in stature, Pant extracts tremendous bat speed and distance on his strokes.

He is only 20, but already has established himself as one of the best wicket-keeper batsmen in the country. Using him at the top of the order can give the Indian team a real thrust and help them get some quick runs to put intense pressure on the opposition.

#4 KL Rahul

KL Rahul

KL Rahul is having a ball with the bat. He was in insane form during the IPL for the Kings XI Punjab. Along with Chris Gayle, he was unstoppable.

KL Rahul's biggest strength is his ability to play unorthodox strokes and combine them with his orthodox play. The combination is perfect at the top of the order and it gives the Indian team the required solidity as well as aggression to the batting.

If KL Rahul can give India a good start, the batsmen following him like Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni get the required platform to play their strokes and give the team a good end to the innings.

He showed in the first game of the T20I series against England what he is capable of, scoring a century, his second in the shortest format.

#5 Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli

Kohli has opened for India in the past but usually demotes himself to No.3. He doesn't have a great record batting in the first two batting positions in T20Is, averaging only 28 from seven games.

But, Kohli's versatility is best suited to the top of the order, as was evidenced with the Royal Challengers Bangalore. As an opener, Kohli gets enough time to form a proper innings and take his time because he is not someone who plays his strokes from the word go.

Kohli at the top will ensure that there is more space for Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni to play their game and take time if needed, with the likes of Hardik Pandya following them. Currently, his ferocious striking skills are not being utilised because he seldom gets to bat.