3 IPL stars who might get an opportunity as finishers for India before World Cup

There were a few notable omissions in the Indian team that was selected for the tour of England and Ireland. The selectors threw in a surprise as well by including Rayudu, showing that age is never an obstacle for one’s selection in the national team.

Furthermore, there were players like KL Rahul and Siddharth Kaul, who had knocked the door down after consistent performances.

The other surprising news was that a full-strength squad had been selected for the Ireland T20 Internationals which meant that India was not willing to give fringe players a chance.

Still, there are some concerns regarding the finishers of the team and here are a few players who might get a go in an attempt to address that area.

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#1 Krunal Pandya

Krunal Pandya

Just like his younger brother Hardik, Krunal Pandya also rose to fame after a tremendous IPL season with Mumbai Indians. He was picked up by them in 2016 at almost 20 times his base price.

He did justice to his price tag in his first season by scoring runs at an average of 40 and won the Man of the Match award in 2 games out of the 12 he played. His performance charts only became better in the seasons that followed. He was even the most expensive uncapped player in this year's auction.

The thing that surprises most pundits is that even though he has a better record than his younger brother in IPL, but still he has never been close to the national team while the latter has got plentiful of opportunities.

Hardik's Batting Strike Rate and Average: 138.75 and 23.78

Bowling Economy and Average: 9.01 and 32.96

Krunal's Batting Strike Rate and Average: 153.91 and 30.78

Bowling Economy and Average: 7.12 and 28.32

The Indian team doesn't have a batsman who can roll his arm over nor can Hardik be considered as a No. 6. With the World Cup expected to be played on flat tracks again, the 6th bowler is of great value, and Krunal is not only a frugal bowler but also a great finisher.

#2 Vijay Shankar

Vijay Shankar

Players like Vijay Shankar are hard to find in the Indian domestic set up. He averages close to 50 in first-class cricket, can give the team 5-7 overs in 50-over cricket and can even finish the innings with the bat.

Though he didn’t start well with the bat in international cricket, but determining a person’s ability after only one innings is harsh, and as a batting all-rounder, he had bowled well, finishing his quota of overs in 3 innings out of 5.

Shankar holds the record for the best batting average in IPL and that too has come at a strike rate of over 140. He has done a great job for his franchise as well, in this season. He can also be an answer to India’s quandary of its 6th bowler and an able finisher.

#3 Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant is one of the most destructive batsmen present in the Indian domestic set-up. He averaged over 80 in his first domestic season and scored at over a run a ball. During that season, he not only scored four centuries but also became the youngest wicketkeeper to score a triple ton.

Dhoni’s finishing powers had also started to wane during that time, and Pant was being touted as the next finisher of the Indian team. He was drafted into the Indian T20 Team for the England series but batted at no.6 and just faced 3 balls.

The 2017 IPL wasn’t a great one for Pant, but he was still given the No. 3 spot in the T20 International that followed the IPL, but he failed big time. The domestic season of 2017-18 was a deplorable one for him as well, without a single century.

When it seemed that Pant was just a one season wonder, he came into his own in 2018, scoring runs at 45.66 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with a strike rate of 192. In this tournament, he also scored the second fastest century of T20 cricket. He has maintained that and currently is placed at second in the batting charts in this season of IPL.

Being an opener, he has got limited opportunities in the national team but his recent excellence at No. 4 for his franchise might make the selectors change their guard, and he can be the finisher India needs.