3 reasons why Shivam Mavi must make his debut for India in the Sri Lanka T20Is

Team India's first assignment in 2023 will be a 3-match T20I series against Sri Lanka. Hardik Pandya has been named India's skipper for the said series with a few youngsters named in the squad.

Shivam Mavi is one of the youngsters included in the team. Mavi rose to the limelight in the U19 World Cup in 2018 when he played a vital role in India's triumph in the said tournament, picking up nine wickets in six matches.

Since then, Mavi has gained considerable experience playing T20 cricket both domestically and in the IPL. He has now been named to the national team as a result of his outstanding performances.

On that note, here is a look at three reasons why Shivam Mavi must make his debut against Sri Lanka in the upcoming series:

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#1 Shivam Mavi can bowl at express pace

Shivam Mavi can bowl at an express pace

Shivam Mavi is one of the rare Indian pacers who can bowl at an express pace. He can clock 145 km/h regularly.

He won the prize for bowling the fastest ball in an IPL 2022 game against the Rajasthan Royals, bowling at 147.8 km/h.

Fast bowlers are an asset to any team, and Mavi can unsettle batsmen with his raw pace.

With only four overs to bowl in a T20 game, Mavi can bend his back and pick up wickets with the new ball and could be a welcome addition to the Indian team in 2023.

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#2 Impressive record in domestic T20 cricket and IPL

Shivam Mavi has an impressive record in domestic T20s and IPL

Shivam Mavi has played four IPL seasons and has experience playing in crunch matches. He has picked up 30 wickets in IPL cricket at an average of 31.4 across four seasons.

His economy rate of 8.71 is slightly on the higher side, but it could improve as he plays more matches and gains more experience.

Even in domestic T20s, he has an impressive track record, picking up 46 wickets in 46 matches at an impressive average of 27.86. He has the knack of picking up wickets with the new ball.

Mavi has considerable experience playing T20 cricket domestically and is in line to make his debut for Team India in 2023.

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#3 Inconsistent performance and injuries to Indian pacers in T20Is in recent times

After the debacle at the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup 2022 and managing the workload, especially for fast bowlers, the Indian team management could look to identify different players for different formats.

The T20 World Cup 2024 will be played in the Caribbean and the USA in June 2024, and India will look to identify a pool of pacers for the said tournament.

In Arshdeep Singh, Team India has found a gem who is a reliable bowler in the death overs. Umran Malik is yet to cement his place in the Indian team in the shortest format.

Deepak Chahar's international career has been plagued by injuries. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is not the same effective bowler he was a couple of years ago.

As far as Mohammed Shami is concerned, it is unlikely that he will play T20Is and could only be considered for Tests and T20Is.

Avesh Khan has had a disappointing start to his international career. Harshal Patel has also been in and out of the team and has failed to get a consistent run with the national team.

Thus, apart from Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah, none of the pacers warrant an automatic selection in the playing 11 in T20Is.

Shivam Mavi has a golden opportunity to be a regular part of the Indian T20I squad and cement his place in the team. In the upcoming T20I series as well as the IPL 2023, he will be led by the capable Hardik Pandya.

Mavi could win the trust of his captain with impressive bowling performances and thereafter be rewarded with a regular place in the Indian T20I team.