Best Possible middle Order for Indian Cricket Team at next year's World Cup

The void left in the Indian middle order with the likes of Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina dropping form towards the end of their careers have left the batting positions of number four, five and six open for contention. Former Indian skipper MS Dhoni, who has been the backbone of the middle order for more than a decade and has won number of matches for India in crunch situations on countless occasions in the past but is currently going through a difficult phase in his career in which he has been unable to deliver as consistently as he would have liked to.

India’s troubles in the middle order are not due to lack of options as there have been several young Indian batsmen coming up the ranks in the domestic circuit looking to secure their places in the team. There have been a few others looking to cement their places after having made a comeback into the team, with the 2019 World Cup around the corner.

Over the last couple of years, there have been as many as 10 players who have been tried at numbers four and five including the likes of Ajinkya Rahane, Kedar Jadhav, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, and KL Rahul.

Interestingly, none of them has been able to deliver as consistently as the team management would have wanted them to.

This also leaves the middle order slots open for youngsters like Krunal Pandya and Rishabh Pant who will be desperate to grab any opportunity presented to them. Here is what will be the best Indian middle order for the 2019 World Cup :

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#1 No. 4: KL Rahul

KL Rahul will be the best fit at No.4

Rahul has been a consistent performer for India in tests averaging 40.86 in 24 matches at the top of the order which is truly phenomenal considering his limited experience in international cricket.

The Karnataka batsman also has a terrific record in T2OIs, averaging 49.71 at a strike rate of 155 which demonstrates his ability to hit the big shots when required. He has also had an impressive season in the 2018 IPL playing for Kings XI Punjab in which he has smashed 659 runs at an average of 54.91 striking at 158.41.

The right-hander has a sound technique which allows him to play freely with both front and back foot and his exploits in international cricket are testimony to the fact that he is not only capable of building the innings for the team, when the team loses early wickets but equally capable of accelerating at the desired run rate once a solid foundation is set.

The 26-year old however has been in and out of the ODI squad and his numbers in ODIs hardly do any justice to his talent.

The Karnataka batsman needs to be provided more opportunities in order to illustrate his immense talent, glimpses of which we have been seeing for the last two or three years. He is the best pick to the No. 4 Slot. The Skipper Virat Kohli and Team management need to just back him at No. 4 till the 2019 World Cup.

#2 No. 5: MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni can play freely at No. 5

Former Indian skipper MS Dhoni who is highly regarded in the team for his ability to turn matches around for the team in pressure situations and finish games on his own.

Despite being one of the best finishers the game has ever known, the veteran has been subjected to severe criticism for being unable to close the innings on a high on numerous occasions.

This has led to several debates among cricket experts all over India regarding whether skipper Kohli and the team management need to promote him up the order and enable him to play the anchor role for a relatively inexperienced middle order.

Dhoni’s ability to find the boundary and ability to rotate the strike in the middle overs particularly while chasing large targets has taken a serious beating in the last couple of years.

Dhoni has scored 1399 runs in 50 ODIs following the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 at a decent average of 46.63 and a strike rate of 84.37.

The numbers, however, show a huge difference when we compare them batting first and batting second. His average and strike rate of 57.86 and 95.27 in the first innings go down to 35.4 and 71.08 in the second innings.

His slow strike rate in run chases towards the beginning of his innings tends to put pressure on other middle order batsmen.

The No.5 position appears to be best suited for MS Dhoni as it would enable him to bat more freely with the support of batsmen from both number four and six at the other end.

#3 No. 6: Dinesh Karthik / Krunal Pandya

Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik can be a Finisher for Team India

Dhoni’s inability to clear the boundary on a consistent basis towards the back end of the innings has left India in search of a new finisher who could come in handy in the death overs.

Dinesh Karthik, aged 33, despite having been in and out of the Indian team for a period of 14 years, seems to be the perfect solution to India’s woes for the moment.

The Tamil Nadu batsman came into the spotlight in the Nidhas Trophy Final against Bangladesh in which he single-handedly won the match for India in the last ball of the game with a scintillating knock of 29 from just 8 balls.

Karthik has grown in confidence with each knock he has played since then. Karthik also had a good run in IPL 2018, scoring 498 runs in 16 matches at an average of 49.80 striking at a rate of 147.77. The 33-year-old is currently in the form of his life and has also earned a name for himself as a finisher in the games which he has played for KKR and India in the last year or so.

Karthik is also an excellent player of spin and can play shots with ease on both front foot and back foot. He is a busy player who can play his natural game in the middle overs, keep rotating the strike with an odd boundary or two every now and then while he is at the crease and can even take the attack to the opposition if required.

His calmness in pressure situations and experience behind the stumps make him invaluable to the team. He is too good a player to be kept out of the playing XI and can turn out to be the perfect candidate for the number six slot if given enough chances.

Krunal Pandya

Krunal Pandya can be a Surprise Wildcard Pick

Krunal Pandya, elder brother of Hardik Pandya, is a player with immense potential which he has been showing consistently for the past few IPL seasons.

The left-hander from Baroda is also a limited overs specialist like his brother Hardik and might certainly serve as a wildcard entry for India at the 2019 World Cup. Krunal has amassed 708 runs at an impressive average of 30.78 and a strike rate of 153.91 in the last three IPL seasons.

The 27-year old is more than capable as a batsman in the middle order and also provides the option of a sixth bowler for India with his slow left arm bowling in case either of the five main bowlers has a bad day at the office.

His exploits in the past IPL seasons earned him a place in India A squad and the all-rounder is not lurking too far behind of making an entry into the Indian team. His partnership with his brother Hardik towards the back end of the Indian innings might just serve as the X factor for India in the 2019 World Cup.

#4 No. 7: Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya is the X-Factor for Team India

Hardik Pandya is one of the best things that has happened to Indian cricket in recent years. The 24-year-old has made a name for himself with his ability to clear the boundary with ease and his knack of picking up crucial wickets with the ball in the middle overs.

The all-rounder has also shown massive improvement in his bowling since making his international debut for India. He has not only gained a yard or two in pace but also figured out the perfect length to trouble batsmen in international cricket.

He has all the potential in the world to become one of the best allrounders in the world. His sharpness in the field to go with his finishing abilities make him an invaluable asset to any team. With MS Dhoni ageing, Pandya might just be the perfect candidate to fill in the boots of the great Indian skipper and become the new finisher India has been searching for so desperately.

Inspite of being relatively new to international cricket, Pandya has depicted in numerous instances that he is capable of handling pressure situations as well.

Skipper Kohli and the team management need to back him with more chances in the playing XI to enable him to showcase his talent in all ventures of the game.

With the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup less than a year away, India needs to stop experimenting on the middle order and focus on other key aspects of the game.

The likes of Rahul, Dhoni, Karthik, Krunal and Hardik in the middle order can tear any opposition apart and is by far the best possible lineup if India is to keep their World Cup hopes alive.