5 issues the Indian T20 team needs to address right now

The Indian team have had a disappointing run off late in T20 cricketNo one seemed to have predicted that India would be outplayed in such a convincing manner in the T20 series against South Africa. Dhoni's men have looked unenthusiastic and insipid in the two matches so far. South Africa has taken advantage of that lackadaisical attitude with clinical precision and professionalism.With the T20 World Cup about to be played in the sub-continent next year, these are worrying signs for the Indian team. There are quite a few areas of concern for the team which they have to take care of in the limited time leading up to the World Cup. Here are the five main issues that the Indian T20 team needs to address right now.

#1 Find the right No. 7

Axar Patel is one of the contenders for the No 7 spot

If there is anything that India is missing right now, it has to be a genuine all-rounder. With Axar Patel coming in at number seven, the Indian batting order does look a man light, as of now. There's no doubting Patel's ability to get runs for the team on every odd occasion, but he has not been consistent enough so far.

Manchester United isn't the only team that has been struggling to find a proper number 7 -- India's fate has not been any different for some time now. Ravindra Jadeja, Stuart Binny and Axar Patel have all had their chances, but none of them have been able to do enough to make the spot his. Binny does remain a good option on pitches which assist seam movement. But since the World Cup will be played in sub-continent conditions next year, India will be looking to find a spinning all-rounder.

Jadeja has been doing well at the domestic level and a sustained run of good form might earn him a recall to the side. There have been ambitious claims for Yuvraj Singh to be given another opportunity. And if the IPL is taken into consideration, there are quite a few youngsters who deserve a look in.

India cannot afford to keep changing their No. 7 or go into the big tournament with a player who is low on confidence. The handful of T20Is leading up to the World Cup should be used wisely to find someone who can do the job consistently at the highest level.

#2 Running between the wickets

Indians have been having issues with their running between the wickets

With players like Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina in the team, fitness has never been an issue for the current team. But quite surprisingly, India's running between the wickets has been abysmal in the T20 series so far. Set batsmen have been run-out at crucial junctures which have had a telling impact on the match.

Over the years, it has become an established fact that running between the wickets is as important as the big shots when you are playing the shortest version of the game. Rohit Sharma has been guilty on more occasions than one of being involved in run-outs which have hurt the team on quite a few occasions. The Indian batsmen would need to pull up their socks and display more agility so as not to throw away their wickets in this silly manner.

#3 Rahane deserves a look in

Rahane is one of the leading run-getters in the IPL over the past two seasons

Ambati Rayudu's inclusion in the side has left Ajinkya Rahane facing a long spell on the sidelines. But one wonders if Rayudu has done enough in the limited opportunities he has got so far to justify his inclusion. His soft dismissal when he got bowled off a full toss in the 2nd T20I at Cuttack has raised questions and demands have re-surfaced for Rahane to be brought back.

Rahane has been one of the most consistent performers for the Rajasthan Royals in the last few seasons of the IPL and one wonders if he is too good a T20 player to be left out of the side. Rahane has done well opening the batting for the Royals in the IPL, but it seems unlikely to be given such an opportunity with Rohit Sharma doing so well at the top of the order. But Rahane could adapt in the middle order as well and he should definitely be given the long rope now in the matches leading up to the T20 World Cup.

#4 The right bowling combination

Bhuvneshwar Kumar seems to be struggling to regain his earlier form

India's pace bowling attack comprising the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohit Sharma and Sreenath Arvind have looked uninspired so far in the tournament. The worse thing is that the pace bowling trio have looked one-dimensional lacking the required pace or variation. The likes of Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and possibly Mohammed Shami will obviously be considered for selection in the T20 World Cup next year. The current Indian attack seems to be woefully short of pace.

In the spin bowling department, Ashwin has been the lone stand-out performer. Harbhajan will definitely get a few more chances as he has been economical in the IPL. Jadeja might find his way back into the side if he keeps performing well and Amit Mishra definitely deserves a look in sooner or later.

Dhoni seems to have a mental block in using leg spinners against left-handers with the ball spinning into them which has ensured the selection of more off-spinners. India do have a handful of options to choose from, but they will have to quickly assess and finalise their bowling attack in the days leading up to the world cup. The current attack does not seem to be working and has hardly posed a threat to the South Africans.

#5 Inject fresh blood

India seems reluctant to try out new faces

When India's heavyweights made themselves unavailable for selection for the inaugural edition of the ICC T20 championships, there was a great deal of excitement about the young team that India fielded in that tournament. The rest, as they say, was history. Almost eight years down the line, India's T20 team looks strangely similar to its ODI outfit. This is particularly surprising at a time when other countries have not shied away from giving promising youngsters a go in their T20 squads.

India, which is home to the high octane and cash-rich IPL, has surprisingly stopped producing talented youngsters who can make it to the next level. In other words, not many promising youngsters who are being waxed eloquent about in the IPL are graduating to the next level.

The time has come to critically re-evaluate the legacy of the IPL - if the IPL prioritises the development of young talent, then why are they not given chances at the national level? Otherwise, it is turning out to be like one of those lucrative but useless talent hunt shows who keeps the performers under the spotlight as long as the show lasts.

Some of the most promising youngsters like Shreyas Iyer, Pawan Negi, Yuzvendra Chahal, Hardik Pandya and Sarfaraz Khan, who performed exceedingly well in the last season of the IPL, do deserve to be in the national scheme of things when it comes to T20 cricket. There is a dangerous sense of predictability and sameness that has crept into the Indian T20 squad now. Injecting some young talent might bring back the lost excitement and dynamism.