Apart From Rohit & Rahul, Who Are India's Top Options as Openers for ODIs?

Will the BCCI look to bring in more new faces for the ODI side with one eye on workload management?

File image: Ruturaj Gaikwad

(Photo: BCCI)

While the Indian men’s cricket team is busy with the Test series against South Africa, the selection committee will be doing their thing, and trying to pick the best possible side for the upcoming ODI series against the Proteas.

The three-match series marks the beginning of the road in terms of preparations for the ODI World Cup in 2023 which will be held in India, and could see a few new faces in the mix. Thankfully for India, the selection committee has plenty of options to choose from as they look to test out some newer faces.

One of the aspects in the team combination that will give Chetan Sharma and co a happy headache is the top of the order, as most of India’s opening batters have been in fine form. Newly appointed white-ball captain Rohit Sharma is expected to be one of the players at the top of the order with KL Rahul also showing off his quality in recent months.

Be that as it may, the BCCI are likely rotate players in the coming season, which has quite a hectic schedule for the Indian men’s side, and the top of the order might just be the perfect place to start.

Here’s a look at the options for the Indian team at the top of the order other than KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma

Ruturaj Gaikwad

One of the most in-form batters in the men’s game currently, Gaikwad was in sensational form in the recently concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy. He scored four hundreds in five games for Maharashtra and is pretty much breaking the door down for a regular spot in the Indian squad. He also scored three half centuries in five T20s in domestic cricket before the Vijay Hazare, continuing his great run of form from the IPL.

The right hander, who was in superb form for the Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2021, finished as the top run scorer in the tournament, playing some fine knocks at the top of the order. Not among the players who work with brute force, Gaikwad’s elegant strokes and immaculate timing left experts and former players singing praises about him. Gaikwad is unlikely to be left out of any plans for the 2023 World Cup, especially if he continues in his current form.

Shikhar Dhawan

A veteran batter, Shikhar Dhawan has not been in the kind of form he would have liked, and has been finding it difficult to stay in for a solid knock.

Dhawan, who was the Indian captain for the limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka earlier in the summer, has failed to get a score above 20 in his last five games in domestic cricket. Before that, the southpaw played the IPL and had finished fourth among the top run getters in the season.

However, that form has deserted him in recent months and the South Africa series, if selected, might be one of the last chances for the senior pro to make his case for staying in the Indian set up.

Dhawan’s abilities are well documented and on song he can be one of the more dangerous batters in the Indian set up. But given the fact that he will be 38 by the time the 2023 World Cup comes around, the southpaw could be looking at a tougher task on hand than the rest.

Prithvi Shaw

A swashbuckling opener, who when he gets going can destroy opposition bowlers with great ease, Prithvi Shaw was in good nick in the IPL, much like his Delhi Capitals teammate Shikhar Dhawan, finishing with 479 runs from 15 games in the tournament.

While the Mumbaikar had a terrible start to the year 2021 after being caught out in Australia, he’s turned things around somewhat and shown signs of getting back to his destructive best. Since the IPL, his form though hasn’t been great but the curve has turned in the right direction.

After four low scores in the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament, Shaw scored 83 against Baroda and then went to South Africa with India A, where he got a few starts in the three games he played.

Will he get the nod for the South Africa series?

Venkatesh Iyer

The KKR man took the second phase of the IPL by storm as he helped his engineer a turn around and make the season a good one by the end of it. Iyer was superb at the top of the order, playing with great confidence and scoring runs at a hurry.

While one season in the IPL is not going to be enough to earmark him as one of the big stars for the future, it has given the Indian think tank enough to bring him in for the white-ball games against New Zealand in India.

What’s more, Iyer can be handy with the ball as well and could be lined up as an all-rounder, in terms of back up for the likes of Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja, both of whom are recovering from injury currently.

Iyer has done the most damage with the bat at the top of the order and it is unlikely the team management will rush with him. However, his IPL performances and recent form in the Vijay Hazare trophy means, it will be tough to ignore him. He’s picked wickets in every game for MP and scored two big centuries along with a half century in this campaign.