Impact of Bangladesh Middle Order in the WT20 2016, India

Bangladesh is a team that relies heavily on its middle order to bail itself out of tight situations. As Tamim Iqbal fights with his form issues and Soumya Sarkar yet to hit his straps on a consistent basis, Bangladesh look to its experienced and versatile middle order of Shakib, Sabbir, Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur to score heavily in all conditions and lift the team.

Shakib Al Hasan

He is without an iota of doubt the best cricketer that Bangladesh have ever produced. He can bat, bowl and is an excellent fielder as well. The fact that he has the big match temperament and can back it up with his skills is something that the Bangladesh team can rely on.

He can pace his innings very well and he can adjust to any type of surface. He has nearly all the shots in the book and knows exactly when to hit out or when to bide his time. His cover drives are a joy to watch and he is a very dangerous finisher for the men in Green.

His bowling skills are right up there with his batting and he has the variations to fox any batsman with his slow left arm spin. He will be very crucial in the middle overs on the Indian tracks as they are bound to offer assistance to spin bowlers.

The impact that Shakib has had over the years for Bangladesh cannot be described in a few words. He is their main strike weapon, their X-Factor, their ace up the sleeve!

Impact Rating – 8.5/10

Sabbir Rahman

It is still early days in this fledgling career but Sabbir has already made waves with his big hitting and temperamental skills. He has the ability to clear the ropes without much fuss and generally plays straight which is his biggest strength.

He is also in red hot form right now having scored 2 40’s and a 50 in consecutive T20 games against Zimbabwe. He is also a very handy spin bowler and has the knack of picking up wickets when required. The slow Indian tracks will surely support him and he can expect to be called upon more regularly by his captain in the WT20.

Though he has yet to cement his place in this team, he has all the makings of a very good player. I feel that he must bat at number 4 for Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup in between Shakib and Mahmudullah/ Mushfiqur and he must be given the license to go big right from ball one.

Impact Rating – 7/10

Bangladesh definitely have the right ingredients in their middle order to make a meaningful impact and I will be keeping a very keen eye on this young and upcoming, ever improving Bangladeshi side. I feel that they will surely ruffle some feathers in the WT20 and send some big teams home early.

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Impact of Pakistan Opening Batsmen in the WT20 2016, India

Pakistan are a team that, when in full flow can produce some of the most spectacular performances. They are also at their dangerous best when they are down, when nobody is willing to give them a chance, when everybody has written them off. It is in these times that they find their hero, a player who single-handedly wrests control of the match or such a collective effort that it leaves everyone gasping for breath. Their openers, mirroring their team can be spectacular on their day but they are also self-combustible and can implode in ways that seem unimaginable.

Mohammad Hafeez

He is almost 36 years of age but still grapples with the problem that so many other gifted players of his ilk suffer from, consistency. He always had the talent to score a quick 30 or 40 but always succeeded in throwing his wicket away when a big score was there for the taking. That problem has recently been less frequent in making its appearance but it sure lurks just around the corner.

Having stuck a wonderful half century that won Pakistan the first T20 international against a strong Kiwi side his form tapered as he could muster just 21 more runs in his next two innings.

As an experienced batsmen, Pakistan will be looking for consistency and fluency from him. He could have been a very useful bowler in India but he has been banned from bowling because his bowling action was deemed to be illegal. Since he does not have that luxury of contributing with the ball, he must make sure that he makes enough impact with his batting.

Impact Rating – 6/10

Ahmed Shehzad

Ahmed Shehzad is another player who can be devastating on his day, but that day seems to almost never come. Having loads of talent and oozing promise at the U-19 level he made his debut a few years back but he has never lived up to the top billing that he came with.

He tries to bat in an ultra-aggressive manner but rarely does it seem to come off. He had a torrid three games against the Kiwis recently where he could muster only 33 runs at an average of just 11. He might lose his place in the side if he does not do well in the ODI games which will follow the T20 internationals.

I have always felt that if he could give himself some time out in the middle before going for his shots then he could be more prolific. But he always seems to be in such a hurry and as a result gives his wicket away playing a rash shot.

Impact Rating – 5/10

Pakistan will be hoping that at least one, if not both their openers can come off and give a good start. The impact of a good start cannot be understated particularly for a team such as Pakistan who does not have many big hitters in the middle order as well.

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Impact of New Zealand Opening Batsmen in the WT20 2016, India

Brendon McCullum shocked the cricketing community by announcing that he would not play the upcoming ICC Cricket World T20 to be played in India. The impact that McCullum had on the Kiwi batting was immense as he always set the tone for them with his rollicking batting and unorthodox shots. But anybody who thought that his absence will mean that New Zealand are ripe for the picking were in for a rude shock.

Kane Williamson

King Kane ruled Test Cricket in 2015 but he is a very natural performer in the shortest form of the game as well. He plays correct cricketing shots and has a great cricketing acumen. There are no ugly slogs or wild hoicks across the line. All grace and technique, he relies on finding the gaps and his gift of timing and placement does the rest.

He has been a Fantastico replacement for the retiring McCullum and proves to be an able foil to Martin Guptill. Kane is also in the middle of a supremely rich vein of form having just made two half centuries against a strong Pakistan bowling line up.

The fact that he can play spin better than most in world cricket today and his ability to judge the situation means that he is the ace trump up the Kiwi sleeve. He is also the captain of the Black Caps side and he will be leading a strong Kiwi team in India.

Impact Rating – 8/10

Martin Guptill

Martin Guptill is an average test match player but when the shorter forms of the game are in question, he instantaneously turns in to a hulk. He smashed the incredible double century against the Windies in the 2015 World Cup and is in supreme form at the moment.

The recent series against the Sri Lankans saw him get the Kiwis off to a flier in almost every single match as he consistently scored with a strike rate of more than 150 runs per 100 balls. He reeled off half centuries in both the games against the Lankans before smashing a 40 odd and 87* against the visiting Pakistani team in T20 internationals.

He has always had a problem with being consistent and often throws his wicket away after a good start but he seems to have finally overcome that shortcoming of his. He might still be susceptible against good spin bowling and might struggle to force the issue when it comes to the slow and low tracks that are expected in India.

Impact Rating – 8/10

The Kiwi openers will pose a huge challenge to any opposition in the world right now and they have the form behind them. The New Zealand team will look for these two to provide starts from where their middle order consisting of Munro, Taylor and Anderson can carry on and flay the opposition in to the ground.

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Impact of Bangladesh Opening Batsmen in the WT20 2016, India

Bangladesh played well above every ones expectations in 2015 when they defeated much stronger opposition like India and South Africa at home in the shorter formats of the game. They were a much improved side after they had managed to secure their place in the Quarter Final of the World Cup 2015. They will be looking to present a strong challenge in the shortest format of the game and they will look to their openers to set the tone for them.

Tamim Iqbal

It might seem that Tamim has been playing since eternity for the Bangla boys but the fact is that he is only 27 years of age! He has always been a star for them right since that career defining innings he played which sent India crashing out of the World Cup in 2007. The memory of Tamim (all of 18 years of age) charging out to Zaheer Khan and depositing him in the stands way beyond mid-wicket still gives me goose pimples!!

He is a sweet timer of the cricket ball and generally gets Bangladesh off to a rapid start. He has grown more subdued over the years but in T20 cricket he looks to smash the leather of the ball. He is a pleasing timer of the cricket ball and his straight drive is something which is soothing to the eyes and music for the soul!

Lately, he has been struggling with form and fitness issues but he still remains the best opener that Bangladesh can offer and he has the ability to deliver the goods for them especially on the slow Indian batting friendly tracks.

Impact Rating – 7/10

Soumya Sarkar

An elegant and tall left hander he plays quite differently to Tamim. He is young and has made a scintillating start to his international career. He has been compared to Sourav Ganguly and in a short period of time this kid has managed to impress everybody. He has the best average of all Bangladesh batsmen in ODI cricket which is almost touching 50 and an equally impressive strike rate in T20 internationals of almost 140.

His lofted shots over the mid-wicket and cover drives are his strengths and he makes them look quite appealing. He mixes the traditional shots with unorthodox shots like the ramp over the slips quite well.

He is also a very handy slow bowler and he may come in use on the Indian tracks which may be double paced and help medium paced bowlers.

Impact Rating – 7/10

Bangladesh will look to its opening batsmen to give them a steady start and they will look to build from there. They have a powerful middle order which can capitalise if given a decent start. Tamim and Soumya will have a big say in how deep Bangladesh can get in the ICC World T20 in India.

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Impact of Indian Middle Order in the WT20 2016, India

The Indian middle order consists of some of the most amazing batsmen and who are adept at pacing the innings well. If the right-left combo of Rohit and Dhawan fails to fire then the opposition will have to contend with batsmen who are amongst the very best in the shortest format of the game. These are batsmen who have sharpened and honed their skills in the IPL and will be looking to avenge India’s loss in the ICC WT20 in Bangladesh.

Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli played a superb innings in the last WT20 final against the Sri Lankans but his innings was trumped by a sublime Kumar Sangakkara as India lost the final to their neighbours.

Virat has been in scintillating form down under as he has hit two half centuries and two Fantastico tons against the Australians. He is the most complete batsman and can play in an ultra-aggressive manner as well as reign himself in and play with control when required. The cover drives and on drives are something that flow and come naturally to this kid. He has a fabulous average of above 44 in T20 internationals with a strike rate of above 130 runs per hundred balls.

His aggression and passion on the field seems to lift India and he is a live wire in the field as well blocking shots that seem to be going away from him. He is a senior member of this side and him playing well will go a long way in how far India goes in the tournament.

Impact Rating – 8/10

Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina is the most consistent batsmen from the Indian Premier League and is probably the best Indian batsman in the shortest format of the game. He is just almost always in the zone when it comes to T20 matches. He has a very healthy average and strike rate in T20 internationals.

He has not been in form recently and has lost his place in the Indian side for the ODI’s against the Australians but he will be back for the T20 matches. It’s a format that he rarely fails in and he will look to provide some good performances to win the selectors confidence.

He is also an electric fielder and is not afraid to throw himself in the field. He is also a very under-rated off spinner but provides India with a breakthrough whenever needed.

Impact Rating – 8/10

The Indian duo of Virat and Raina are a perfect foil for each other as they have the capability to rotate the strike as well as explode and take off suddenly as and when the situation demands. Team India will be heavily dependent on these two to score heavily especially in run chases as they play well under pressure and can anchor the chase well.

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Impact of Indian Opening Batsmen in the WT20 2016, India

India reached the finals of the WT20 the last time around where they lost convincingly to the Sri Lankans. This time they will look to go one step further and hope that the title that they won in the inaugural edition in 2007 can be reclaimed again. Indian batting remains their strong point across all formats and the shortest format is no different.

Rohit Sharma

Rohit has always been an enigma for all cricket lovers from across the world. Immensely talented he always was, there was not an iota of doubt about that but he almost never did justice to his talents. Recently though there has been a semblance of consistency that he has brought in his game though he is still prone to the odd brain fade!

Fluid movements of the wrists and a languid style of batting, he always seems to have that extra second or two while facing up to even the quickest of the bowlers. His straight drives and flicks off the pads are his best shots and are played with such ease that they leave the opposition dumb founded. His attacking stints in the IPL where he has been one of the most consistent bats and his recent ODI form where he stuck two back to back tons in Australia augur well for India.

He also has the knack for playing long innings when he gets his eye in, having stuck two double centuries in ODI cricket. He is a live wire in the field which adds to his usefulness in T20 cricket.

Impact Rating – 7.5/10

Shikhar Dhawan

The left hander waited and waited for his chance while his Delhi teammates, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir played for Team India. When he finally got a chance he astounded each and every one as he stuck the fastest test century ever by a debutant.

He has never looked back since and has become an integral part of Team India. He is a powerful striker of the cricket ball and has been a consistent bat in the Indian Premier League. He is still inexperienced in international T20’s having played only a handful of matches but has the ability to win matches for India single-handedly.

He was going through a very lean patch but having cracked a ton in Canberra against the Aussie team he might have regained his lost mojo!

Impact Rating – 6.5/10

India are a team that relies on their batting prowess to intimidate the opposition. Rohit and Dhawan are a powerful ally up the order who have the ability to run away with the game in a hurry. The impact that they can have on the opposition is immense if they can give India a sound start. That will mean that the middle order will have the license to go for their shots and flourish on the start provided by these two.

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Impact of Australian Middle Order in the WT20 2016, India

The Australian middle order is one that has fire power and brutal strength which is almost unmatchable. The opposition will not get much time to celebrate the wickets of Aussie openers as the batsmen who will follow are as destructive as their opening batsmen! If David Warner and Aaron Finch fail to provide them with a Fantastico start then they will rely on an enterprising middle order to bail them out.

Steve Smith

Steve Smith was once a widely ridiculed batsman as he did not have a proper technique and his leg spinners were just an invitation to the opposition batsmen to score quickly. But he worked on his game and now one of the best batsman across all formats.

He has all the shots in the book and his unorthodox technique means that the bowlers are always in a quandary as to which line and length to adopt. He is equally comfortable against both pace and spin and this is his biggest strength. Once set, he is extremely difficult to dislodge and his straight drives and cover drives are a treat to watch.

He is also the captain of this young but extremely talented Aussie side and the onus will lie on him to lead him team and get the silverware that has eluded the Australians since its inception way back in 2007.

Impact Rating – 8.5/10

Glenn Maxwell

The name is enough to cause terror and panic amongst the opposition bowlers as he is such a destructive force to reckon with. The match situation seems to have almost no effect on Maxi and he seems undaunted by any amount of pressure.

He plays unorthodox shots with such ease that leaves the spectator in a spell. Shots like the ramps, reverse sweeps, switch hits come with such a regularity that you feel awed at his prowess. Recently, he has also batted with an eerie calm and composed manner and led Australia over the line which has further enhanced his growing reputation. The impact of his batting leaves the opposition team reeling with shock and awe. Like his skipper, he can also play spin very well which is such an added skill to have in order to navigate through the Indian tracks.

He is also a very good fielder prowling in the all-important point region and is a handy off spinner as well.

Impact Rating – 8.5/10

The combination of Smith and Maxwell at 3 and 4 depicts the batting strength of Australians and every team will have their task cut out to contain these two. If these two get on a roll, then the opposition team will be staring at a huge total. In Indian conditions, the middle order must be equipped with special skills and the Australian duo are adept at both clearing the field with ease as running the quick singles and twos and rotating the strike.

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