Sports / Tue, 23 Apr 2024 The Indian Express

Indian Express T20 World Cup ladder: Jaiswal back in top 5, Hardik struggles in week 5 of our rankings

It has been a mixed week for the Indian stars as the composition of the World Cup-bound remains inconclusive on the T20 World Cup Ladder standings as we head into week 5. Names at the top of The Indian Express’ previous T20 World Cup Ladder standings – Jasprit Bumrah and Rohit Sharma – maintain their lead in the bid to catch the plane to the T20 World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean. AdvertisementHere’s how the T20 World Cup Ladder works and how you can participate as well: Player positions on the T20 World Cup Ladder will be updated every week by The Indian Express sports team. But if you think Virat Kohli should make the cut into the Indian team, or if you think India should gamble on Rishabh Pant in the T20 World Cup, we’d like to know your thoughts on our T20 World Cup Ladder. On current merit, the 30-year-old will find a serious challenge to get himself a ticket to the World Cup.

It has been a mixed week for the Indian stars as the composition of the World Cup-bound remains inconclusive on the T20 World Cup Ladder standings as we head into week 5.

Names at the top of The Indian Express’ previous T20 World Cup Ladder standings – Jasprit Bumrah and Rohit Sharma – maintain their lead in the bid to catch the plane to the T20 World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean. However, the top 15 is still found wanting with the misfiring run of key all-rounders and fast bowlers.

This is why The Indian Express sports team will run the T20 World Cup Ladder, a daily form tracker of sorts where we try to slip into the shoes of the Indian think tank and try to work out what Team India will look like for the World Cup 2024.

Here’s how the T20 World Cup Ladder works and how you can participate as well: Player positions on the T20 World Cup Ladder will be updated every week by The Indian Express sports team.

But if you think Virat Kohli should make the cut into the Indian team, or if you think India should gamble on Rishabh Pant in the T20 World Cup, we’d like to know your thoughts on our T20 World Cup Ladder. Write to us: [email protected]

(Performances in bold highlight those from week 5)

1. Jasprit Bumrah (Last Week Rank: 1)

3/14, 0/36 | 8* & 0/26, 2/22 | 5/21, 0/27 | 3/21, 0/37

Despite a wicketless outing against Rajasthan and a string of defeats for his side, Bumrah has nailed down his position at the top of the ladder while being the most menacing bowler in the league. He tops the charts with 13 wickets and has made run-scoring difficult with his economy reading below 7. Bumrah’s prowess remains far superior to his peers and will prove even more crucial for India, with other pacers wearing an inconsistent look in the lead-up to the World Cup.

2. Rohit Sharma: (Last Week Rank: 2)

43, 26 | 0, 49 | 38, 105* | 36, 6

While he may have gotten that long-awaited century last week, Rohit’s intent to go hard early on has not paid its dividends. Rohit’s had a mixed week where he found a start against Punjab Kings but struggled to keep up the pace and also fell to his nemesis in Trent Boult in the first over on Monday.

3. Virat Kohli: (Last week rank: 8)

21, 77, 83* | 22, 113* | 3, 42 | 18

Not a lot of Kohli action last week, but the dismissal after a solid start at the Eden Gardens did have its share of controversy and spotlight. Kohli’s start had a glimpse of positive shotmaking, as he cracked a stunning pull for six off Harshit Rana while nonchalantly pumping Mitchell Starc over long-on for another maximum.

4 Kuldeep Yadav: (Last Week Rank: 5)

2/20, 1/41, DNP | DNP, DNP | 3/20 | 0/16, 4/55

It was a treacherous night to be a fast bowler at the Arun Jaitley Stadium when the marauding Sunrisers batters smashed at unprecedented speed in the PowerPlay. Though he received a few lashings, Kuldeep was crucial in slowing down the gung-ho SRH batters with his attacking lengths. He walked away with four wickets, and that may well be the reading to establish that he should be India’s lead spinner at the World Cup.

5. Yashasvi Jaiswal: (Last Week Rank: 8)

24, 5 | 10, 0 | 24, 39 | 19, 104*

It was always going to be just a matter of time before the dashing left-hander found his mojo back. And he did with trademark flair in Jaipur, dismissing the Mumbai Indians bowlers to all sides of the park with a streak of 15 boundaries for his second IPL hundred. Jaiswal’s form will be crucial to keep the selectors and the management on their toes in tossing up variety and aggression on the drawing board even as the build-up leads towards a Kohli-Rohit combination.

6. Axar Patel: (Last Week Rank: 5)

21 & 0/25, 15* & 1/21, 7* & 1/20 | 0 & 0/18, 8 & 2/35 | 0/26 | 1/17, 1/29

The left-armer continues to play the holding part to good effect even as he would like a chunk of more wickets to his name. Axar’s equation and conjoined effort with Kuldeep has been the rare positive in a struggling Delhi Capitals outfit, even as the left-hander has lost his positive touch with the bat.

7 . Rinku Singh: (Last week rank: 6)

23, 5* | 26, 9 | DNB | 20*, 24

It would be harsh to judge Rinku Singh’s campaign by mere numbers this time, with the KKR top-order continuing from strength to strength. A couple of twenties this week has shown that the left-hander is not out of striking form, and that would be enough for the management to validate their faith in him.

8. Shubman Gill: (Last week rank: 7)

31, 8, 36 | 89*, 19 | 72 | 8, 35

With the weight of an entire batting order on his shoulders, things have not nearly gone Shubman Gill’s way. Jaiswal’s hundred may have just put him back up ahead, and Gill may have a lot of catch-up to do after underwhelming returns in his last two matches.

9 Suryakumar Yadav – (Last week rank: 12)

DNP | 0 | 52, 0 | 78, 10

The climb towards the top has not exactly been leaps and bounds but gentler. In another week of hits and misses, Suryakumar’s half-century was crucial in a slender win over the Punjab Kings. However, he failed to fire during another top-order wobble against Rajasthan, but none of that will exactly deter India’s premier T20 batter in the lead-up to the World Cup.

10. Arshdeep Singh: (Last week rank: 9)

2/28, 0/40, 2/30 | 0/33 | 4/29, 1/45 | 0/35, 1/17

While he had five wickets to his name last week, Arshdeep returned a solitary scalp this week while not exactly leaking runs. His mercurial returns continue to pose problems for India’s pace composition besides Bumrah. However, the left-armer is expected to hold his ground over his past success and skilful repertoire as the deadline for the selection narrows down.

11. Shivam Dube: (Last week rank: 11)

34*, 51, 18 | 45, 28 | 66* | 3

With just a solitary outing, there is not much to peek into Dube’s performances this week. However, with a stuttering Hardik Pandya putting India’s hopes on a knife’s edge, Dube’s form in the upcoming days will be crucial as he hopes to become more than just a mere back-up for the World Cup.

12 Ravi Bishnoi: (Last week rank: 10)

1/38, 0/25 | 0/33, 1/8 | 2/25, 0/17 | 1/44

Wickets have been hard to come by for Ravi Bishnoi, and the young leggie is heading into a stiffer one-on-one clash with the veteran Yuvendra Chahal. While Chahal has shown a tendency to leak runs on middling days, Bishnoi has not been on the expensive side, not nearly until this week.

13. Sanju Samson: (Last week rank: 14)

82*, 15 | 12, 69 | 68*, 18 | 12, 38*

There is still room for consistency, but Sanju Samson’s mature outlook with the bat has displayed a sense of refinement in his game. While he gave away a start in the previous outing, Samson remained unbeaten in a nine-wicket win over Mumbai. With Rishabh Pant and other wicketkeepers gaining momentum, Samson may want to keep this lead alive with a couple of solid outings in the upcoming week.

14. Ravindra Jadeja: (Last week rank: 13)

25 & 0/21, 7 & 0/15, 21* & 1/43 | 31* & 0/30, 3/18 | 0/37 | 57* & 0/32

Ravindra Jadeja’s lack of wickets is a lingering concern over his recent white-ball form. That may just put him on the fringes of the World Cup side after another unsuccessful week. Even as he may have struck a stoic half-century, Jadeja’s hitting capabilities do not bode well for India’s finisher slot, making him an investment on only experience at the moment.

15. Rishabh Pant: (Last week rank: 15)

18, 28, 51 | 55, 1 | 41 | 16*, 44

Pant signalled a return to his best behind the stumps with a match-winning effort of four dismissals against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad. However, a sluggish 44 in a 267-run chase against Sunrisers did not necessarily impose the faith in his batting. The left-hander failed to keep up the momentum from the top order and may want to make quick amends this week.

16. Yuzvendra Chahal: (Last week: 16)

1/25, 2/19 | 3/11, 2/34 | 2/43, 1/31 | 1/54, 1/48

Yuzvendra Chahal’s World Cup ticket may still be on the edge, with his tendency to leak runs in bulk coming to the fore this week. While he’s had 13 wickets to his tally, Chahal has conceded over 100 runs in his last two outings for two scalps. That is something the wily spinner may need to take stock of within the next few games.

17 Hardik Pandya: (Last week rank: 17)

11 & 0/30, 24 & 1/46 | 34, 39 | 21* & 0/13, 2 & 2/43 | 10 & 1/33, 10 & 0/21

Nothing is working in his favour at the moment. With frequent batting collapses, the Mumbai Indians captain has opted to slide further down the batting order, veering away from his recent batting style at numbers 4 and 5. Hardik’s slog-hitting seems to be on a downward trajectory, with his bowling far from his best self. On current merit, the 30-year-old will find a serious challenge to get himself a ticket to the World Cup.

18 Mohammed Siraj: (Last week rank: 18)

0/38, 2/26, 0/46 | 12 & 1/47, 1/35 | 0/37, DNP | 1/40

After leaking runs aplenty and despite being dropped for a match, Mohammed Siraj’s return against KKR went on a similar line as he conceded 40 runs for a wicket. With only 10 T20Is to his name, Siraj will also hope for the management’s backing over a lacklustre season for a ticket to the World Cup.

The rest

19. Tilak Varma: 25, 64, 32 | 6 | 16*, 31 | 34*, 65 (Last week rank: 20)

20. Riyan Parag: 43, 84* | 54*, 4 | 76, 23 | 34, DNB (Last week: 22)

21. KL Rahul: 58, 15 | 20, 33 | 39, 39 | 82 (Last week: 23)

22. Ruturaj Gaikwad: 15, 46, 1 | 26, 67* | 69 | 17 (Last week rank: 19)

23. Jitesh Sharma: 9, 27, 6 | 16 | 19, 29 | 9, 13 (Last week rank: 21)

24. Avesh Khan: 0/21, 1/29 | 1/30, 0/46 | 1/48, 2/34 | 2/35, 1/49 (Last week: 23)

25. Khaleel Ahmed: 2/43, 1/24, 2/21 | 1/43, 1/39 | 2/41 | 1/18, 0/51 (Last week: 27)

26. Abhishek Sharma: 34, 46 (New Entry)

27. Dinesh Karthik: 53*, 83 | 25 (Last week: 28)

28. Ishan Kishan: 0, 34 | 16, 42 | 69, 23 | 8, 0 (Last week: 26)

29. T Natarajan: 1/47, 4/19 (New Entry)