As India take on Sri Lanka in first T20I today, Rahane's spot in balanced team for World T20 remains in question
A clean sweep against Australia Down Under in the three-match T20I series only revealed how India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has more or less got a settled playing XI for the ICC World T20 to be held in India next month.
A packed batting line-up includes the likes of Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and the skipper himself,. The bowling combination is close to perfection with Ashish Nehra leading the pack along with Jasprit Bumrah and the two spinners R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
All-rounders Yuvraj Singh and hard-hitting batsman-cum-seamer Hardik Pandya lend more balance to the side. And on the eve of India's first T20I against Sri Lanka in Pune on Tuesday, the captain expressed his satisfaction about having a "balanced side".
But amidst this, where does the team management leave one of India's best T20 top-order batsmen, Ajinkya Rahane?
This question wouldn't come up if India keep winning and the top-order keeps scoring heavily. However, it will be unfair if Rahane is not discussed while Dhoni chalks out his team in the World T20.
If not on par with Kohli, Rahane has been India's best batsman in the two formats of the game – Tests and ODIs. It is no secret how he has evolved into one of the finest openers in the Indian Premier League while playing for the now suspended Rajasthan Royals under Rahul Dravid.
Rahane has been a consistent performer in the last five seasons for Royals, where he finished in the top 10 of the scorers list.
The Mumbai batsman was often regarded as a conservative batsman who would not be successful in the limited-overs format. However, he rubbished the notion by scoring consistently in the IPL over the years.
A compact Rahane, who was always a good strokemaker, has now scored at a faster pace and successfully found the gaps in the first six overs as an opener and then capitalised on the starts.
Despite all the improvements seen in the IPL, Rahane's figures in T20 Internationals are not that impressive. Ever since he made his debut in 2011 where he scored 61 against England in Manchester, the Mumbai batsman has managed 271 runs in 13 matches over five years at an average of 21.
However, Rahane cannot be blamed for his not-so-great run at the highest level since India do not play T20Is regularly.
With all the runs and experience in his kitty in the shortest format, Rahane still might not get to face the new ball, considering that Rohit and Dhawan are both among the runs. Rahane, however, might get a look in at No. 3 in the series against Sri Lanka in the absence of Virat Kohli, currently on a short vacation.
Known as a selfless cricketer and a team man, the thoughts of whether he would get a berth in the playing XI in the World T20 will not top Rahane's mind. Instead, his focus will be on utilising the opportunity presented to him, get runs and help his team help win.
Even if he manages to impress in this series, it will be difficult for him to break into the playing XI in the ICC World T20 unless Dhoni finds a solution to fit Rahane somewhere in the already-packed top order. And, it has been evident from past instances that the skipper doesn't have enough confidence in Rahane, the slogger, who can bat down the order.
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