Slow burn of Virat, Rohit and Rahul

KOLKATA: Does T20 mandate a batting anchor or do you look to maximise the scoring potential of every ball?

In this format, average is possibly not the most accurate evaluation of a batter’s worth. Seeking a better strike rate instead seems a more practical approach given teams still have 10 wickets but just 20 overs to deal with. From that perspective, does a T20 anchor or the strategy of slow power play starts make sense?

When a format evolves as quickly as T20, so does the role definition of batters and the one thing that is clear is that you really can’t waste any ball. Yet many top-order batters want to take their time and try to justify it by staying till the end.

When Lucknow Super Giants openers scored 210 using the full quota of 20 overs against KKR, Quinton de Kock finished with 140 off 70 balls (200 SR) and KL Rahul with 68 off 51 (133.SR). After the power play, de Kock was on 26 off 18 (144.44 SR) and Rahul on 18 off 18 (100 SR). These are underwhelming scores considering they had been given a six-over window to make the most of fielding restrictions.

There is an undeniable trend here and the question it raises is a simple one — playing out a few balls early to get a feel of the pitch and bowling is the tried and tested way in other formats but is it advisable in T20s too, where there are at least five more specialist batters to come in the space of 120 balls?

Take, for example, Virat Kohli’s case. In the same Eliminator where Patidar scored that spectacular hundred, Kohli opened and got out on 25 after playing 24 balls. He was probably trying to take a leaf out of his previous innings where had scored 73 off 54.

But no batter can ever ensure 100% returns because it takes just one ball to dismiss him and throw the innings off track. It happened to Kohli at Eden, in Pune where he scored 30 off 33 against Chennai Super Kings and nine off 10 against Rajasthan Royals and further back in Wankhede as well, when he was run out for 12 off 14 at No 3 against Delhi Capitals.

Irrespective of how an innings pans out, these are undoubtedly slow starts by T20 standards. In 15 matches till the Eliminator, Kohli had a strike rate of 116.78, his lowest in a season since 2012 (111.65). Barring Sanju Samson (421 runs at an SR of 150.36 till the first Qualifier), most Indian top-order bats haven’t fared much better in giving their teams a quick start. Rohit Sharma, India’s all-format captain as well as captain and opener of Mumbai Indians, ended this IPL with a strike rate of 120.18, his worst since 2009 (114.92).

While opening in the IPL, the career strike rates of Sharma, Rahul and Kohli are 127.98, 139.24, and 134.71 respectively. At No 3, where Kohli has batted for the majority of his IPL and international career, he has a strike rate of 123.79. If one looks at their strike rates over the first five, 10, 15, 20 and 25 balls (see graphic), their slowness is clearly evident.

These numbers automatically underscore a bigger concern surrounding their roles in India’s T20 setup. Sharma, Rahul and Kohli are fantastic accumulators but can India

Strike rate

Rohit really afford to have their topthree bat the same way without compromising its power-hitting ability in the middle and lowermiddle order?

The latest innings to justify this doubt came on Wednesday, when Rahul was on 26 off 17 after the power play and 37 off 32 after 10 overs chasing RCB’S 207/4. By the 13th over, he was on 48 off 42, meaning Rahul was averaging just under seven per over when the asking rate was more than 10 from the onset. Rahul was finally dismissed for 79 off 58 in the 19th over.

But when you look at the scorecard and see Marcus Stoinis playing nine balls, Evin Lewis six balls and Krunal Pandya just one, you wonder if Rahul needed to play a long innings or a quick one. It’s a question that has been consistently asked of LSG but they have dodged it every time by dint of their openers’ good graces.

Franchises like Royals or KKR

Virat

KL Rahul are opening with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sunil Narine to exploit the power plays but some team think tanks are still okay with openers taking their time as long as the returns are good.

In the Eliminator, LSG were chasing 200-plus and Rahul didn’t change his approach. RCB were bowling good lines but by not attacking the bowling, Rahul was guilty of letting the pressure get to them.

Rahul’s inability to fashion a successful chase despite a high score isn’t good news in a year India are supposed to play a T20 World Cup. Sharma, Rahul and Kohli are elite Test players who treat the IPL as their only T20 specific simulation. Any heavy tinkering could affect their overall game in some way so that is a strict no-no too.

So, while it may not seem a problem considering India are still invested in the idea of solidity over strike rate at the top, that outlook could change soon.