(AP Photo)
The discussion surrounding batting strike rates takes center stage at the 2024 T20 World Cup, mirroring the discourse witnessed during the recent 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Navjot Singh Sidhu, a former Indian cricketer, asserts that labeling someone a “game-changer” in T20 cricket should not be taken lightly. According to him, only players who consistently score at least two runs per ball truly merit such a description.
“See, game changers are those who will score 2 runs in a ball,” Sidhu said on ‘Star Sports Press Room’.
“You are talking about strike rates, 1.5, 1.7, but there are some people who are scoring 2.5 runs, three runs per ball. There are some people who in the end will come and score in 10 balls, a 35. Now that is the quality,” he pointed out.
“That 35 in ten balls, if two people score and support someone like Virat Kohli, is a game changer. Make no mistake about it,” he added.
Sidhu expressed his belief that within the current Indian team, Shivam Dube and Axar Patel possess the attributes necessary to significantly impact the game, potentially altering its course in their team’s favor.
“…you look at the IPL and you look at the T20 format, those who can actually score a 2.5 per ball or above two per ball are the real game changers. There are so many of them.
“There is Ravindra Jadeja, there is Dube, and even Axar also scores the runs in the same pace. Why is (MS) Dhoni such a great finisher, because his strike rate is 2.5, his strike rate at times is 4 per ball.
“That is the real game changing effect in the game of cricket in T-20. It’s a different skill altogether, the skill to clear the ground.”
When discussing the highly anticipated India-Pakistan T20 World Cup showdown, Sidhu expressed his inclination towards an opening partnership featuring Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal. However, he acknowledged the rationale behind pairing Kohli with Sharma, understanding the strategic decision made by the team management.
“…they have changed the combination because then Dube and Axar wouldn’t have got the opportunity to play, so they have made this combination for a correct composition where Axar is batting at no. 8, especially in this pitch where bowlers have an advantage,” he said.
“If the tournament would have opened in West Indies, then we would have seen Rohit and Yashasvi opening the match, there you wouldn’t have needed the sixth or the seventh bowler.
“You can’t expect 200 runs in this pitch, 130 or 140 runs would be good, and this combination will work.”
