IND v SL: India’s three options for the No.3 slot in Virat Kohli’s absence

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The Indian team management would’ve found it easier to manage Virat Kohli’s absence from the T20I series against Sri Lanka a day earlier when their ace spin-handler Suryakumar Yadav was still available for selection.

The right-hand batter will be missing the T20Is in Lucknow and Dharamshala after picking up an injury to his hand. It’s a double headache for the Rohit Sharma-led side, which will have to make do against a spin-heavy attack like Sri Lanka without their two main middle-order players.

If Suryakumar was around, he would’ve been a stronger contender to slot in at No.3 for the series and fill in capably for Virat Kohli, who has been rested. But with that option gone, here are the few options the think- tank may consider, intending to keep the Lankan Lions at bay and continue building towards the T20 World Cup in Australia.

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Virat Kohli was rested for the T20Is against Sri Lanka

Who will bat at No.3 in Virat Kohli’s absence against Sri Lanka?

1. Shreyas Iyer

Iyer is the prime candidate to bat at No.3 in the series, with his solid anchoring capabilities and spin being his stronger suit. It remains to be seen how the right-hander would counter the two-fold mystery spin challenge posed by Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga. But the team management’s Plan A would be to back him to come up with the goods. Iyer, too, will be determined to prove his mettle, having gone below Suryakumar in the order of preference for middle-order batters.

2. Ruturaj Gaikwad

A consideration could be given to Gaikwad, too, as a potential No.3 option in Virat Kohli’s absence. As he currently finds it difficult to get into the side as an opener, the team management could give him a rope of three matches at one down and see how he responds to various scenarios and challenges presented to him.

Against Sri Lanka, that challenge is likely to be at its stiffest versus spin, which happens to be Gaikwad’s stronger suit. Since the start of IPL 2020, he has scored his runs versus spin for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) with a healthy strike- rate of 138.95. Against pace, the strike-rate drops to 127.17.

Positioning Gaikwad at 3 also comes with an advantage that India can then bat Iyer at 4, as Plan B, to give themselves greater cushion to their weakened middle-order. Demoting Ishan Kishan to 3 or 4 to give Gaikwad the opening slot doesn’t seem an attractive option because of the former’s heavy spin struggles. Kishan had a strike-rate of only 101.14 against spin in IPL 2021 and failed to counter it against West Indies as well in the recent series.

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3. Sanju Samson

Last but certainly not the least is comeback man Sanju Samson, who could also be in the race to bag for the No.3 spot and fill the void for Virat Kohli. But in promoting Samson up to No.3, the team management would have to consider a few things.

If they push Samson up, then they’ll have to demote Iyer and Gaikwad further down the order, something their respective games aren’t so suited for. Iyer, at best, can be placed at 5, with Venkatesh Iyer and Ravindra Jadeja being the two all-rounders at No.6 and 7.

Samson, whose ability to hit away the hard lengths and brute pace make him an exciting pick for an Australian World Cup, has been quite decent against spin over the last two editions of the IPL. While not regularly encountering the mystery element of a Hasaranga, he has an overall strike-rate of 145.33 against spin for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in this period.

But if the think-tank plays him at No.3, they’ll lose his powerhitting skills against pace near the end of the innings.

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