India in Asia Cup T20 2016: Marks out of 10
India in Asia Cup T20 2016: Marks out of 10
India won their sixth Asia Cup when they defeated Bangladesh by eight wickets in a rain-truncated match at Dhaka. India certainly have momentum on their side going into the ICC World T20 2016, which begins soon. India seem to have gotten their combinations right at the right time and as a result have stitched together seven wins on a trot, in the T20I format. India tested everybody in the squad in the Asia Cup T20 and will look to replicate their heroics from the inaugural World T20, where India won the title against all odds. Pramod Ananth rates the Indian players on a scale of 10. Full Cricket Scorecard: India vs Bangladesh, Asia Cup T20 2016 Final at Mirpur
Rohit Sharma (5/10): Rohit carried on his excellent run of form in from the previous series against Australia and Sri Lanka into the Asia cup T20 2016 as well. He started off with a bang, scoring a 55-ball 83 against hosts Bangladesh in the opening match of the tournament under tough conditions. Barring a 39 against United Arab Emirates (UAE), Rohit failed in the rest of the matches, including the final. Nevertheless, he finished as the second highest run-scorer for India with 138 runs. READ: India vs Bangladesh, Asia Cup T20 2016 Final: Highlights from India’s chase
Shikhar Dhawan (4/10): Dhawan was in horrendous form this in this tournament, but came good in the final scoring a match-winning 60. Dhawan scored just 2,1 and 16 in his other three innings in the tournament and India will hope that he can carry his momentum from the final into the ICC World T20 2016.
Ajinkya Rahane (0.5/10): Rahane managed to play just one match in the tournament, when he came to open the innings with Rohit in the crucial match against Pakistan. He was dismissed for a first-ball duck as he became Mohammad Aamer’s second victim of the night. He however took a good catch at slip to dismiss Sharjeel Khan, which saves him the embarrassment of getting a o!
Virat Kohli (8/10): Other than the opening match against Bangladesh, Kohli made substantial contributions in all other matches to finish as India’s leading run-getter with 153 runs at 76.5. Kohli played really well against Pakistan and in the final against Bangladesh to guide his side to a win after India had lost an early wicket, reiterating the fact that he is the best player when it comes to chasing down totals. READ: Virat Kohli lauds Shikhar Dhawan after India’s victory in Asia Cup 2016 final vs
Suresh Raina (2/10): Raina fought hard against Sri Lanka on his way to a 26-ball 25. Other than that innings, Raina failed to have any impact in the tournament, finishing with just 39 runs in three innings. He bowled just one over in the entire tournament, conceding nine runs.
Yuvraj Singh (6.5/10): Yuvraj looked in fine touch throughout the tournament. He played sensibly throughout. Against Pakistan while chasing a low target, he was willing to weather the storm and carry his bat right till the end, but he was at his attacking best in matches against Sri Lanka and the UAE. His slow left-armers fetched him a couple of wickets as well.
Hardik Pandya (7/10): Pandya started off with a bang in the opening match, scoring a blistering 18-ball 31 against Bangladesh. He managed to add just two more runs to his tally in the entire tournament. He did extremely well with the ball as well, finishing as India’s highest wicket-taker with seven wickets at 5.88. He managed to pick up the final two wickets against Pakistan and a wicket of his first ball against Sri Lanka in the next match, which unfortunately will not count as a hat-trick.
MS Dhoni (7.5/10): Dhoni faced just 15 balls in the entire tournament and finished with 42 runs and was not dismissed even once. Just like the ICC World Cup 2011, Dhoni finished the Asia Cup final with a six as well. Dhoni was excellent behind the wickets as well, finishing with seven dismissals to his credit. Dhoni has now led India to victories in five major tournaments. READ: MS Dhoni: India’s victory vs Bangladesh in Asia Cup 2016 special
Ravindra Jadeja (6/10): Jadeja did not face a single delivery in the tournament, but was very economical with his bowling and excellent on the field. Jadeja finished with three wickets in his four matches at an economy rate of 6.66. A good throw from the deep enabled India to get rid of Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi, which put them further in trouble.
Ravichandran Ashwin (5/10): Ashwin went for seven a over in a match where Pakistan were bowled out for 83. Nevertheless, Ashwin finished the tournament with four wickets at a miserly economy rate of six. He will be one of India’s key bowlers in the ICC World T20 2016.
Jasprit Bumrah (8/10): Bumrah was one of the best bowlers in the tournament and finished with six wickets at 5.22. He was excellent in the death overs and did the job for his captain whenever he was called upon. He has been impressive since making his international debut and will be key for India in the matches ahead.
Ashish Nehra (7.5/10): Nehra was excellent in this tournament, just like he was in the series against Australia and Sri Lanka. He never failed to strike in the powerplays, handing India the advantage early on in the match. He bowled well in tandem with Bumrah and will be called upon to do so in the ICC World T20 2016 as well. Overall, Nehra finished with six wickets at 7.07 in four matches.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (5/10): Bhuvneshwar played just one match, which was against UAE. He finished with figures of 2 for 8 in his 4 overs and it seemed like he was able to swing the ball just like he used to when he initially started playing at the international level. UAE struggled against his bowling and could not get a big score on the board as a result.
Harbhajan Singh (5.5/10): Like Bhuvneshwar, Harbhajan too played in just the one game against UAE. He bowled two maidens in his four-over spell and finished with figures of 1 for 11. He took a good running catch to give Pawan Negi his maiden international wicket.
Pawan Negi (5.5/10): Negi made his international debut in the match against UAE. He looked nervous initially, but managed to get a wicket, which calmed him down a notch. He did not get a chance to showcase his abilities with the bat. Negi caused a run out and took a skier in his only appearance as well.
(Pramod Ananth is a reporter at CricketCountry. He has represented Karnataka table tennis under-15, and is a hardcore supporter of Liverpool FC. His Twitter handle is @pramz)