A 4-1 series win kick-off India's preparations for the T20 World Cup 2024. A new-look Indian team took down Australia in a low-profile T20I series, which seemed absurd due to its close scheduling with the end of World Cup 2023. The Indians were without their bigwigs - Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja, among others. The Aussies had seven World Cup winners in the squad and all played at some point before six of them returned to Australia while the series was still on. So what does India take away from this series?
Rinku Singh rises further
India might be looking for a finisher alongside Hardik Pandya for the T20 World Cup 2024 as Dinesh Karthik, who was part of the T20 WC 2022, seems out of the picture now. The Men in Blue have power in the form of Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya but they would be banking for a pinch-hitter alongside Pandya. Rinku looks to be in line for that role. He scored 105 runs in the series at a strike rate of 175, the highest for an Indian in the list of highest run-scorers in the series.
Rinku played three cameos in differing situations. He helped the team chase down 209 in the first T20I before powering them to 235 with a 9-ball 31. He likes to hit it straight and has a cool temper too, which might push his case for the T20 World Cup too.
Jaiswal, Gaikwad shine in Rohit's absence
The opening duo of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad helped India make strong starts in the series. Gaikwad and Jaiswal scored 223 runs and 138 runs in the series, respectively. Gaikwad scored a 52-ball hundred in the 3rd T20I and was the leading run-scorer in the series too. Jaiswal also scored a fifty in the second T20I and helped India make strong starts. He will get more opportunities in the South Africa T20I series, where he will hope to impress the Indian think tank more.
Bishnoi pushes hard for the spinner's role in the long term
Ravi Bishnoi emerged out to be the leading wicket-taker in the T20I series with nine scalps to his name. Apart from the 1st T20I, Bishnoi troubled the Aussie batters in all the other games. He was stingy to give runs and took wickets in the process too. Bishnoi won the Player of the Match award too. His performances can push his case for a long-term role in the T20I squad and a T20 World Cup spot cannot be ruled out.
