On Wednesday night against a minnow Hong Kong attack, all India managed to score in the first six overs was 44, with the loss of Rohit Sharma. This 44 could have made sense had they lost two or more wickets inside the Powerplay as sometimes, players need to steady the ship after losing wickets in quick succession and hence, all of a sudden, it becomes a critical phase. 

Till that moment in the game, there was a slim doubt regarding the Dubai track as many felt it was not an ideal T20 wicket where batters can score runs relentlessly. But unfortunately, it was not the case, courtesy of Suryakumar Yadav’s blitz. Coming at No. 4, when the Men in Blue were hobbling at 94/2, Suryakumar plundered 68 runs off just 26 balls, dazzling with six sixes and as many fours to drive his side close the innings on 192/2. Kohli, from the other end, remained not out on 59 off 44 balls, which includes just one four and three sixes.

Is there something in the pitch that is not visible. Simply can't fathom this approach especially from KL Rahul. #IndvsHkg

— Venkatesh Prasad (@venkateshprasad) August 31, 2022

The contest between India and Hong Kong might not have been a mouth-watering one, but it saw an entertainer coming, seeing and conquering bowlers with his wide range of shots. But that won’t help Kohli and Rahul to escape from batting’s scrutiny.

Three days earlier when India played Pakistan in the Asia Cup opener, Rohit, Rahul, and Kohli featured together for the first time since the last T20 World Cup. In that game, chasing a paltry 148, they struggled to get going from the start there as well, managing 38/1 in the Powerplay. It was their second-lowest total in the first six overs in 24 T20I innings after the last ICC mega event. The Sunday evening could have been worse had Hardik Pandya not come to the rescue for India with his breezy 17-ball 33 not out.

Statistically, India are not that bad in the Powerplays in T20Is. Since 2021, they have aggregated 1,811 runs from 1,389 balls during this period, striking at 130.38 – the most by a team who have played at least 20 matches. But yet, their formidable top three, especially Rahul and Kohli, are getting criticized logically more often than not for their recent outings.

During their England tour in July, India batted fluently right from the beginning. After watching that, many had the belief that the Men in Blue are set to go berserk right from the start, a template which England began for the first time under Eoin Morgan’s captaincy. But with Rahul getting back in the mix along with Rohit and Kohli, it seems to be the formula is not going any further in their presence.

As Rohit is undroppable because of his captaincy duty, Rahul Dravid and Co. must make a tough call to drop either Rahul or Kohli from the T20 setup. Instead, Deepak Hooda, considering his stellar performance in the limited opportunities, should bat at his preferred No. 3 as a floater. In that case, Rohit can open with either Kohli or Rahul. Keeping Kohli’s vast success in Australia in mind, he should be the frontrunner to get a nod ahead of Rahul, who recently recovered from an injury.

In another case, if the team management believes Hooda is yet to get ready for the T20 World Cup, they can promote Suryakumar at No. 3 as well. If that happens, he will be followed by Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, and Dinesh Karthik. With Kohli and Rohit at the top, they certainly form a potent unit, ideally for T20Is.