3 reasons why Deepak Hooda deserves a longer run in India's T20I squad

With less than 100 days to go for the 2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, it's all hands on deck for the Indian side as they aim to identify their best 15 for the big event in Australia. They will have a good run of games to do just that with upcoming tours of West Indies, Zimbabwe, and the Asia Cup.

Skipper Rohit Sharma and the Indian team management will have a selection headache, considering the plethora of viable candidates IPL 2022 has thrown up, in addition to the T20I regulars.

We now find ourselves in a world where a player like Virat Kohli has his spot in the playing XI being questioned. That's a testament to the depth of talent India has.

To prove himself, a player has to feature consistently in the playing XI, but with the side trying out different players, that is a hard task. However, there are a couple of players who many feel are deserving of a longer run in India's T20I side.

While this might seem like a kneejerk reaction to Deepak Hooda's excellent form and Kohli's coinciding lean patch, the former merits a longer run in the team. This will allow him to prove his case for getting selected in India's T20 World Cup Squad.

While there is plenty of competition for the middle-order spots, here are three reasons why Deepak Hooda should be kept in the team for a long run.

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#3 Handy all-rounder

Deepak Hooda is a handy off-spinner

You can never get enough bowling options in T20 cricket, and Deepak Hooda's off-spin is a useful facet of his game. While it isn't spoken about much, he is a fairly solid bowler who has been used as a powerplay option or a cover bowler effectively in franchise cricket.

With Ravichandran Ashwin unlikely to make the team and Yuzvendra Chahal in the playing XI, Hooda could be a handy option. He can be used when faced with a left-handed pair or an opener who struggles against spin early on.

While it isn't a massive reason to go for Hooda, it should be considered, with the other middle-order contenders not offering the same.

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#2 Flexibility in the batting order

From recently showing that he can open the batting to batting at No. 7 or even No. 8 in his IPL career, Deepak Hooda is among the best floaters in Indian cricket. Thriving in the constantly changing Lucknow Supergiants batting order is evidence of that!

Though he's best used within the top 5, Hooda provides the team with plenty of adaptability and flexibility during a game. That extends not only to his batting position but to his batting approach as well.

While it has taken some time to transpire on the field, Hooda has shown in the last couple of IPL seasons that he's capable of going big right from ball one. However, he has also proved adept at rebuilding innings and playing as per the situation.

He's also a good player of spin and doesn't have a weakness against the short ball, something to factor in when selecting a squad for a tournament in Australia.

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#1 Deepak Hooda is a naturally attacking batter

Deepak Hooda has the ability to accelerate very quickly, providing much-needed attacking impetus in the middle overs

While a batter can show different sides to their game in different situations, they very often have a basic temperament, and Deepak Hooda can only be called an attacking batter.

A top order of KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli is sound, but they are all very similar batters. While they can get high strike rates on their day, they tend to drop anchor and bat through the innings more than go gung-ho right from the start.

Many teams across the world have taken a more aggressive and proactive batting approach and it seems to be paying dividends. With even India trying to ingrain this approach into their game, it wouldn't be right not to try out a player who fits right into this system.

Deepak Hooda's proactive batting approach, especially against spinners in the middle overs, could make him an ideal partner for someone like Suryakumar Yadav or Rishabh Pant. He has the power and finesse to take on any bowler and is capable of playing high-impact knocks and accelerating quickly.

While one could argue that most of his success has been in the IPL or that he hasn't done enough in international cricket, that is precisely the point. Deepak Hooda is by no means a shoe-in to India's squad.

Still, what he's shown in his limited time on the international circuit definitely merits him a good run of games to put himself in contention for a spot in India's WC squad.