4 courageous decisions that can help India defend their Asia Cup Title

#3 Entrusting the Middle Order on Young Shoulders

Iyer and Pant can end India's middle order woes

In the past few years, the Indian middle order has been ephemeral. Most of the victories have been possible due to the contributions of the top 3, and the firepower in the end. The middle order conundrum remains a headache for the captain and the team management, as none of the players have been able to cement their spot.

The team received a setback in the 2015 World Cup Semi Final and 2017 Champions Trophy final when the top order could not deliver and the middle order failed to step up.

In the recently concluded ODI series against England and South Africa, 68.71% runs were scored by the top 3, which clearly highlights the imbalance in contribution. Moreover, the middle order is also plagued by uncertainty, as the batting sequence is changed every now and then.

It is the right time to invest in young talent, keeping the 2019 World Cup and ventures beyond that in mind. Further, bringing in permanence will also provide a sense of security in the players. Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant are the best-suited individuals for the same.

These two players largely contrast each other, with Shreyas Iyer focusing more on technical aspects, while Rishabh Pant focusing on slogging the ball. The two have been instrumental in the success of India A, it is just the right time to usher in their dominance at the international arena.

While Iyer can end India's middle order woes, Pant can be groomed to step into the big shoes of MS Dhoni post his retirement.