5 alternative openers for India

Rohit Sharma has been phenomenal at the top of the order for India in limited overs cricket. His prolific run making has made him one of the mainstays of the Indian batting order. He is one of the best limited overs batsmen in world cricket right now, mainly due to his mastery at building up an innings.

His career was revived once he started opening the Innings for India in white ball cricket. But there is no denying the fact that he is perhaps the best accelerator in the current Indian ODI batting lineup and the team desperately needs a dynamic middle order batsman .He can play some outrageous strokes effortlessly and is familiar with batting in the middle order.

In recent times, the Indian middle order has found it hard to finish the innings on a high. Hence, it might not be a bad idea for the team management to ask Rohit to bat in the middle order and play the role of a dynamic middle order batsman that he is perfectly capable of.

As things stand, Indian batting lineup in One day cricket is too top heavy. Even if the team gets to a good start, there is no guarantee that the score would reach to its potential.

Here, we look at five alternatives of Rohit Sharma at the top of the Indian ODI lineup, if he decides to bat in the middle order:

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#1 KL Rahul

Kl Rahul deserves a chance in One day Cricket

KL Rahul is a player with a solid technique and a copybook defence. He looks classical in so many ways. What he also has is a power game that very few can match. He makes shot making look tremendously easy and he finds gaps with precision.

Rahul has proven himself in Test cricket and T20 cricket but still has to excell in the ODI arena. He has a wealth of talent and if given a chance on the top, he could utilize the gaps and get the team of to flying starts.

He would also provide solidity at the top and be a perfect foil for Shikhar Dhawan who likes to attack from the get go.

#2 Ishan Kishan

Ishan Kishan has been in good form lately

Ishan Kishan can also be a good option at the top to compliment Shikhar Dhawan. The left-hander seems to have lot of time at his disposal while playing strokes and he is particularly harsh towards anything short.

He gets most of his run through grounded strokes and is more of an accumulator. Kishan was one of the finds of the ICC Under-19 cricket World Cup 2016. He has grown from strength to strength ever since.

He impressed while playing for the Gujrat Lions in the IPL and has been on a roll in List A cricket. His great domestic form makes him a candidate for the opening slot.

#3 Prithvi Shaw

Shaw is ready for international cricket

Prithvi Shaw, the young Indian prodigy, might be ready for International cricket. He has shown immense maturity for someone of his age and already has five first-class centuries to his name.

Shaw is a dynamic batsman who is equally adapt against both pace and spin and is blessed with some natural talent. Although he has some technical issues to sort out, he is still very young and has plenty of time to eliminate those.

His consistent performances in the domestic circuit might prompt the selectors to give him a go at the International level to open the batting with Shikhar Dhawan. He is surely one for the future.

#4 Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant impressed in the IPL and Vijay Hazare trophy

Another contender for the opening slot is explosive Delhi wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant. Pant is known for his squash buckling and exuberant style of play. On his day, he can dismantle a bowling attack by playing strokes all around the wicket.

Rishabh Pant would aptly utilize the fielding restrictions upfront and his pairing with Shikhar Dhawan could prove to be deadly for the bowlers.

A string of poor performance have put Pant down the pecking order as far as international call up is concerned but he still remains an explosive force with the bat who likes to exert his dominance over the bowlers. Having someone like that upfront makes the job that much easier for the middle order.

#5 Ajinkya Rahane

Rahane deserves a chance at the top of the order

Ajinkya Rahane is also capable of opening the batting for India in ODIs, if Rohit Sharma bats lower down the order. Rahane has been in and out of the Indian ODI setup and is still fighting for a place in the lineup.

His game is more suited for the opening position as he is technically correct. He is an ideal player to see off the new ball, absorb pressure and handle tricky conditions since he has a solid technique and he constantly keeps the scoreboard moving.

Keeping in mind that the next World Cup is to played in England, where the conditions favor swing and seam, he might be perfect for the opening role considering Rohit's vulnerablities against the moving ball.