IND vs WI 2022: Rohit Sharma leading an aggressive powerplay is the template India should build on in T20Is – Ian Bishop

Former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop reckons India should follow a template of going hard in the powerplay overs in the shortest format of the game.

It has been noticed that the Indian openers have been a bit subdued in the first six overs in T20Is and they haven’t been able to make great use of fielding restrictions.

India’s captain Rohit Sharma tried to change the same as he scored 40 runs off just 19 balls in the first T20I against West Indies on Wednesday. The talisman was able to hit the ground running whereas Ishan Kishan was struggling to find his timing like a wanderer looking for water in a desert.

India is giving opportunities to Ishan Kishan as he can catapult his attack on the opposition from the get-go. KL Rahul has been ruled out of the ongoing T20I series and he is expected to be India’s first-choice opener with Rohit Sharma.

“That’s the way India have to play going forward,” Bishop told Star Sports.

“Rohit Sharma has decided post, I suppose, after the World Cup. They did well against a couple of the lower-ranked teams at the back end of the World Cup but this is how the powerplay needs to be for India, particularly when they come up against some of the higher-ranked teams.

“Ishan didn’t fire, at some point, he will as he gets more used to that position. “But the template is there, the captain leading from the front in terms of aggression. That’s the way forward,” he added.

In fact, Rohit Sharma had tried to follow the same approach in the T20I series against New Zealand as he had scored two quickfire fifties. It has been noticed that Rohit likes to take a bit of time before he gets going but he understands it is imperative to make use of the powerplay overs as an opener.

We have seen that England has adopted the same strategy in the limited-overs format and they have savored success.

The second T20I between India and West Indies will be played on Friday.