As the schedule of T20 World Cup 2021 is locked in, several experts of the game have started dropping their analysis and predictions regarding the players who will shine in the tournament with their performances.
Following the trend, senior Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik has revealed his top three players to watch out for in the upcoming global competition.
During a chat with Sky Sports broadcaster Isa Guha and former West Indies skipper Daren Sammy, Karthik mentioned that he is looking forward to watching West Indies’ power-striker Nicholas Pooran, Australia’s pace sensation Mitchell Starc and India all-rounder Hardik Pandya.
Regarding Pooran, Karthik reckoned that the left-handed batter would go down as one of the T20 greats. The Tamil Nadu cricketer felt Pooran has got the best bat swing at the moment, and he will play a big role in Windies’ journey at the 2021 T20 World Cup.
“For me, Nicholas Pooran is someone who is special. When he finishes his career, he’ll be one of the T20 greats because o the way he bats. There’s something called bat swing, and he has probably got the best bat swing cricket. He could hit a cricket ball farther than most have ever done. He is a very, very important player if West Indies want to move forward in the tournament,” said Karthik.
Coming to Starc, Karthik opined that though the left-arm pacer was struggling in the past, he got his rhythm back during the recent T20I leg against West Indies. Karthik expressed that Starc is going to be a key player for Australia in the global showpiece event.
“Mitchell Starc, if he comes, good for Australia. He’d be bowling those important overs for Australia upfront at the death. He has not been going too well, of late. But in the last series against West Indies, especially in the ODI format, he’s found his rhythm back. He has got the ball to come back in, and he has got people [out] with sheer pace. I am hoping that he holds onto that. Because if Australia has to do any damage in this tournament, he is going to be a key player,” added Karthik.
Talking about Hardik, the 36-year-old termed him as one such character, who is the need of every team to win big tournaments. Karthik believed that Hardik would play a big role for India in the upcoming event as he contributes crucially to all three departments.
“When you want to win big tournaments, you need characters, people who are up for a fight. For India, that [character] is Hardik Pandya for me. He is there with the ball, he is there with the bat, and he plays a critical role with the bat because every time India has floundered a little bit or want to up their run-rate, he is the guy. He can hit most bowlers to most parts of the ground… one of the reasons I really enjoy him. Even [with] his bowling, he is very clever; he is gone on to become the leader of the pack. You can see him talking to the other bowlers,” Karthik added further.
