Arjun
Cricketer Of The Year
Not too long ago, Dhoni monopolised the place of a wicketkeeper in the national side, by clearly being a far better batsman- much as he was far from perfect. However, in light of poor form with the bat, the absence of his trademark big-hitting, and not quite perfect behind the wickets, options may have to be explored, and recent trends in the domestic scene reveal options.
Wriddhiman Saha- The Bengal wicketkeeper has been in supreme form in the domestic scene, and has a formidable batting record in FC games. He's not quite ideal for shorter forms of the game, with a reduced strike rate, but may actually walk into the Indian side on his batting alone, competing with the likes of Rahane and Pujara lately. You now have the option of actually playing five full bowlers. Should shoot in ahead of Dhoni in Tests.
Naman Ojha- One of the more formidable blokes in the role here. Playing for a weaker side (MP), he's been fantastic when his team was promoted. In two seasons in the Elite league, he's had a fantastic batting record, far better than in the lower league. He's also good for shorter formats of the game, and has got plenty of big scores. He may fall back a little because he's not exceptionally better than the others, but just right all round.
Dinesh Karthik- The glovework is still there. The runs are now back. He's been smashing rapid centuries in limited-overs cricket, and is now in much better shape for the T20s. Clearly he's got an advantage over Dhoni with his strike rate.
Or maybe persist with Dhoni? Status quo being one reason, you may also choose him in ODIs (the middle-format) for his ODI batting credentials, and he's still got it in this format. So who's your choice? Ideally, it should be Saha (T), Ojha (50) and Karthik (20).
Wriddhiman Saha- The Bengal wicketkeeper has been in supreme form in the domestic scene, and has a formidable batting record in FC games. He's not quite ideal for shorter forms of the game, with a reduced strike rate, but may actually walk into the Indian side on his batting alone, competing with the likes of Rahane and Pujara lately. You now have the option of actually playing five full bowlers. Should shoot in ahead of Dhoni in Tests.
Naman Ojha- One of the more formidable blokes in the role here. Playing for a weaker side (MP), he's been fantastic when his team was promoted. In two seasons in the Elite league, he's had a fantastic batting record, far better than in the lower league. He's also good for shorter formats of the game, and has got plenty of big scores. He may fall back a little because he's not exceptionally better than the others, but just right all round.
Dinesh Karthik- The glovework is still there. The runs are now back. He's been smashing rapid centuries in limited-overs cricket, and is now in much better shape for the T20s. Clearly he's got an advantage over Dhoni with his strike rate.
Or maybe persist with Dhoni? Status quo being one reason, you may also choose him in ODIs (the middle-format) for his ODI batting credentials, and he's still got it in this format. So who's your choice? Ideally, it should be Saha (T), Ojha (50) and Karthik (20).