Yuvraj's time is up and Kohli is India's only class batsman

1. Kohli is India’s only world class batsman Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni are all very good batsmen but as they are at the moment, they can’t hold a candle to Virat Kohli. The right-hander ended up with 319 runs in 6 matches at an average of 106.33 and a strike-rate 129.14 in the World T20 tournament. However, what really makes him stand out is that you can almost trust him to come good every time he walks out to bat. That is the confidence he inspires. As Dhoni said in the post-match ceremony, his ability to play all three formats without changing his technique too much helps him adapt quicker than other batsmen and right now, he is making each moment count. [caption id=“attachment_1468895” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  India needs to look beyond Yuvraj: PTI[/caption] 2. Yuvraj’s time is up Yuvraj Singh had an off-day, said Dhoni after the match. He has been a great batsman for India and has won tournaments for the country in the past but over the last few months, the left-hander looked like a pale shadow of the player he is capable of being. His fielding hasn’t been great, he hardly bowls anymore and his batting has been dogged by poor technique and lack of confidence. In the final, he was sent out ahead of Suresh Raina and Dhoni but his 11 runs off 21 balls killed the momentum of the Indian innings and also robbed Kohli of his share of the strke. As an experienced batsman, he should have understood his responsibility and the need to get quick runs. This innings was a sign that India’s selectors need to look beyond Yuvraj. And the Royal Challengers Bangalore might be left wondering just who/what have they paid an insane amount of money for. 3. Dhoni has to bat up the order The world’s best finisher batted for just seven balls in the final and by the time he came out, Kulasekara and Malinga were firing in wide yorkers which were almost impossible to get under. Should Dhoni have sent instructions to Yuvraj, should he have batted up the order as he did in the 2011 World Cup final, should he have at least promoted Raina up the order? He should have done a lot of things in retrospect but by the time the Indian innings ended, the look on Dhoni’s face said it all. Im the sub-continent at least, India definitely needs him to bat higher up where he can control the innings better. 4. Sri Lanka have the most varied attack in the world Sri Lanka were beaten in the final of the 2007 and 2011 ODI World Cup and in the 2009 and 2012 World T20 finals. But even in those tourneys they simply had the best, most varied attack in the tournament. They have quality spinners and good fast bowlers led by the irrespirable Malinga who made a superb comeback. The paceman who also captained the team in the final was under severe criticism for his form but yesterday, he bowled brilliantly at the death. Rangana Herath and Sachithra Senanayake were splendid through the tournament. And Kulasekara came to the party in the final. They also have the likes of Angelo Mathews to chip in at crucial times. Sri Lanka’s win was built on a complete team effort. India, on the other hand, just doesn’t have a fast bowler it can count on to get them wickets. Bhuvneshwar was impressive in parts but Mohammed Shami and Mohit Sharma were not up to the mark. That may not mean much in the sub-continent but the 2015 World Cup is going to be played in Australia and New Zealand and that is where India will need its fast bowlers to come to the party. With hardly any time left, India’s selectors will need to unearth someone really special. 5. Mahela and Sanga are just too good After the match, they said that they would somehow drag themselves to the 2015 World Cup and that will give Sri Lanka hope in that tournament as well. Mahela did the heavy lifting in the run-up to the final and Sangakkara was just a passenger. But come the final, it was Sanga’s brilliant 52 off 39 balls that guided them to the elusive world title. This might have been their last T20I but they are certainly good enough to continue playing for many more years. India did it for Sachin in 2011, Sri Lanka have done it for Mahela and Sanga.