India’s T20I squad was recently announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). It was not much different from their Asia Cup team. With a few changes, India is ready to begin its World Cup which will run from 16th October to 13th November in Australia.

The recently concluded Asia Cup did not end well for team India. Nonetheless, the announced Indian T20I squad comprises some power hitters and several ace pacers. Here’s a breakdown of players representing India in the ICC T20I World Cup.

The Batters in India’s T20I squad

Rohit Sharma:

The head of the pack, the captain, Rohit Sharma is going to lead the men in blue for the first time in the ICC T20I World Cup. Though he’s been on a T20I winning streak since he gained captaincy, the team’s recent stint in Asia Cup drew the ire of many cricketing fans. His captaincy skills were questioned and many were seen comparing him with Babar Azam.

Since last year’s short format mega event, Sharma’s own form has been on edge. But he’s known for being a hitman for a reason. Once the right-hand batter sets off, it is hard for bowlers to slow him down.

KL Rahul:

KL Rahul is one of the most reliable openers for India at the moment possessing a strike rate of 140.91 with an average of 39.26 in T20I. 

Though one can argue that his recent performance in Asia Cup has been the best yet the batting line-up will surely be dependent on him. Last year’s T20I World Cup saw Rahul as the top scorer for the men in blue scoring 196 runs in five innings. 

Virat Kohli:

Great news for the Indian cricket fraternity as Virat Kohli has finally come out of a very long slump of form. He’s back to being the batting masterclass he is and can be lethal, especially on the Australian pitches where he averages 64.43. 

Suryakumar Yadav:

All eyes will be on the quirky, right-handed batsman who almost dethroned Babar Azam from the top spot in the T20I charts. The 32-year-old made his debut just last year and his strike rate is already averaging 173.29. 

When he bats at number four, Yadav has the capability to snatch the game from the opponents. His blazing 117 against England helped the team seal the series in July this year. But will he be able to maintain the SR in Australia? Only time will tell as the batter has never played on the Aussie soil before. 

Rishabh Pant:

Rishabh Pant is one of two wicket-keeper batters present in India’s T20I Squad. Pant might be a great Test/ODI batter, but he’s lacking somewhere in the T20Is especially when it comes to big tournaments.

What makes him a strong contender to be in the playing eleven is his ability to hit big shots at crucial moments. His presence in the middle order is vital for India. Pant hasn’t played much cricket in Australia and it’s yet to be seen if his presence would make a difference for the team in blue.

Dinesh Karthik:

Dinesh Karthik has been selected as Rohit’s army’s second choice of the wicket-keeper batsman. Karthik has been in and out of the team more than anybody could have imagined. 

The 37-year-old doesn’t have much to offer. The batter’s last ten outings for his country don’t show he will be India’s choice to be in the playing XI. But who knows, since Karthik has a strike rate of 153.85 with an average of 30. He might end up being the perfect ingredient for team India in the tournament.

All-rounders in India’s T20I Squad 

India’s T20I squad has three all-rounders

Deepak Hooda:

It is debatable whether India should have named a player as inexperienced with international cricket as Deepak Hooda. Perhaps his blazing 104 off 57 balls against Ireland made them take such a decision.

Hooda made his debut earlier this year against Sri Lanka. His strike rate of 155.85 in nine innings suggests that the 27-year-old can be useful with the bat but his stats with the ball say otherwise. The all-rounder has just one international wicket to his name in four innings. 

Hardik Pandya:

Team India will be heavily reliant on this beast of an all-rounder Hardik Pandya. He’s a dependable middle-order batter and can do wonders with the ball. In the first match of India against Pakistan in the Asia Cup, Pandya single-handedly took his team across the victory line.

The 28-year-old will be an important part of the team in Australia. He has played just three innings in the country with the bat and six as a bowler.

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Axar Patel:

Axar is the third all-rounder in the T20I squad. Patel whose a bowling all-rounder hasn’t played much international cricket despite his debut in 2015. His T20I economy currently sits at 7.27 in 25 innings and has garnered 147 runs with the bat in 17 innings. Like Surya, this mega event will be Axar’s first outing in Australia for T20Is. 

India’s Bowling Line-up

Jasprit Bumrah:

Right-arm fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is currently one of the finest pace attacks India has right now. The Australian pitches will be perfect for Bumrah’s deadly yorkers and will aid his pace massively. The Ahmedabad born wasn’t a part of the Asia Cup as he was tending to his injuries and it can be said without a doubt that India’s bowling line-up missed him badly.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar:

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is in red hot form right now as he exited the Asia Cup as the highest wicket-taker of the tournament claiming 11 scalps in just five innings. Last year’s mega event did not go too well for the right-arm medium pacer who was benched just after one game.

The 32-year-old does well on the Australian pitches and can be lethal for his opponents in the upcoming marquee event.

Ravi Ashwin:

Ravi Ashwin might not be doing well for the team right now, but he’s one of the most experienced bowlers in the Indian T20I squad at the moment. His T20I economy in Australia is 7.40 where he has five wickets to his name in five matches. 

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Yuzvendra Chahal:

The leg break specialist will be a vital component for India in this short-format World Cup. Fans were shocked when he was dropped from the last year’s version of the same event. This year the 32-year-old made it into the squad after a good outing with the ball in the Asia Cup. Not all Australian pitches offer suitable conditions for spinners and so Rohit Sharma will have to utilize him well for this tournament.

Harshal Patel:

The 2021 debutant made it to the team and this will be his first major tournament. The right-hand fast-medium bowler has 23 international wickets in just 16 matches and will be an important part of the squad. This tournament will be his first experience playing in Australia. 

Arshdeep Singh:

In Arshdeep Singh India has found a brilliant death-over bowler and his Asia Cup stint is a massive proof of that. His catch-drop in the crucial match against Pakistan may have invited a lot of trolling but no one can deny his brilliant last-over performances.  

The southpaw made his debut against England this summer and has been with the team since. But with just 11 international matches, Singh is a tad inexperienced to be included in the side. Might be the juicy bouncy Aussie pitches will do good for the 23-year-old. Only time will tell.

Players in Reserve

Muhammad Shami, Shreyas Iyer, Ravi Bishnoi, and Deepak Chahar have been named as the four reserves. 

Also, Read:

Pakistan Squad Breakdown: A look at each player and his role