We are just 3 days away from the India cricket team’s first match in the T20 World Cup. Scheduled to play all of their Group Stage games in the USA, Rohit Sharma’s men are going into uncharted territory with many obstacles ahead. To overcome those hurdles, they’ll have to be at their absolute best.
In their bid to win their first ICC title in 11 years, the BCCI has assembled the best possible 15-man squad. Today, we’ll see what Team India’s chances are to lift the T20 World Cup trophy and if their squad is equipped to handle the pressure.
Team India Rating (8.5/10)
The selection committee has managed to find a combination of players who could work well in the USA and the West Indies. There is a good variety of pace and spin bowling all-rounders in the squad, apart from five out-and-out bowlers (three pacers and two spinners). The batsmen are in form, and the bowlers have been among the wickets in IPL 2024 as well. If the team plays to its potential, they are serious trophy contenders.
However, there are two areas of concern: finishing and death over bowling. With Shivam Dube picked over Rinku Singh, the Indian cricket team doesn’t have a designated and proven finisher. There is Hardik Pandya, but he’s not in the best touch at the moment. With the ball, Jasprit Bumrah is expected to bowl two of the last five overs. But what about the remaining three? Mohammed Siraj doesn’t have a good track record in the end, and Arshdeep Singh goes for plenty of runs despite having decent wicket-taking ability.
Team India Player Rating
Rohit Sharma (8/10)
- Fourth-highest run-scorer in T20 World Cup history (963 runs at 34.39 and a SR of 127.88)
- Form up and down in IPL 2024 with only two 50+ scores (417 at 32.07 and SR of 150)
- Increase in intent in the powerplay since last year in white-ball cricket (IPL 2024 powerplay SR: 154.33)
- Had a lukewarm performance in the IND vs BAN warm-up
Virat Kohli (10/10)
- Arguably the best batter in T20 World Cup history (1141 runs at 81.5, two-time Player of the Tournament, and most 50s: 14)
- Proven big-match player (India vs Pakistan in 2022, 2014 semifinal against South Africa, and 2016 semifinal against West Indies)
- Middle-over strike was a concern before the IPL 2024 season, where he scored 314 runs at 144.7)
- Rested for India’s only warm-up
Yashasvi Jaiswal (8.5/10)
- Powerplay maximizer (SR of 161.05 in T20Is)
- Southpaw advantage: no other left-hander in India’s top four
- Recent form is an issue, scored just two 50+ scores and was not a factor in the early part of IPL 2024
- Wasn’t tried vs Bangladesh
Suryakumar Yadav (9/10)
- Highest strike rate in T20I history (177.55) among those who have scored at least 1000 runs
- India’s only 360° player
- Has three centuries and only player to average over 50 at No. 4 in T20Is (SR: 175.9)
- Was either boom or boost IPL 2024, scored 288 runs in 4 matches and 57 in the remaining 7
- Looked scratchy against Bangladesh but still ended up with a strike rate of 172.22
Rishabh Pant (8/10)
- Poor T20 World Cup record (87 runs at 21.75 and a SR of 122.53)
- Having last played an international match in November 2022, the wicketkeeper batter will be hungry to return and perform in the Indian jersey
- Ended the spin struggles we saw for the Delhi Capitals against Bangladesh, as he scored 43(20) off the spinners. In IPL 2024, he had a strike rate of just 119.53, having faced 21.2 overs from spinners
Sanju Samson (8/10)
- Versatility: Can bat anywhere from 1 to 7 and can keep wickets as well
- In-form: Had a career best IPL season where he was the fifth highest-run scorer
- Failed in warm-up game, scored 1(6)
Shivam Dube (7/10)
- The southpaw murders spin in the middle overs, be it leg, off, or mystery. Was poor against Bangladesh, faced just spinners (16 balls) and scored just 14
- Handy medium pacer came good in the warm-up, he picked up two wickets
Hardik Pandya (8/10)
- Out of touch: The all-rounder has struggled with both bat (average 18) and ball (economy 10.75) in IPL 2024
- Point to prove: Controversies (rumors of a split with his wife and hate from fans after joining MI) may just bring out the best in him, as he’ll look to prove his naysayers wrong
- Big match-player: One can’t forget what he did in the last T20 World Cup in 2022 where he scored 40(37) against Pakistan and 63(33) England
- Batted well against Bangladesh but couldn’t replicate the same success with the ball
Ravindra Jadeja (8/10)
- Batting boom, bowling gloom: The all-rounder has had a good time with the bat (AVG: 44.5 & SR: 142.78), but his returns with the ball were extremely poor (8 wickets in 14 matches) in IPL 2024
- Pitch assistance: As a quick bowler can generally turn the ball less, the left-arm spinner will enjoy the conditions in the West Indies
- India’s and arguably world’s best fielder
- Was horrid with the bat and middling with the ball against Bangladesh
Axar Patel (8.5/10)
- Jadeja’s main competitor out-bowled him and produced similar numbers with the ball in IPL 2024
- A great defensive bowler who, on his day, can pick multiple wickets but will always keep the run flow down (IPL 2024 economy: 7.65)
- Surprising destroyer of spin: The southpaw batter had an incredible strike rate against spinners in IPL 2024 (SR of 160.29)
- Didn’t bat, but out-bowled Kuldeep and Jadeja vs Bangladesh
Jasprit Bumrah (10/10)
- The best T20 bowler in the world, and that too in all phases of the match
- Economical: Of all the players who bowled more than 4 overs in IPL 2024, the pacer has the best economy (6.48)
- Fear factor: Bumrah may not bowl at 150 clicks but batters fear him. Instead of attacking him, they play him out, and try to target other bowlers.
Kuldeep Yadav (9/10)
- Form: 4th highest wicket taker among spinners in IPL 2024, despite playing at least three fewer matches compared to others
- The wrist spinner varies his pace brilliantly, has a lethal googly and leg spinner, and dupes batters with the drift and dip he gets.
Mohammed Siraj (7/10)
- Powerplay specialist: The tall Hyderabadi is a great swing bowler and can blow away top orders on his own
- Costly: Even when he takes wickets, he goes for runs. He gave away 9.56 runs an over in the powerplay in IPL 2024. But that went down in middle overs (8.83) and death overs (8.92).
Yuzvendra Chahal (7.5/10)
- Mental giant: Playing T20Is for the last 8 years, the leggie knows how to handle pressure and isn’t afraid of getting hit if it earns him wickets
- Expensive: When it goes right for him, it’s great, but when things aren’t going his way, it takes a bad turn. He even went for 62 runs in a match in the IPL 2024.
- Didn’t get a chance against Bangla Tigers
Arshdeep Singh (7/10)
- Economy struggles: As someone who’s thought of as both a new and old ball bowler, the left-arm pacer had an astonishingly poor record in IPL 2024. Death overs record (9 wickets in 14.2 overs at an economy of 12.2), middle overs record (3 wickets in 9 overs at an economy of 10.22), and powerplay record (7 wickets in 28 overs at an economy of 9.07).
- Was incredible in the powerplay against Bangladesh (2 wickets in 2 overs while giving away just 3 runs)
India T20 World Cup Squad
Rohit Sharma (C), Hardik Pandya (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah.
Reserves: Rinku Singh, Shubman Gill, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed.
