The 2021 T20 World Cup in UAE didn’t turn out the way Team India wanted it to. The team lost against Pakistan and New Zealand and sadly, couldn’t get past the group stage. Be it the wrong team selection, poor team performances, or lack of coordination, the upcoming World Cup will be a chance for redemption. A lot has changed since then and with a new coach-captain duo the cricketing board will want to bring an end to the trophy drought.
The T20 World Cup’s Super 12 stage is set to begin in Australia on October 22nd. Therefore to get the squad combination right, the management is hoping to play the very same squad in the Asia Cup. Since the completion of the Indian Premier League 2022, India has experimented with a variety of lineups in every position in the T20 format. Interestingly, many of those experiments have turned out to be fruitful for the team.
The team is looking good in the shorter format. In 2022, India has amassed the most victories (13). While Malaysia and Nepal are tied with 10 victories each. Austria has 11 victories. New Zealand, meanwhile, has a flawless 5-0 win-loss record.
Team India’s Asia Cup and World Cup squad is likely to be the same
Despite all the experimentation, Team India’s opening pair has not been that great. Rohit Sharma is finally getting into the groove but his partner KL is still recovering from injury and now COVID-19. Due to recent health concerns that have affected his work, Rahul’s selection is a topic of discussion. Rahul is a need for the mega tournament despite the fact that his last T20I match was in November 2021. Understanding the need of the situation, KL can flexibly move his innings from anchor to finisher.
Kohli’s form has been quite talked about, however, one cannot ignore the fact that his record in Australia has been phenomenal. Kohli alongside Suryakumar Yadav will provide the team with the perfect backbone needed in the high-pressure tournament. With Hardik Pandya back, the team’s search for an all-rounder comes to an end. Given his value as a batsman and bowler, Ravindra Jadeja will make it to the final cut. Dinesh Karthik will likely be the new finisher for the team and Rishabh Pant an obvious keeper batsman option. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has returned with a bang. Another crucial wicket-taker for the team is Harshal Patel. Jasprit Bumrah’s selection is a no-brainer and the spin department will be incomplete without Yuzvendra Chahal with Ashwin back in the scene.
Team India’s probable squad for T20 World Cup in Australia
- Batsmen: Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik
- All-rounder: Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja,
- Bowlers: Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin.
