Shivam Dube and Yuzvendra Chahal have been selected for India’s 15-player squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, slated to be held in the West Indies and the USA.
Meanwhile, Sanju Samson and Rishabh Pant have been designated as the two wicketkeepers in the provisional squad announced by the BCCI on Tuesday (April 30).
Pant returned to competitive cricket recently after recovering from a car accident in late December 2022, which sidelined him for a year and a half.
He has amassed 251 runs in 11 IPL games this season, boasting a strike rate of 158.57.
On the other hand, Rinku Singh, who had emerged as one of the most dependable and aggressive finishers in the country over the past year, did not make it to the 15-player squad.
He has been included in the travelling reserves alongside Shubman Gill, Avesh Khan, and Khaleel Ahmed.
Despite averaging 89 and boasting a strike rate of 176.23 in 11 innings since his T20I debut last August, Singh has had a relatively subdued IPL campaign this year.
In 9 innings for KKR in the ongoing tournament, he has managed only 123 runs at a strike rate of 150.
India squad for T20 World Cup 2024:
| Player Name |
|---|
| Rohit Sharma (Captain) |
| Hardik Pandya (Vice Captain) |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal |
| Virat Kohli |
| Surya Kumar Yadav |
| Rishabh Pant (WK) |
| Sanju Samson (WK) |
| Shivam Dube |
| Ravindra Jadeja |
| Axar Patel |
| Kuldeep Yadav |
| Yuzvendra Chahal |
| Arshdeep Singh |
| Jasprit Bumrah |
| Mohammad Siraj |
Shivam Dube has stepped into Rinku’s shoes, showcasing notable improvements in his batting against pace during the ongoing IPL.
The aggressive southpaw, though not extensively utilized with the ball, has made a significant impact with the bat, smashing 350 runs at a strike rate of 172.41 in nine games.
He has also impressed in his limited opportunities with the national side over the past year.
Chahal, boasting 96 wickets in 80 T20Is, made his last T20I appearance in August 2023 and had been out of contention for national selection across formats.
However, his stellar performance in the ongoing IPL, claiming 13 wickets in 9 innings with an economy rate of 9.00 despite batsmen dominating, has bolstered his case for a comeback.
Similarly, Sanju Samson, skipper of Rajasthan Royals, earns a recall to the national side due to his consistent and brisk scoring in the tournament.
Despite featuring in only 25 T20Is since his debut in 2015, with the last one in January 2024, Samson is yet to establish himself, registering only one half-century and a strike rate of 133.09 in international T20s.
The left-arm spin trio of Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav join Chahal to form the four-man spin attack, while the selectors have opted for only three frontline pace bowlers – Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Arshdeep Singh.
The remainder of the squad aligns with expectations, with Hardik Pandya named as Rohit Sharma’s deputy, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, and Surya Kumar Yadav occupying batting slots.
India’s T20 World Cup campaign begins against Ireland on June 5 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, where three of their four group stage matches will be played.
Subsequently, they will face Pakistan and USA at the same venue on June 9 and 12 respectively before heading to Lauderhill to confront Canada on June 15.
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