India reveal 15-member T20 World Cup squad: Major talking points

India`s chief cricket selector Ajit Agarkar (4L) arrives at the airport ahead of his meeting with Jay Shah on Tuesday (Pic: AFP)

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday announced India's 15-member squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024, which will be hosted in the West Indies and USA, starting on June 1.

Rohit Sharma will lead India in the showpiece tournament, while Hardik Pandya will be his deputy.

Better luck next time!

KL Rahul's absence from India's T20 World Cup squad has raised quite a few eyebrows, especially with Sanju Samson securing a spot alongside Rishabh Pant as one of the designated wicket-keepers, leaving the Lucknow Super Giants captain in a precarious position.

Rahul's battle with injuries, evident even during the previous ODI World Cup, is believed to have hindered his selection prospects. Despite displaying commendable performances in the IPL, they proved less than enough to surpass an in-form Pant and the consistently impressive Samson, who has showcased near-flawless form throughout this T20 season.

Yuzi shows the way

Yuzvendra Chahal was a notable inclusion, who was named in the team for a T20 World Cup for the very first time. Earlier, ANI reported Chahal's spot to be in jeopardy as Axar Patel's ability to bat gives him the edge over the Rajasthan Royals leg-spinner, despite him taking 13 wickets in the ongoing IPL.

Axar, meanwhile, has scalped nine wickets and scored 149 runs. With that in mind, the team management was expected to favour a bowler who can score runs in the lower order than someone who has last played for the national team in August 2023. Chahal will be the second wrist spinner in the team alongside Kuldeep Yadav.

Pant-Samson have their prayers answered

India have added two wicket-keepers, including Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson, to their squad. Pant is set to make a comeback, roughly about 16 months after meeting with a car crash on the Delhi-Dehradun highway in Uttarakhand in December, 2022.

Also Read: India's T20 World Cup squad: Pant, Samson, Chahal included; KL Rahul dropped

India will head into the tournament with the powerful pace attack led by Jasprit Bumrah with Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj adding more boost. Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan have been named as reserved players.

India are set to begin their World Cup campaign against Ireland on June 05, 2024, at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York, followed by the marquee clash against Pakistan on June 09, 2024 at the same venue. India will then play USA and Canada on June 12 and 15 respectively.

The Men in Blue are placed in Group A of the tournament alongside arch-rivals Pakistan, Ireland, Canada and co-hosts USA. Their campaign begins on 5 June against Ireland at the newly-constructed Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York before they take on Pakistan in one of the most awaited matches of the upcoming T20 World Cup.

India's T20 World Cup squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Hardik Pandya (Vice Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj.

Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan.