Predicting India's Squad and Playing 11 for the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup

The Indian Cricket Team suffered a heartbreaking loss in the 2023 World Cup, missing out on an ICC trophy for 12 consecutive years. But now the T20 World Cup 2024 is approaching, and every Indian cricket fan is curious to know India’s squad for the tournament. With the hope of capturing the trophy this time around, the Indian selectors will try to replicate the almost perfect squad of the 2023 World Cup. However, they won’t be able to ignore the individual brilliance of a few young players who are doing exceedingly well in the ongoing IPL 2024 season. Some spots are already booked, while for others, there are too many options to select from. But one thing is for sure, a lot of thought is to be put in by the selectors and the captain, Rohit Sharma, to put forth the best fifteen forward.

Credit: Hindustan Times

In this chapter by ZAP, let’s look at India’s probable squad for the ICC T20 2024 World Cup. 

Available options for the Indian Cricket Team’s Squad for the 2024 ICC T20 Cricket World Cup:

The Booked Spots:

Credit: India.Com

It has already been announced by the BCCI that Rohit Sharma will lead the Indian side in the World Cup. He can be very destructive as an open batter. Plus, his tactfulness will benefit the Indian dressing room any given day. 

Further, no Indian team fan can imagine a World Cup squad without Virat Kohli in it. However, whether he will bat as an opener or in his original position, at number 3, is not sure as of now. Currently, in the IPL, he is opening along with RCB captain Faf du Plessis and has been batting at his best.

Suryakumar Yadav is, at the moment, the best Indian batsman for the T20 cricket format. The way he uses his wrists and covers all the areas of the ground is tremendous. Nobody can be as destructive as him in the powerplay and middle overs. Surya has a great talent for reading bowlers' minds, allowing him to manipulate the field effectively and play 360-degree cricket shots. And with the form he has shown in the tournament so far, he has already locked in his spot for Number 4.

Ravindra Jadeja is an asset to any team he plays for. He is a handy bowler and can play powerful strokes too in the death overs. Even on his off days, he can prove his worth with his exceptional fielding. All these things combined make him irreplaceable. 

The number one bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, is dominant and the face of India’s pace department. He is a very flexible bowler, as he can bowl with new and old balls with the same ease. No other bowler in the world can hit yorkers like he does, and his slower ones are super deceptive as well. All these weapons that he has in his arsenal make him a sure-shot player in the Indian Cricket Team’s squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup. 

Also Read: Fast Bowling Techniques | Fast Bowling Variations

The Batting Department:

Shubhman Gill, the prince of the Indian team, has done really well in the past 2-3 years for the national side and for the Gujarat Titans in the IPL. If not Virat, he could be opening the innings for India alongside Rohit Sharma. The biggest advantage for Gill is his elegance. His short arm jabs and front foot square cut are very unique and effective, especially in the powerplay. The other player competing for the same spot will be Ruturaj Gaikwad. Ruturaj has been on and off this IPL season and also hasn’t batted with a good strike rate up the order. In the past few T20 World Cups, India’s top order has been blamed for the low intent at the start of the innings. So, Rutu will have to level up his game and do extremely well in the second half of the season to be on the plane to America. 

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhishek Sharma, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, and Tilak Verma are all left handed batters and are competing against each other for a spot in the team. While Yashasvi and Abhishek are openers, the other three are middle order power hitters. Interestingly, Yashasvi was the clear choice among these batsmen, but with the season Abhishek Sharma is having with SRH this year, he has put his best foot forward to be a top choice for the Indian squad. The other three batters are exceptional in the middle order and can bat as finishers, getting runs in the death overs. Shivam Dube can also bowl one of two overs of quality medium pace and can be a great option. Rinku, as we know, is undoubtedly one of the best young Indian batsmen in the IPL. 

The Spin and Fast Bowling Spots:

The Spinners:

Being a chinaman, Kuldeep Yadav always adds variety to India’s bowling, and he did exceptionally well in the 2023 World Cup as well. Kuldeep Yadav should surely be in India’s squad. Along with him, Axar Patel, left arm bowler, could also get picked for the tournament. Both of these bowlers are extremely smart, and they very well know how to run the game at their pace.

Yuzvendra Chahal or Ravi Bishnoi, either of them could get picked as a leg spinner. While Yuzi is more experienced and is doing well in the IPL, Bishnoi has been more consistent lately. But you never doubt the GOAT bowler, a bowler who has picked up 200 wickets in the IPL.

Also Read: Most wickets in the IPL

The only off spinner who has a chance to make it into the squad is Ravichandran Ashwin. He could be very effective against left handed batters. Also, his batting contributions can be very vital for the team in tough situations. 

The Pace department:

Arshdeep Singh’s uniqueness is that he is the only left arm pacer who could potentially be included in the squad. He can swing to new leather balls in the powerplay and can bowl effective slower ones, pinpoint yorkers in death, and be a good partner for Bumrah. Mukesh Kumar could also be picked as the third pacer for the Indian team. He has already proved his mettle on the international stage. However, in the ongoing IPL, he has been expensive is was often seen bowling loose deliveries. 

With the season he’s having with RCB, Mohammad Siraj can be a big miss for the squad. Though he is a very daring and bold bowler when it comes to the shortest format, he has just not had a good season yet to give the selectors confidence in his recent bowling form. 

But, the Men in Blue could really use Mia’s magic because he never shies away from trying new things and getting hit. He can be a great asset, as his skills would be supported by the conditions in the USA and West Indies. 

Fight for the Wicket Keeping spot:

After a major accident and with a gap of roughly one and a half years, Rishabh Pant is back. He is leading his team, the Delhi Capitals, and is also back to his usual best, coming in the middle order and smashing just as he used to. When Rishabh Pant is at his best, there’s not even a question as to who the wicketkeeper should be.

KL Rahul has been India’s main keeper ever since the World Cup 2023 and is expected to make a cut in this team as well. He might not be as destructive as other wicket keepers, but his batting provides stability to the Indian batting line up. If he doesn’t get into the team as a wicketkeeper, he’s definitely going to be there as the number 5. 

Sanju Samson’s record as an IPL player is just too good. But when it comes to playing matches for the country, Samson has not been that effective. He has been given chances multiple times but has failed to capitalise on them. But this season, leading the Rajasthan Royals, he has been performing extremely well, both behind the wickets and with the bat. There’s a majority that feels Sanju deserves to be in the squad for the tournament. 

Mumbai Indians’ opener, Ishan Kishan, is a good wicketkeeper and powerful up the order batsman, and he could be a probable candidate for the World Cup too. But the reason why selectors might prefer other players over him is because he is very rigid when it comes to batting line up. He usually only bats in the top order, and the squad is already full of top order batters. 

Dinesh Karthik is 38 and is still one of the best finishers in the IPL this season. His on field banter with Rohit Sharma in the MI vs RCB game clearly shows that he is in consideration for the upcoming T20 World Cup. The problem is that he played his last international match almost 2 years ago, and since then he hasn’t played any cricket at the highest level. However, despite all this, selectors are seeing him as a probable wicketkeeper. The reason behind this is his power hitting in the lower order for RCB.

The Question About Hardik Pandya:

The Indian Team’s premier all rounder and the current captain of the Mumbai Indians, Hardik Pandya, is currently having a lean patch. He has been a part of a lot of controversies these days and has looked like a shadow of his former self, both with the bat and the ball. And replacing Rohit Sharma as the captain has come with its own drawback, with the crowd booing him in every match. All these factors have greatly impacted his mental confidence and affected his performances on the pitch. He has been expensive in death overs and is barely scoring runs for MI. But despite all this, there’s no all rounder with the quality even close to that of Pandya’s. On his given day, Hardik can single handedly win matches for the Men in Blue. So, it remains a question whether the selector and Rohit Sharma see him as a potential piece of the puzzle for India’s squad for the 2024 ICC T20 Cricket World Cup.

Also Read: Is Hardik Pandya the righ captain to lead Mumbai Indians

Prediciting India’s Squad for the 2024 ICC T20 Cricket World Cup:

Batters:

• Rohit Sharma
• Virat Kohli
• Suryakumar Yadav
• Yashasvi Jaiswal
• Sanju Samson
• Rinku Singh

Bowlers:

• Jasprit Bumrah
• Arshdeep Singh
• Mohammad Siraj 
• Kuldeep Yadav

All Rounders:

• Shivam Dube
• Hardik Pandya
• Ravindra Jadeja

Wicket Keepers:

• Rishabh Pant
• KL Rahul

Team India’s Predicted* Playing 11 for the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup:

Rohit Sharma ©, Yashasvi Jaiswali, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj.

Conclusion:

There are many youngsters that will probably miss out on making it into India’s Squad for the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup, most notably Abhishek Sharma. Also, KL Rahul hasn’t had the best IPL season this year, and we see him missing out on the playing 11. Shubman Gill, too, will probably warm the bench, as India would prefer to go with a Left Hand - Right Hand combo between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma. Hardik Pandya isn’t at his best, and you cannot remove Shivam Dube from the squad because of the performances he has delivered in the IPL. There can be some shock inclusions and exclusions from the squad, like putting in Ashutosh Sharma as a finisher or including Dinesh Kathik in the squad.

 

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