3 concerns with India's T20 World Cup squad
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced its 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup on Monday, September 12. The marquee tournament will take place in Australia, starting October 16.
Unsurprisingly, the squad is largely along the expected lines. Only Ravi Bishnoi was not considered for the World Cup despite playing well in the recently concluded Asia Cup 2022. He is in a stand-by list of four players. Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh was picked to add variety to the pace attack, with Avesh Khan missing out.
India's T20 World Cup squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, and Arshdeep Singh.
Standby players - Mohammed Shami, Shreyas Iyer, Ravi Bishnoi, and Deepak Chahar.
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While this is arguably India's best set of players, the Men in Blue will have a few headaches going into the ICC T20 World Cup.
On that note, let's take a look at three areas of concern for Rohit Sharma and Co.
#3 Yuzvendra Chahal's dismal form
Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal looked below-par with the ball in the recently concluded Asia Cup 2022. He was taken to the cleaners by the batters in most games, returning with only four wickets in as many matches at an economy rate of 7.93.
With Ravi Bishnoi not being part of India's T20 World Cup squad, Chahal is likely to feature in all games Down Under. Chahal, who has struggled to pick up wickets in the middle overs, will keep the think tank a tad worried ahead of the multi-nation tournament.
#2 Rishabh Pant or Dinesh Karthik?
Dinesh Karthik's inclusion ahead of Rishabh Pant in India's Asia Cup 2022 opener against Pakistan raised a few eyebrows. Although the veteran wicketkeeper-batter faced just one ball against the Men in Green and didn't get a chance to bat versus Hong Kong, he was dropped for the Super 4 stage fixtures against Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Pant, meanwhile, has struggled with the bat in the shortest format, raising doubts over his inclusion in India's T20 World Cup squad. However, the team management showed trust in the southpaw's match-winning abilities.
With both Pant and Karthik in the squad, skipper Rohit and head coach Rahul Dravid will have a difficult task at hand to choose between the two.
#1 Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel fitness
Fans will breathe a sigh of relief after Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel were named in India's T20 World Cup squad. Both struggled with injuries and underwent rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.
They missed the Asia Cup 2022 campaign as the Men in Blue's struggle in the death overs was there for everyone to see. Rohit and Co. failed to defend their totals in two Super 4 games against Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
While Bumrah and Harshal's return will bolster India's pace attack, there will be concerns over their fitness. The physios will have their tasks cut out to keep the two bowlers fit throughout the T20 World Cup.