3 surprise picks in India's T20 World Cup squad
India have named a strong 15-man squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2021 in the UAE. There were some no-brainers selection-wise like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, etc. But there were also some players whom many would have given a chance to at least feature in the squad.
The likes of Shikhar Dhawan and Yuzvendra Chahal were unlucky to miss out. The southpaw has been a consistent run-scorer for India in white-ball cricket, while Chahal has been India's highest wicket-taker in T20Is. However, inconsistency in the recent tour of Sri Lanka has led to their downfall.
While these are some of the unlucky players, let's take a look at three players whose selection raised quite a few eyebrows:
#3 Ishan Kishan
Ishan Kishan
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has been a dangerous batsman for the Mumbai Indians and was their highest scorer in the IPL 2020 season with 516 runs. He also made his India debut against England in the T20I series at home and smashed a fifty on debut.
However, Kishan had a terrible start to the IPL 2021 season with just 73 runs from five games. Although he scored a half-century on ODI debut against Sri Lanka, selecting him in the first fifteen has been a move that very few saw coming.
Ishan Kishan's big-hitting ability and his versatility will surely be an added advantage for the Indian team. If they use him well, he could well prove to be a match-winner.
#2 Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin last played a white-ball game for India back in June 2017. He was almost discarded as an option and made a Test specialist. However, in recent times, Ashwin has grown into arguably one of the best spinners India has produced.
With over 400 wickets in Tests, Ashwin has proved he is still good enough to be an all-format bowler. He also has staggering numbers in the IPL, picking up 139 wickets from 159 games at an economy rate of just 6.90.
A finger injury to Washington Sundar might have paved the way for Ashwin's selection as he is arguably the best off-spinner in the country at the moment. His experience will be extremely handy and his variations could be a vital cog in the Indian wheel.
#1 Axar Patel
Probably the biggest surprise of all was the selection of Axar Patel in the first fifteen of India T20 World Cup squad 2021. The left-arm spinner is a clever bowler but had done nothing extraordinary in white-ball cricket to have received a nod ahead of the likes of Yuzvendra Chahal.
Patel has played 101 IPL games in which he has picked up 86 wickets at an economy of 7.28. He probably must have been selected as a like-for-like replacement for Ravindra Jadeja due to his all-round ability.
If Jadeja remains fit, it is highly unlikely that we will see Patel in action. But after the fireworks he produced in the Test series at home against England, he might spring a surprise if given an opportunity.