India's squad for T20 World Cup: 3 players who might be surprise heroes
Indian selectors announced the 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup earlier on Monday, September 12. Rohit Sharma will lead Tea India for the showpiece event in Australia, with the team taking on arch-rivals Pakistan in the first match of the Super 12 stage.
India's squad for the T20 World Cup is one that's largely along expected lines. Ravichandran Ashwin has pipped Ravi Bishnoi for the second spinner's role while Axar Patel walks in with Ravindra Jadeja ruled out due to injury.
On the fast bowling front, a fit-again Harshal Patel also finds himself named in the squad. Avesh Khan's lackluster returns in his short international career have forced the selectors to wield the ax on him altogether.
Among the standbys, Mohammed Shami, Deepak Chahar, and Ravi Bishnoi are the bowling choices, while Shreyas Iyer remains the sole batting option.
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The Men In Blue will be keen to put a forgettable Asia Cup campaign behind them and turn a fresh corner.
On that note, let's look at three players in India's squad for the T20 World Cup who could emerge as surprise heroes.
#1 Deepak Hooda
A strong IPL 2022 campaign and a blistering century against Ireland have earned Deepak Hooda a spot in India's squad for the T20 World Cup. Having batted out of position in the Asia Cup, however, he endured a tough time while barely getting a go with the ball.
Defining his role and using him as a floater to take the opposition spinners down ought to be the best way to utilize him. With Jadeja not there to balance out the squad, Hooda could become an X-factor and truly define the word 'impact' that this format often requires.
A partnership breaker and dynamite with the bat, a strong campaign from his end should see India on the right track in the T20 World Cup.
#2 Yuzvendra Chahal
When Yuzvendra Chahal was left out of India's squad for the T20 World Cup last year, it came for a lot of discourse and scrutiny. He returned to the fold immediately after and his selection for the upcoming event in Australia vindicates the fact that he is the first-choice spinner in the team.
That said, things haven't been very smooth for the leggie in recent times, who has failed to show the requisite consistency he is usually renowned for. A tendency to toss the ball a wee bit too much has seen him leak runs aplenty through the middle overs, leaving his side in limbo while defending totals.
His quality to flight the ball, however, could play into his hands come the T20 World Cup in Australia, thanks to the long boundary dimensions in that part of the world. His returns could very well make or break the team's campaign and while the attention will largely be around Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya among others, Chahal could emerge as a surprise hero.
#3 Axar Patel
Ravindra Jadeja is arguably the biggest miss in India's squad for the T20 World Cup. An untimely knee injury and subsequent surgery for the Saurashtra all-rounder has opened the door for Axar Patel in the main squad.
Although Hooda was preferred ahead of Axar in the Asia Cup, the latter definitely offers more with the ball. His batting returns have seen an upswing over the last year or so and he gave a good account of the same in the second ODI in the West Indies in July, plundering an unbeaten 35-ball 64.
Of course, Axar also brings left-handed variety to the outfit - a factor that could prove decisive in the case of skewed boundary dimensions. Should he step up in Jadeja's absence, expect India's concerns with balancing the side to be doused automatically.
Does this Indian team have it in them to go the distance at the T20 World Cup in Australia? Let us know what you think in the comments!
Also read: 3 reasons why Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are a better opening combination in T20Is