India's strongest playing XI for the 2024 T20 World Cup
The BCCI recently announced India's squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA, starting in June.
Rohit Sharma will captain the side, with Hardik Pandya serving as his deputy. Strangely, Rinku Singh, one of the Men in Blue's most consistent batters over the last year or so, hasn't been picked in the squad.
India's squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup: 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, Mohammed Siraj.
Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan.
India have plenty of talent in their ranks, but whether they will be able to assemble a world-beating playing XI remains to be seen. The other contenders look strong, with Rohit and Co. having clear issues with the composition of their side.
How can India maximize the resources at their disposal? Here is their strongest playing XI for the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Openers: Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli
Yashasvi Jaiswal is a player India need in their T20 XI, but it's hard to see how he fits in without disturbing the balance of the side.
Rohit Sharma, as the captain, is bound to open the batting. Virat Kohli batting at No. 3 seems like a terrible idea, given his tendency to slow down in the middle overs and lack of advanced gears against spin. Kohli at No. 3 would also damage the entry points of Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, and Rishabh Pant.
So even though it's far from ideal, Jaiswal might have to be content with a role on the bench to start the tournament. The southpaw hasn't been in world-beating form in IPL 2024 so far, and Kohli has been better in the powerplay.
Middle order: Sanju Samson (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel
Rishabh Pant's form has been a topic of hot debate in IPL 2024. While he has racked up a decent amount of runs, his unorthodox style and legside-dominant play have raised several doubts about his fit in the shortest format. The left-hander has gotten stuck now and then as well.
So Sanju Samson should be ahead of him in the wicket-keeping pecking order. If a wicket falls early in the powerplay, Samson could come in at No. 3 and reprise his role for the Rajasthan Royals. Otherwise, Suryakumar Yadav could be sent in ahead of him and potentially play as many balls as possible.
It's impossible to look past Shivam Dube in the form he's currently in. A destroyer of spin, the tall southpaw could be a dominant force in the middle overs. He has improved leaps and bounds against pace, so using him slightly lower down the order shouldn't be too big an issue even if it isn't the perfect choice.
If Suryakumar and Dube are needed to take over the middle-overs phase, Samson might have to bat at No. 5, which isn't something he's used to. However, he's a versatile player who has what it takes to succeed there.
Hardik Pandya is guaranteed to be part of the XI, even if he has been a shadow of himself in IPL 2024. India don't have many better options, and if they want a valuable sixth bowling option, they will need to go with the all-rounder.
Given the conditions expected to be on offer in the Caribbean and the USA, the Men in Blue could consider fielding Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja in tandem to lengthen their batting. Jadeja's batting form has been miserable, but he is a massive asset with the ball. Axar, meanwhile, can do a bit of both.
Playing Jadeja and Axar together is far from ideal, but given all the factors in play, it might be their best bet.
Lower order: Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh
Depending on the conditions, India could replace Axar with a fast bowler if necessary. That fast bowler on the bench could be Mohammed Siraj, who has fewer tools in his shed than Arshdeep Singh. The left-armer could thus partner Jasprit Bumrah in the pace attack.
Yuzvendra Chahal is an extremely unreliable T20 bowler, and why he has been picked in the World Cup squad is a question in itself. So he shouldn't be anywhere near the XI, with Kuldeep Yadav being one of the first names on the teamsheet in white-ball cricket.