India's T20 World Cup squad: 3 players who earned their spots in the side
India's squad for the ICC T20 World Cup was announced on Wednesday (September 8) and one of the surprise inclusions in the 15-member squad was Ravichandran Ashwin.
Of the players that were named, quite a few earned their spots with some impressive performances across multiple formats of the game.
The likes of Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan made ample use of their opportunities and in return were rewarded with a place in the national team for an all-important tournament.
We take a look at three players who deserved a spot in the side for the T20 World Cup and earned it.
#1 Suryakumar Yadav: India's middle-order anchor
The Mumbai batter has been a consistent performer in the IPL for the past few seasons. As a reward for his efforts, he found a place in the national team during the T20 series against England earlier this year.
Yadav was part of the Indian team that won the last two matches of the series and the fifty he scored on his debut showcased his potential. His cool head, fluent strokeplay and ability to hit long and hard make him a frontrunner to play in the No. 4 position.
The numbers speak for themselves: 5326 runs in 55 FC matches at an average of 44.01, 3879 T20 runs at an average of 31.53, 2903 runs from 14 List A games, and 263 runs in seven games for India at averages of 62.00 and 46.33.
These numbers, combined with his abilities, surely merit a place in the T20 World Cup squad.
#2 Ishan Kishan
The T20 World Cup 2021 prize money for all matches is revealed, click here to know the amount.
Debutant Ishan Kishan had a cracking ODI debut against Sri Lanka. His 42-ball-59 was instrumental in propelling India to a seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the first ODI.
Two things that have stood out are Ishan Kishan's sublime timing and his impeccable footwork. These have helped him take the IPL by storm.
Kishan recorded a fifty on his T20I debut against England earlier this year, and his approach to the game against the island nation was no different.
Hence, Kishan making the T20 World Cup squad comes as no surprise.
#3 R Ashwin: India need their match-winning tweaker for the T20 World Cup
What Ravichandran Ashwin brings to the table, aside from his wicket-taking abilities, is immense experience. He may have last played a T20 in 2017, but he kept himself active on the IPL circuit.
His selection in the T20 World Cup squad is perhaps purely based on his recent staggering performances in Tests. Is the format different? Sure, but what Ashwin did was show that he was capable of picking wickets irrespective of the conditions.
What are your thoughts on India T20 World Cup squad 2021?