T20 World Cup 2020: Five players India should nurture for the tournament
After the disappointment of this year's World Cup, Virat Kohli & Co. slowly shift their focus towards the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia next October. They have little more than a year to build a team capable of winning the title. After winning the World T20 title during the inaugural edition of the tournament, India have failed to add to it. Only once have the Men in Blue reached finals in the previous five editions.
India has no shortage of talent in the 20-over format, thanks to the Indian Premier League and various other state-based T20 leagues. With the tournament set to happen in Australia, India should try various options in the next few months and decide on their best XI for the tournament as per the expected playing conditions.
Majority of the current ODI squad will feature in the tournament but there are quite a few places up for grabs. India’s next T20 assignment starts in West Indies next month and this is the perfect time for the selectors to give opportunities to players who have performed well in IPL and other domestic limited-overs tournaments.
On that note, let’s take a look at five Indian players who can be nurtured for the T20 World Cup next year.
#5 Navdeep Saini
Navdeep Saini’s stock has been on the rise over the past couple of years. The 26-year-old fast bowler stood apart in Royal Challengers Bangalore squad which finished last in the Indian Premier League 2019. He bowled with a lot of heart in the tournament and troubled batsmen with his pace and bounce.
The Delhi seamer consistently clocked speeds of over 145 kph and even breached the 150 kph mark on occasions. He is one of the fastest bowlers in Indian cricket at the moment and making headlines for the right reasons. He has also picked up five wickets in the recently concluded List A game against West Indies A.