Indian Team's Dynamic Seven: Sharma's Leadership, Pandya's Versatility Lead Team To T20 World Cup Final

The Indian cricket team's journey in the T20 World Cup has been shaped by the dynamic performances of Rohit Sharma's inspirational leadership, Virat Kohli's resilience amidst challenges, Hardik Pandya's versatile contributions with bat and ball, Jaspreet Bumrah's precision in taking crucial wickets, Arshdeep Singh's emergence as the leading wicket-taker, Kuldeep Yadav's spin mastery, and Axar Patel's spin wizardry. Writes Meenakshi Rao

Barbados:The Indian team led by Rohit Sharma will play the T20 World Cup 2024 final against South Africa here later in the day. Both Indian and South Africa are unbeaten in the marquee tournament and will be keen to lay their hands on the coveted Trophy.

India last won an ICC Trophy way back in 2013 when the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led team clinched the ICC Champions Trophy. The Indian team will be also keen to give a special gift to Head Coach Rahul Dravid, whose tenure will end after the final.

Here are the seven key India players and their contribution to the side so far in this T20 World Cup:

1. Rohit Sharma: Captain par excellence, selfless, aggressive, strategist and conditionally adaptive with a keen knowledge of the game, Sharma has been through the batting grind in this tough tournament where below par drop-in pitches kept him and his legendary willow mates, on a hook. However, with an explosive 92 in 41 balls to oust Australia and a cautious and gritty 57 against England under difficult circumstances to throw out the defending champions, he is Indian cricket’s Raymond man. He is the second highest run maker in this format after South Africa's David Miller at 420 runs.
2. Virat Kohli: The master batter and the rockstar of Indian cricket, has been having a nightmarish tournament with two ducks, three single and two double digit entries (4, 7, 0, 0, 4, 7, 9, 23, 37), in eight matches to the Final. His best is yet to come and is highly anticipated in this Final, as a departing gift for himself and for his fans. Coach Rahul Dravid has batted for him.
3. Hardik Pandya: Troubleshooter, finisher, partnership breaker, builder – that’s Panya for you in a nutshell. He has played his supportive part in this tournament and met all the targets set for him by his skipper, both with the bat in the death overs and the ball.
4. Jasprit Bumrah: Urgent scalper, powerplay killer, deadly yorkerist, and a picture of precision when he rolls his shoulder, Bumrah has been among the wickets in this tournament and when most needed. Though the pace spearhead has not been opening the innings, he has run in from the other end to strike at the opposition or limit their runs with regularity. He has 13 wickets to his name in this edition and is the second leading wicket-taker for now.
5. Arshdeep Singh: Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh is the highest wicket-taker for the Men in Blue in a single edition of the T20 World Cup. In the semifinal against England, Arshdeep failed to pick any wickets in his two-over spells. The 25-year-old has 15 wickets in the ongoing World Cup.
6. Kuldeep Yadav: The wristy left-man has been a masterclass for India in the Caribbean leg of the tournament and is known for his head-down variety of grounded bowling which flummoxes batters in all categories. His three against England went a long way in the dismantling of the defending champions. At Barbados, he took 2-32 against Afghanistan.
7. Axar Patel: The doughty spinner led the Indian bowling attack by picking up three wickets in three overs against England in the semifinal, scalping skipper Jos Butler in his first delivery. He has been an emerging but crucial spoke in the great Indian wheel and even though Kensington Oval is not known for aiding spinners, Patel and Kuldeep are here to stay – and chip in.