Hyderabad: As the T20 World Cup 2024 kicks off in the United States and the Caribbean in what is being touted as history in the making, India would be raring to go all the way to the top pedestal.
It will be a great run for many reasons. It’s retiring players, it’s youthful exploders, it’s tried but not tested players in the wings and so it will be just a matter of the right choice that will take it either way.
With a fertile bench strength giving the selectors a problem of plenty, there are really no surprises that one would await when they announce their 15 for the team's trans-Atlantic flight.
Here are some probables:
Rohit Sharma: The one-man destruction Army when he gets going, India’s tallest hitman will be looking for a swan song, one that he so sorely missed in the 50-over World Cup just the other day. On the new untested turf, he will be expected to lead from the front which he will, after taking a break from captaincy in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Yashasvi Jaiswal: He is one youngster who can wear both the whites and the blues with equal elan. Just 22, he has empowered explosions in the middle with class and solidity and he prefers to talk only with his left-handed bat. A real phoenix with a 70 per cent strike rate in the nine Tests he has played thus far and a 161.9 hit speed in T20s, he is a net no one would think as a risk.
Virat Kohli: Needs no introduction for the weight, glamour and sustainability he will lend to the crucial No. 3 position with his vintage bat and lionised but well-earned reputation. In the autumn of his career, he would be looking to see India on the summit with his contribution.
Suryakumar Yadav: Though one is still to emerge from the fiasco batting he displayed in the ODI World Cup final when he was the sole hope left for India’s victory, SKY has been the limit for him in the 20-over format. Rising from injury of both mind and body, he would be looking to redeem his 2023 failure at 'Motera'. Besides, him being more veteran than a T20 player should be, this might well be his only second but last cricket World Cup. A high stream of runs is almost a surety where he is concerned. The No. 4 slot is a crucial point of build-ups. No better man than him on even a bad day.
Rishabh Pant: Back from a near-death experience, a torn body and a messed up mental strength, this promising wicket-keeper and batter Pant, will be an asset if he gets going. He popularly would make the cut over KL Rahul, no less a warrior, the latter would however make it to the 15-member squad as a reserve wicket-keeper and bat.
Rinku Singh: The find of the fast and furious format of Cricket, he is a becoming story with a personal journey that would touch your heart. Refusing to be a sweeper, he has famously proved that passion and skill with the right opportunity can be unbeatable. With 15 explosive innings in T20 with an 89 per cent strike rate, he is a middle-order batter always raring to go and mostly finding his touch where explosions are concerned.
Ravindra Jadeja: Batter, bowler, tinker and tailor of many nerve-wrecking finishes in India’s favour, Jadeja is a must for this World Cup. His orthodox left-arm spin, fielding prowess and batting cameos that come when most needed make him a rubber stamp for the No 7 position.
Hardik Pandya: Not in the best of forms for now, he has been having a torrid IPL season after he opted to join Mumbai Indians as skipper, he is still one all-rounder who cannot be ignored. He is steadfast and dependable and can make an instant mark both as a batter and bowler. Known to be someone who is drafted in to break partnerships, Pandya is a live-wire, who will be wanting to explode and get back to his winning ways.
Kuldeep Yadav: Recently, he has been one spinner who cannot be kept out of squads, he picks his scalps with measured quietude and persistent toil with the ball in a format that has traditionally treated bowlers as punching bags. Yadav still manages to emerge as a stealth bomber and the T20 World Cup would be his big stage.
Mohammed Siraj: This unassuming Hyderabadi who feasts on speed, has been going for runs in this IPL, had emerged as Jasprit Bumrah’s comrade from the other end. He has taken the new ball to good results many times.
Jasprit Bumrah: The team's showstopper in the direst of circumstances, this master destroyer speaks and stuns batters from across the globe with his yorkers, swinging deliveries and wicket-taking bowling right from the first over.
The rest: Shubman Gill, Mayank Yadav, Shivam Dubey, Ruturaj Gaikwad or K L Rahul, Axar Patel if without injury niggles.
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