India enter the 2021 T20 World Cup as one of the firm favourites to go all the way, and all eyes will be on the Men in Blue given the wealth of superstars and talent in their squad. Virat Kohli’s side are currently ranked second behind England in T20I’s, and barring their freak Covid-induced series defeat to Sri Lanka earlier this year, they have won each of their past six T20I series.
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With all 15 members of the squad playing in the second half of the IPL in the UAE, India couldn’t have asked for better preparation for this tournament, and Virat Kohli will look to finish off his T20I captaincy career on a high note, and give India their first piece of silverware since 2013.
THE SQUAD – IN 12 WORDS OR LESS
KL Rahul – Can be world’s greatest T20 opener if he bats freely
Rohit Sharma – Not his strongest format, but still offers plenty
Virat Kohli – Best anchor in T20 cricket, needs to up strike-rate for India
Ishan Kishan – Aggressive left-handed opening option, destroys anything spinning into him
Suryakumar Yadav – Great intent, can score quickly against both spin and pace
Rishabh Pant – India’s most dangerous batsman, yet to master T20I cricket
Hardik Pandya – His back carries India’s World Cup hopes – literally and metaphorically
Ravindra Jadeja – Taken game to next level in past two years, the complete package
Shardul Thakur – Not a number seven but good squad option with his cutters and batting
Ravichandran Ashwin – Attacking powerplay option, should play against left-hand heavy teams
Rahul Chahar – Surprising inclusion over Chahal and Bishnoi, although striking at 15 in 2021
Varun Chakravarthy – If the mystery still holds, can win India games single-handedly
Jasprit Bumrah – Best bowler in T20I cricket, most valuable asset in the game
Bhuvneshwar Kumar – Best days are behind him, but arguably still 2nd best pace option
Mohammad Shami – Excellent at the top, less so at the death
LIKELY STARTING XI
India’s first team hasn’t played a T20I fixture since March against England, but the majority of the XI picks itself considering the hierarchy in the squad. Ishan Kishan has been confirmed as the backup opener, and the left-hander will miss out in favour of the experienced pair of KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma. Virat Kohli opened in that final T20I against England – scoring an unbeaten 80 – but should return to number three for India and play the primary anchor role for this side.
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India’s middle-order is packed with dynamic, high intent batters like Suryakumar Yadav at number four, followed by the enigmatic Rishabh Pant. Hardik Pandya’s form with the bat is a concern, but the high upside he provides makes it impossible to leave him out. The million-dollar question, though, is whether he can bowl two overs a game in the tournament and provide that crucial 6th option to Virat Kohli.
At number seven, Ravindra Jadeja has made himself undroppable after his recent performances for Chennai and offers something to the team in all three departments. With the ball, Jasprit Bumrah selects himself, and alongside him, Bhuvneshwar Kumar should get the nod due to his ability to bowl in the powerplay and at the death.
Given his wonderful form in the last two IPL’s in the UAE and his ability to bowl in the powerplay, Varun Chakravarthy should be a lock in this team while the final slot in the XI is a choice that should be dictated by matchups.
Against teams with plenty of left-handers, Ashwin is the better option, while Shardul Thakur could be selected to lengthen the tail and add some batting depth.
The Burning Question – What if Hardik can’t bowl?
India’s team is littered with match-winners across the board, but the bowling fitness of Hardik Pandya could have a massive bearing on the success of the team. The all-rounder bowled a few overs in India’s recent tour of Sri Lanka in July but didn’t bowl a single ball in the IPL for Mumbai.
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If Hardik can plug in 1-2 overs a game, he provides the perfect 6th bowling option that gives that flexibility to Virat Kohli. On the flip side, if Hardik is still unable to bowl, it provides a selection dilemma for Kohli and Shastri, and the temptation might be to play Jadeja at number six and Shardul Thakur – who was brought into the squad in place of Axar – at number seven.
Although that lineup offers more bowling options, it leaves India too thin in the batting department – considering none of the four bowlers picked can bat – and the Men in Blue should continue with Pandya even as a specialist batter.
Pandya offers tremendous upside with the bat, and his ability to clear the ropes from ball one against both pace and spin is unrivalled in this India squad. Although his inability to bowl gives India only five bowling options, that is a compromise Kohli and co should simply make to maximise their resources with the bat and give the Men in Blue the best chance of winning this tournament.
[Image Credit: Indian Cricket Team]
Shivaan Shah