The 2024 T20 World Cup is fast approaching and most of the 20 participants have already announced their squads for the marquee event. Team India, under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, will go into the tournament as usual favourites, but whether they will be able to cross the knockout barrier is yet another question.
India are placed in Group A along with their arch-rivals Pakistan, Ireland, Canada and the USA. The premier 20-over tournament will kick off on June 2, and the Men in Blue will start their campaign against the Irish team in New York on June 5. The Asian giants had a forgettable exit from the last World Cup edition.
They performed well in the group stage but suffered a 10-wicket loss to England, who finished the tournament as champions. The inaugural T20 WC winners reached the finals of the last two major international tournaments – the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup. Can they end their title drought this time on Caribbean soil?
India Squad for T20 World Cup: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj.
Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan
Let’s take a look at the SWOT analysis of the Indian squad ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup
Strengths: Formidable batting unit
India’s main strength lies in their batting department. Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal provide explosive starts in the powerplay. Virat Kohli, the chase master and the run machine, to stabilize and anchor the innings. Suryakumar Yadav’s innovative shots at a staggering strike rate will pave the way for big hitters like Sanju Samson, Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya to deliver powerful finishes.
Don’t forget that Shivam Dube is also in their ranks. The Chennai Super Kings all-rounder is known for his power-hitting in the middle overs, especially against the spinners. With the addition of Ravindra Jadeja in the lower order, India’s batting looks to have great depth.
Weaknesses: Pace attack looks vulnerable
Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh are the bowling unit for India in the mega event. Apart from Bumrah, the remaining two are unreliable and have not impressed in the ongoing 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL). Though Arshdeep has taken 15 wickets so far, he has leaked a lot of runs for Punjab Kings. While Bumrah is the leading wicket-taker with 17 wickets from 13 matches, Siraj is nowhere on the list and has conceded an economy of 9.26.
The other fast-bowling options India have are Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube. While the new Mumbai Indians skipper hasn’t done anything special with the ball in the IPL, Dube has bowled a handful of overs this season. Also, there is no guarantee that Dube and Hardik will feature in the Playing XI together.
Opportunities: A chance for fresh faces to shine on big stage
Sanju Samson made his debut in India a long time ago but has not got a consistent run in the team citing his inconsistency in performance. However, the Rajasthan Royals skipper is leading the team from the front in the ongoing IPL, which has forced the selectors to pick him in the WC squad. Samson is in great form and this is a great opportunity to prove his mettle and silence his critics.
Same can be said about Shivam Dube. Ever since he joined CSK, the southpaw has revamped his game and become one of the most reliable batters in their unit. His ability to send the ball over the rope with ease is what India needed in the upcoming tournament. Dube can be a regular in the national team if he can perform well in the WC.
Yuzvendra Chahal can make management regret for constantly ignoring him
Yuzvendra Chahal is one of the finest T20 spinners in the world. However, he has been constantly overlooked by the Indian selectors when it comes to major tournaments. He recently became the first bowler in IPL history to take 200 wickets and now it’s time for him to bring out his best in the World Cup.
Threats
India’s threat is always the tag of ‘favourite’. They have some of the biggest guns in world cricket in their ranks and enter every tournament as top contenders to win the championship. However, they always fail to cross the knockout hurdle and the last time they won a major trophy was the 2013 Champions Trophy.
This time again they will travel to the USA/West Indies as the frontrunners and that pressure may give them heartbreak for another time. If they manage to keep their composure throughout the tournament, we could witness India’s quest for a major title come to an end this June.
Also read: players to watch out from India’s squad for T20 World Cup 2024