The selectors chose to play it safe instead of being brave when choosing India's 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup. Rohit Sharma's team has an experienced squad, but the big concern is whether they can cope with the speed of turbocharging that is becoming the norm in T20s.
Rishabh Pant's return from a gruesome injury is definitely a good thing, but there is no room for Rinku Singh, who has a staggering T20I strike rate of 176.
Strengths: Jasprit Bumrah, perhaps the most complete paceman in world cricket. Reuniting Kuldeep Yadav and his Yuzvendra Chahal will make for a strong spin unit. Suryakumar Yadav returns from injury. Virat Kohli is in good form (he has 500 runs in this IPL so far) and his strike rate has also improved (147). Capable and calm captain in Rohit Sharma.
Weaknesses: Unlike teams like Australia, India lacks all-rounders and X-factor players. Vice-captain Hardik Pandya, the only pace-bowling all-rounder, was selected and promoted based on his past performance rather than his current form. The team doesn't have a ruthless hitter.
The pace unit is spotty: Mohammed Siraj is below his best and Arshdeep Singh often leaks runs, especially at the death. Unfortunately, Mohamed Shami was absent due to an injury. The team has a lot of ordinary fielders.
opportunity: Despite a dominant performance in the ODI World Cup, the team falls at the final hurdle, leaving them with only a chance to win their second T20 World Cup.
threat: The team lacks a proven finisher. The top ranking is almost the same as the teams that failed to win the last two T20 World Cups. The tail may not be able to contribute much with the bat. Players who feed on the ball higher up can put extra pressure on the lower players. I am concerned about Rohit's condition.
squad: 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, Mohammed Siraj
reservation: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khalil Ahmed, Avesh Khan
Rishabh Pant's return from a gruesome injury is definitely a good thing, but there is no room for Rinku Singh, who has a staggering T20I strike rate of 176.
Strengths: Jasprit Bumrah, perhaps the most complete paceman in world cricket. Reuniting Kuldeep Yadav and his Yuzvendra Chahal will make for a strong spin unit. Suryakumar Yadav returns from injury. Virat Kohli is in good form (he has 500 runs in this IPL so far) and his strike rate has also improved (147). Capable and calm captain in Rohit Sharma.
Weaknesses: Unlike teams like Australia, India lacks all-rounders and X-factor players. Vice-captain Hardik Pandya, the only pace-bowling all-rounder, was selected and promoted based on his past performance rather than his current form. The team doesn't have a ruthless hitter.
The pace unit is spotty: Mohammed Siraj is below his best and Arshdeep Singh often leaks runs, especially at the death. Unfortunately, Mohamed Shami was absent due to an injury. The team has a lot of ordinary fielders.
opportunity: Despite a dominant performance in the ODI World Cup, the team falls at the final hurdle, leaving them with only a chance to win their second T20 World Cup.
threat: The team lacks a proven finisher. The top ranking is almost the same as the teams that failed to win the last two T20 World Cups. The tail may not be able to contribute much with the bat. Players who feed on the ball higher up can put extra pressure on the lower players. I am concerned about Rohit's condition.
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reservation: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khalil Ahmed, Avesh Khan