India T20 World Cup 2024 Squad Highlights: The BCCI has finally released the much anticipated T20 World Cup squad for the forthcoming international tournament. This announcement was made on Tuesday and raised many eyebrows due to the unexpected omissions and surprising inclusions. The Men in Blue include some youngsters like Arshdeep Singh and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, and Rohit Sharma will be traveling as experienced players. The major debate and discussion were for the wicketkeeper spot. Eventually, Sanju Samson and Rishabh Pant sealed the spots as the two main lads. If we talk about unexpected picks and omissions, you can check the following sections to know more:
T20 World Cup 2024: Major Unexpected Inclusions
Though the squad appears to be balanced, certain inclusions and exclusions became a matter of debate. Foremost, let’s take a look at the T20 World Cup 2024 World Cup Squad and after that, we’ll talk about some surprising inclusions in the team.
Selected 15-member Squad
- Rohit Sharma (Captain)
- Hardik Pandya (Vice Captain)
- Virat Kohli
- Sanju Samson (Wicketkeeper)
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Suryakumar Yadav
- Rishabh Pant (Wicketkeeper)
- Shivam Dube
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Axar Patel
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Yuzvendra Chahal
- Arshdeep Singh
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Mohd. Siraj
Reserved Players List
- Shubhman Gill
- Rinku Singh
- Avesh Khan
- Khaleel Ahmed
Surprising Inclusions In The Squad
Some surprising inclusions were not much anticipated and people doubted their presence in the squad. The major names include the following:
Sanju Samson:
Sanju Samson has experienced a type of comeback in the IPL 2024. Samson has frequently entered and exited the Indian team. When we talk about his international career, his wild journey with the Men in Blue never seems to end. He has returned to the Indian T20 Squad due to his recent form.
Shivam Dube:
Many expected Rinku Singh to be part of the squad in place of Shivam Dube, but he made it due to his recent batting performances. He can play exceptionally fast knocks against spin attacks that too in the middle overs. Dube is also capable of finishing crucial games making him a surprising inclusion.
Yuzvendra Chahal:
Yuzvendra Chahal hadn’t played a single game in the T20 World Cup 2022 even though he was in the squad. His selection was quite doubtful but recent games and his commendable performance justifies the inclusion. As Chahal returns to the team, people will await the comeback of the Kul-Cha duo (Kuldeep and Chahal) in the World Cup tournament.
Five Players Missed The Flight To The US
Some unexpected missouts of the Indian World Cup squad included the following players. Though some of them have been kept as reserved players, they should be added to the main squad.
Rinku Singh:
Rinku has gained the reputation of being a designated finisher on both home and international grounds. Due to his uneven play in the current Indian Premier League, he is not included in the provisional squad for the T20 World Cup. This could partially be the result of restricted opportunities. He is still a traveling reserve for the team.
KL Rahul:
Rahul, who last played a T20 match for India at the T20 World Cup 2022, is left out of both the main squad and the reserves for the T20 World Cup 2024 despite showing improved form in recent IPL games.
Ravi Bishnoi:
While Yuzvendra Chahal has performed admirably for his IPL team, the LSG spin bowler has not had a particularly good season. This is why Yuzvendra Chahal was preferred over Bishnoi. He was passed over for the World Cup squad by the selection committee despite earlier investments in him for T20Is.
Ishan Kishan:
Despite his fierce IPL 2024 performances for the Mumbai Indians, Kishan is not included in either the squad or the reserves due to his absence from the national team since the South Africa Test series. He didn’t even play any domestic matches for the last few months.
Shubman Gill:
Gill’s form has declined in IPL 2024, as he has only achieved 320 runs in 10 matches, following an outstanding season with the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2023. Though he is regarded as a backup opener, his recent outings have been below average, which has led to his absence.
Why Was Rinku Singh Dropped Out?
Numerous netizens and cricketing experts are surprised because Rinku Singh, the Rocket Hitter, is traveling with the squad as a reserved player. There were high speculations that Rinku Singh would secure a spot in the 15-member T20 World Cup Squad.
However, after the squad declaration, people and cricket fans demanded the inclusion of Rinku Singh in the main squad. Many questioned why selectors dropped out Rinku Singh, despite his commendable strike rate of 180 and the batting average of 89.
The left-hander Rinku has been a crucial part of India’s white-ball teams ever since he declared his intention to play in the 2023 IPL. Rinku has proven to be a brilliant finisher as well as a pressure absorber who can mount a counterattack on the opposition team if the team loses early wickets.
All of it ought to have earned him a spot, but given India’s preference for all-rounders, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar are thought to have been in a three-way race for the last spot. They ultimately decided to go with Axar due to his versatility and form.
Also Read: India T20 World Cup 2024 Squad: Complete List of Team Players and Name
Why KL Rahul Wasn’t Picked In The World Cup Squad?
Keeping KL Rahul out of the World Cup squad sparked questions and debates. This comes after his stellar performance for the IPL franchise, Lucknow Super Giants. His reliable form, which averaged 42 and had a strike rate of 144, had many wonder why the selectors had chosen Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson over him.
Rahul’s chances were restricted by his primary role as an opener in T20 Internationals and the fierce competition at the top order, especially from Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Furthermore, the lineup was packed by the rise of players like Shubhman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
While impressive, Rahul’s strike rate may have been much better in comparison to Samson and Pant, who had even greater strike rates. In addition, his lack of middle-order experience was a problem in comparison to opponents like Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh.
Rahul had a fantastic T20 record, but the selectors valued his ability to adjust to the changing needs of the game more than anything else, therefore they left him out of the team. The fast-playing capabilities and six-hitting potential of these players made KL Rahul not included in the squad.
FAQs: India T20 World Cup 2024 Squad Highlights
Ques 1. What is the commencement date of the T20 Mens World Cup 2024?
Ans. The major ICC event is commencing on the 2nd of June 2024 while India will begin its campaign on the 5th of June 2024.
Ques 2. Who are the reserved players in the T20 World Cup Squad?
Ans. Four players have been kept in the reserved group including Shubhman Gill, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, and Rinku Singh.