The ICC T20 World Cup 2024 is starting from June 1. The event will be held in the West Indies and USA until June 29. 20 teams are set to take part, and all eyes will be on India under the leadership of Rohit Sharma. India are placed in Group A alongside hosts USA, Canada, Ireland and Pakistan. One expects India to reach the Super 8s, where the actual action will begin before the knockouts. India have done reasonably well in ICC tournaments of late but what the trophy is elusive. India lost the 2023 World Cup final (50 overs), and fans hope the side will go the distance this time around.

This is the ninth T20 World Cup and India have been part of two finals (2007 and 2014). They won the inaugural edition but lost to Sri Lanka in 2014. The last World Cup edition in 2022 saw India lose in the semis.

Earlier, India picked up a decent 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup. One major question was the absence of a fourth seamer. India left out pacers Avesh Khan and Khaleel Ahmed as standbys and didn’t go with any unique additions looking at the 2024 Indian Premier League season. Another hard-hitting call was the presence of Hardik Pandya and the absence of Rinku Singh. India opted for a heavy-spin attack, with skipper Rohit admitting that it was his call. Fair to say India have made their assumption on the surfaces in WI and the USA.

A look at India’s 15-member ICC T20 World Cup squad

Squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Hardik Pandya (vice captain), 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

Yuzvendra Chahal can be India’s trump card

Team India has three left-arm spinners, Yuzvendra Chahal being the only right-arm spinner. Chahal, who was overlooked for the 2023 World Cup and warmed the bench in the 2022 T20 WC, should be given the license to attack. The wrist-spinner can not only form an able combination with Kuldeep Yadav, but he could also dominate the scenes in terms of wickets. Chahal is India’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is and is closing in on 100 scalps. He is the top wicket-taker among Indians in T20s with 350-plus scalps. He is IPL’s top wicket-taker with 200-plus scalps, and notably, he owns most wickets for both RCB and RR in the competition. Chahal is a match-winner and can be India’s trump card.

Strengths of the Indian cricket team

Virat Kohli enjoyed another fruitful IPL season, where he scored 741 runs at 61.75. To have your best batter in prime form heading into a global event is massive. What stood out was Kohli played with intent and purpose. He struck at 150-plus for the second time in an IPL season. He also clobbered 38 sixes, equalling his 2016 heroics. So Kohli ticks off the right boxes, which is the ideal bet to open alongside Rohit. They have done so for India in the past in T20Is. Rohit will play his natural game and look to go hard. He had a decent IPL 2024 season. Rohit is a big tournament player, and it would bode well for India if he could turn up and hit those sixes.

India are spoilt for options in batting. Suryakumar Yadav is a sure-shot customer with his 360-degree approach and versatility. India could be tempted to play Suryakumar at number four so that he can handle the important part of the innings. This could lead to Sanju Samson getting his due at number three. Samson has been terrific in IPL 2024,  with over 500 runs and five fifties under his belt. Rishabh Pant presents a solid backup for Samson. The DC skipper did reasonably well on his return from an accident after 14 months.

India will put their money on Shivam Dube. The southpaw can be massive with his six-hitting prowess at number five. Dube can provide India with the license to score those extra runs. Alongside SKY, the number four and five make India look gigantic on paper.

India’s strength is spin, and so are the all-rounders. Ravindra Jadeja remains a safe bet as the primary number seven. He will be backed as the finisher, in addition to his left-arm spin and agile fielding. In Kuldeep Yadav and Chahal, India have what it takes to go hard at teams. These are genuine wicket-takers. Axar Patel is a decent choice to have in the side.

Jasprit Bumrah leads India’s pace attack, and he is the key. He has been sensational in the T20 format, and a solid IPL 2024 will back his confidence. With Arshdeep Singh in the house, India have two well-drilled death bowlers. This is a win-win scenario.

Weaknesses of the Indian cricket team

Hardik Pandya’s form can be scratchy. Pandya is seen as the third pacer in the starting XI. So it’s crucial for him to dig out the necessary overs and look to be impactful. Pandya struggled to find a balance with both bat and ball in IPL 2024. He claimed only 11 wickets at 35.18, and his economy rate was a dismal 10.75. With the bat, Pandya struggled, scoring 216 runs at 14. India have taken a big risk in including Pandya, who isn’t in the best of form. He is India’s nucleus, and pressure will be huge given failure will lead to imbalance. Rohit needs Pandya, the player, to come out and perform well on the big stage.

Mohammed Siraj, the genuine pacer on the bench, is a weak link. Siraj averaged over 36 in IPL 2024, and his economy rate is on the highest side. He is also not an option at the death. So Avesh Khan or even Harshal Patel could have been a better fit than Siraj in the T20 scheme of things. Siraj hasn’t quite dominated the format.

Finishing can be India’s weak point. Without Rinku Singh, the onus is on Pandya and Jadeja. The latter is still bankable, but looking at Rinku’s stats for India, he is a sheer miss. He could have taken the attack to the cleaners. This leaves Pandya also to go out and finish games, and given his form, it’s a worry.

Author’s view: India one of the contenders for a semi-final place

India have what it takes to reach the semis at least. A lot will hinge on their performance in the Super 8s. However, if India’s batting fire with Kohli and Suryakumar as the match-winners, it’s a tempting tale. With the ball, expect Bumrah and the spinners to dominate the show. India have a decent squad with players banking on experience so it automatically presents a chance where they can be one of the favourites to go and strike. However, looking at India’s performance in key knockout matches, India may miss the cut beyond a semis place.

Players to watch out for

Virat Kohli: The 35-year-old has dominated the scenes in ICC T20 World Cups, being the top scorer with 1141 runs at 81.50 from 27 matches. Kohli has smashed 14 fifties. Kohli is also the top scorer in T20Is with over 4000 runs. He also comes to the tournament as the leading scorer in IPL 2024. Kohli became the first player in IPL history to smash 8000 runs with his 29th run in the Eliminator.

Jasprit Bumrah: A genuine match-winner, Bumrah can set the ball rolling both in the power play and at the death. He looks destined to hand India the perfect start with the ball. He will need Arshdeep to come out and support him. Bumrah is India’s 3rd-highest wicket-taker in T20Is.

India’s schedule for the T20 World Cup

June 5, India vs Ireland – Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York (8:00 PM IST)

June 9, India vs Pakistan – Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York (8:00 PM IST)

June 12, USA vs India – Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York (8:00 PM IST)

June 15, India vs Canada – Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground, Lauderhill, Florida (8:00 PM IST)

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