ICC T20 World Cup 2021: India's Probable Squad For The Tournament

The ICC T20 World Cup 2021 is going to be a grand event to take place this year. The tournament was earlier scheduled to be held in Australia last year but was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Later, the tournament was postponed to 2021 with India as the new hosts. ICC T20 World Cup 2021 is going to take place during October-November this year. India might be the host of the tournament but a decision will be taken in July on the basis of the Covid-19 situation within the country.

UAE is another venue where ICC might shift the tournament if the Covid-19 situation does not come under control in India. In ICC T20 World Cup, India has only won the title once in 2007, which was the first edition of the tournament. In T20I World Cup 2014, India lost the final to Sri Lanka. West Indies are the defending champions of the tournament as they won the T20I World Cup 2016 final against England.

This time, Indian fans have a lot of expectations from the Indian team. The Virat Kohli-led side has some of the best bowlers and batsmen in the squad. India is ranked 2^nd in ICC’s T20I rankings. With the last two T20I series win against Australia and England, the Indian team has become one of the leading contenders for the winner of ICC T20I World Cup 2021. BCCI will nominate the best squad for the tournament according to their performances in the T20 formats at domestic and international levels.  Here we take a look at India’s probable squad for ICC T20I World Cup 2021.

ICC T20 World Cup 2021: India’s Probable Squad For The Tournament

Virat Kohli (c)

Virat Kohli will be the first player in the squad and he will lead the team. Indian team has performed brilliantly in T20Is under Kohli’s captainship. Moreover, Virat Kohli has shown an incredible form in the previous two T20I series. Against Australia in December 2020, Virat Kohli was the highest run-getter for India in three games with 134 runs which consisted of 1 fifty. Against England in March this year, Kohli was the highest run-scorer in the 5-match T20I series with 231 runs. He smashed three 70+ scores and also won the player of the series award.

Rohit Sharma (vc)

Rohit Sharma will be another member of the squad. The right-handed batsman is a top choice as an opener for India in all formats. Rohit Sharma has been a regular member of the national team since 2013. He is also the vice-captain in the limited-overs format.

In the 5-match T20I series against England, Sharma scored 91 runs in 3 matches, out of which one was a half-century. In IPL 2021, Sharma was the leading run-scorer of his team Mumbai Indians with 250 runs in 7 matches.

Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan is also expected to be a part of the squad post his spectacular batting show in IPL 2021. In 8 matches, Delhi Capitals’ opener Dhawan was the highest run-scorer with 380 runs. He smashed 3 fifties with a highest knock of 92. In the T20I series against Australia last year, Dhawan was India’s 2nd highest run-scorer with 81 runs in 3 matches with a fifty.

Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav has emerged as one of the promising middle-order batsmen for India. In his international T20I debut against England in March this year, he smashed a quickfire half-century. He played 3 matches in which he scored 89 runs. In IPL 2021, Yadav scored 173 runs that consisted of one half-century. Last year in IPL 2020, he scored 480 runs in 15 innings. Yadav is also expected to make it into the Indian squad for ICC T20I World Cup 2021.

Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer was injured ahead of IPL 2021 due to which he was ruled out of the tournament. However, he will be totally fit during the ICC T20I World Cup 2021. He is another player who is highly expected to make it into the squad. Iyer has been a regular part of Indian team in the limited-overs format for the last 2 years. In the T20I series against England, the right-handed batsman Shreyas Iyer showed a magnificent performance with 121 runs in 5 matches along with a fifty.

Prithvi Shaw

With his fabulous performance in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2020-21 and IPL 2021, Prithvi Shaw is another player who will be selected in the Indian squad for ICC T20I World Cup 2021. Shaw was the highest run-scorer in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2020-21 with 827 runs in 8 matches. In IPL 2021, Shaw was the 4th highest run-scorer in 8 matches with 308 runs. He also smashed 3 fifties.

Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant might be the primary choice for wicket-keeper for India ICC T20I World Cup 2021. After the Australia and England series and IPL 2021, Pant has emerged as a valuable wicketkeeper-batsman for India. During the T20I series against England, Pant scored 102 runs in 4 innings. In IPL 2021, he scored 213 runs in 8 matches along with 2 half-centuries.

KL Rahul

Although KL Rahul performed poorly during the T20I series against Australia last year and England this year, he made a successful comeback in IPL 2021. Punjab Kings’ skipper KL Rahul was the 2^nd highest run-getter in IPL 2021 with 331 runs in 7 matches. He also smashed 4 half-centuries in the tournament out of which one was an unbeaten 91-run knock. KL Rahul will also be a good choice for a secondary wicket-keeper for India.

Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya is a mighty all-rounder for the Indian team in the limited-overs format. Pandya played a big role during India T20I series win over Australia last year; when he smashed 14 runs off 4 balls in the final over to win the 2^nd T20I. India won the series 2-0 after the end of the 2^nd match itself. Although he was not quite impressive in the T20I series against England, he is the among the best finisher that India have in the T20I format.

Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja is another all-rounder who will make into India’s squad for ICC T20I World Cup 2021. Ravindra Jadeja last played a T20I match against Australia, when he smashed 44 runs off 23 balls in the 1st T20I. He was injured during the Australia series and returned in IPL 2021.

For Chennai Super Kings, Jadeja showed impeccable form in batting, bowling, and fielding. He scored 131 runs in 6 innings at an average of 131 and picked 6 wickets in 7 matches. He grabbed few crucial catches and got a few run-outs too. He also smashed joint-highest 37 runs in 20th over of RCB’s Harshal Patel in IPL 2021, which twisted the game in CSK’s favor.

Jasprit Bumrah

For the pacer, Jasprit Bumrah will be the confirmed member of India’s squad for ICC T20I World Cup 2021. Bumrah last played a T20I series against England in Jan-Feb 2020, in which he picked 6 wickets in 5 matches. In IPL 2021, Jasprit Bumrah showed a great economy while bowling. He only picked 6 wickets in 7 matches but helped Mumbai Indians to pull off victory while defending low targets in few games with his economical spells.

Mohammed Shami

Mohammed Shami is another bowler who will be part of India’s squad in the ICC T20I World Cup 2021. Shami was injured during the Australia Test series due to which he was out of the field for a long time. He made a comeback in IPL 2021 for Punjab Kings. He picked 8 wickets in 8 matches and was effective with his bouncers and yorkers while bowling.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

After being injured during IPL 2020 last year in October, Bhuvneshwar Kumar made a strong comeback during the T20I series against England in March this year. Bhuvneshwar picked 4 wickets in 5 matches and had the best economy with 6.39. He was also effective in the ODI series, scalping 6 wickets in 3 games. Bhuvi also won the ICC player of the month award for March 2021 after his impressive performance against England in the T20I and ODI series.

Deepak Chahar

Deepak Chahar last played in the T20I series against Australia last year, in which he picked 1 wicket in 2 matches. However, the right-arm pacer was brilliant during IPL 2021, picking 8 wickets in 7 matches. He picked a 4-wicket haul in two matches to completely turn the victory in his team CSK’s favor. Deepak Chahar is also expected to be part of India’s squad in ICC T20I World Cup 2021.

T Natarajan

T Natarajan made his T20I debut against Australia last year in which he emerged as the highest wicket-taker with 6 wickets in 3 matches. Later, he also played 1 T20I match against England in which he picked 1 wicket. In IPL 2021, he was injured after picking 2 wickets in 2 matches. With his ability to bowl yorkers effectively, Natarajan is a powerful bowler in T20I cricket. He might also be chosen as a pacer in the Indian squad for ICC T20I World Cup 2021.

Shardul Thakur

Since the Australia series last year, Shardul Thakur has performed for the Indian team consistently. He picked 2 wickets in 2 matches in the T20I series against Australia. Later, he was India’s highest wicket-taker with 5 wickets in 5 matches during T20I series against England. In the ODI series against England, Thakur picked 7 wickets in 3 matches. After his consistent bowling show this year, Thakur might also be picked in the squad for ICC T20I World Cup 2021.

Harshal Patel

Harshal Patel might be another pacer who will make it into India’s squad for ICC T20I World Cup 2021. Harshal Patel came to the limelight during IPL 2021. With 17 wickets in 7 matches for Royal Challengers Bangalore, Patel was the highest wicket-taker in the tournament. He led the race for the purple cap from start to end.

Rahul Chahar

Rahul Chahar was another bowler who impressed with his bowling in IPL 2021. The right-arm spinner picked 11 wickets in 7 matches for Mumbai Indians and was the 4th highest wicket-taker before the tournament got suspended. He picked 4 wickets against Kolkata Knight Riders and helped his team to bag victory while defending a low target.

Yuzvendra Chahal

Yuzvendra Chahal is another spinner who might be part of India’s squad for ICC T20I World Cup 2021. Chahal played a big role in India’s victory against Australia in 1^st T20I last year; when he picked 3 wickets in the 2^nd innings as a concussion substitute for Ravindra Jadeja. In the England series, he picked 3 wickets in 3 T20I matches. In IPL 2021, he picked 4 wickets in 7 matches.

Axar Patel

Axar Patel might get a chance into India’s squad for ICC T20I World Cup 2021. Axar Patel got a chance to make his Test debut against England earlier this year, and the left-arm spinner picked 27 wickets in 6 innings to bag the spotlight. For Delhi Capitals in IPL 2021, Patel picked 6 wickets in 4 matches at an economy of 7.