ICC T20 World Cup: Breakdown of India's squad (Probable XI)
What's the story
The Indian cricket team will start its ICC T20 World Cup campaign against Pakistan in a key clash. The two teams are placed in Group 2 in the Super 12s. India have fielded a strong squad boasting of youth and experience. They are one of the favorites and will be aiming to deliver. Here we breakdown India's probable XI going into the opening clash.
Squad
A look at India's squad for T20 World Cup
India's squad: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Rahul Chahar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammad Shami. Stand-by players: Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Axar Patel.
Top-order
Decoding Team India's likely top-order
KL Rahul gets the nod at the top, enjoying good form of late. He piled up 626 runs in IPL 2021 and impressed against England in the warm-up match. Joining Rahul upfront will be Rohit Sharma. He is the third-highest run-scorer in T20Is and is India's vice-captain. India's skipper Virat Kohli will come in at number three, despite opening for the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Middle-order
Analyzing India's middle-order
The middle-order could see Ishan Kishan get the nod ahead of Suryakumar Yadav. Kishan ended IPL 2021 on a strong note and was at his best in a whirlwind knock against England. Kishan will be followed by Rishabh Pant. The Delhi Capitals skipper brings more aggression. Hardik Pandya and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja are the ideal candidates to follow suit. They are the finishers.
Bowling
A look at India's bowling unit
Besides Jadeja, India will opt for another option in the spin department. By the look of things, veteran spinner R Ashwin is likely to be the first choice. Ashwin has featured in both the warm-up matches. In the pace department, India will go in with the experienced trio of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Shami. Bumrah and Shami were terrific in IPL 2021.
Bench
Analysis of the benched players
Varun Chakravarthy, who was terrific for the Kolkata Knight Riders, could make his presence felt once the tournament progresses. At the moment. Ashwin is likely to be ahead of him. Meanwhile, Rahul Chahar is also in the mix. Shardul Thakur can be extremely important and you expect him to feature at some point. Suryakumar can be a replacement in the middle-order.
Information
Here's India's probable XI to take on Pakistan
India probable XI: KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (captain), Ishan Kishan, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.