Indian cricket group will as soon as once more enter the T20 World Cup 2024 as title favourites regardless of heartbreaking exits within the current ICC occasions. Rohit Sharma is ready to lead a powerful 15-member squad for the ninth version of the match within the USA and West Indies beginning on June 1.
Team India final performed a T20I recreation towards Afghanistan in January this yr the place they wanted an excellent over to defend 212 runs in Bengaluru. But, the Men in Blue rank first within the present ICC T20I group rankings and are tipped to mount a powerful title problem in a 20-team match.
With the squad finalised and gamers beginning their closing preparations with a coaching camp in New York, let’s analyse Team India’s strengths, weaknesses, alternatives and threats forward of the World Cup 2024.
Strengths – Unassailable batting unit
The majority of the chosen gamers, particularly batters, displayed exceptional kind within the just lately concluded Indian Premier League 2024 and will likely be underneath focus as group India’s largest energy within the upcoming World Cup. Virat Kohli emerged as the best run-scorer as he continues to present sensible kind in white-ball cricket. Kohli additional modified his strategy within the IPL 2024 by sustaining a strike charge over 150 and hitting the second-highest 38 sixes.
Kohli’s kind has additionally led many to counsel the batter ought to open with skipper Rohit on the World Cup. Rohit struggled for consistency within the IPL 2024 regardless of ending because the main run-getter for his Mumbai Indians franchise. Both Rohit and Kolhi will likely be main the robust batting lineup which consists of the world’s no.1 T20I batter Suryakumar Yadav, in-form wicketkeeper batters Sanju Samson and Rishabh Pant, and teen Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Weaknesses – Lack of finishers
Despite robust kind within the IPL 2024, not one of the chosen members made it to the ultimate of the match and notably struggled to show consistency after the choice for the World Cup. Shivam Dube displayed exceptional hitting abilities within the first half of the season however registered solely 46 runs in 5 innings in May. With fit-again Hardik Pandya returning to T20I setup, Dube’s function as middle-order batter or finisher just isn’t clear in the meanwhile.
Dube’s kind and an absence of finishers within the present squad is likely to be an early purple flag for the administration. All-rounders Hardik and Ravindra Jadeja weren’t convincing enough with their ending touches within the current IPL 2024 and that’s doubtless to get uncovered if the top-order fails to impress.
India’s different weak point is the shortage of worldwide cricket heading to the World Cup. Having final performed T20Is towards Afghanistan in January, the group faces Bangladesh in the one warm-up recreation scheduled on June 1. All collaborating gamers had been closely concerned within the current IPL however have not performed collectively as a unit for fairly a while.
Opportunities – Dube and Samson to step up
Indian squad for the World Cup is well-balanced with expertise and potential. Yashasvi Jaiswal witnessed a fast rise in red-ball cricket in the course of the England collection and now has the perfect probability to make the same affect in white-ball cricket as effectively.
It will likely be fascinating to see if Rohit and Rahul Dravid go along with both Rishabh or Sanju for the wicketkeeping function as each impressed within the current IPL. Samson was barely forward when it comes to stats and would possibly get a nod to don the wicketkeeping gloves.
Samson and Dube are set to characteristic of their maiden World Cup and have an ideal alternative to shine and cement their locations within the Indian group. Both displayed their versatility in enjoying positions and abilities to adapt to enjoying circumstances accordingly with mature batting in IPL 2024 and will likely be keen to carry that momentum within the World Cup.
Threats – What if Jasprit Bumrah fails to replicate IPL 2024 kind?
Speaking about India’s bowling, the administration surprisingly picked solely three pacers Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh and 4 robust spin choices. Bumrah did what he does finest within the IPL 2024 by taking 20 wickets in 13 innings at a notable economic system charge of 6.48.
Bumrah’s heroics did not save Mumbai Indians from ending on the backside however his affect made Indian cricket group followers really feel secure going into the ICC match. Arshdeep picked 19 wickets however at an economic system charge of over 10 and Siraj bagged 15 wickets in 14 innings. India will likely be in deep trouble if Bumrah fails to carry his red-hot kind within the World Cup, as India face very restricted bowling choices.
So, a well-fortified batting unit to an absence of finishers to over-reliance on Jasprit Bumrah sums up the evaluation of group India forward of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.
