3 Surprise pick in India's T20 World Cup squad

The BCCI revealed India’s 15-player squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup. While many selections were as anticipated, the absence of a few notable players, such as Rinku Singh, has garnered significant attention. Rohit Sharma will captain the Men in Blue at the ICC event, with Hardik Pandya as his deputy. While there was much debate about Rohit and Virat Kohli’s positions in the team, the selectors have backed the senior duo.

Other players who have been included in the squad may consider themselves somewhat lucky to have been selected despite showing inconsistent form in both international and franchise cricket. It will be no wrong in saying that it will probably be the last time when the duo will be representing the Indian team in the shortest format of the game in any ICC event. However, apart from them there some surprise picks in the squad;

Mohammed Siraj

Mohammed Siraj’s recent IPL performances have shown slight improvement, with his trademark swing and seam coming back into play. However, he has only managed to take six wickets at an economy rate of 9.5, often being on the expensive side. Other players, including those previously mentioned, were also considered for Siraj’s position. Despite his inconsistent form in the IPL for the struggling Royal Challengers Bangalore, the team management has continued to place faith in the 30-year-old, even though he was dropped from the XI at one stage.

See also: https://www.cricketwinner.com/cricket-analysis/indias-t20-world-cup-squad-analysis-a-closer-look-at-selection

Arshdeep Singh

India’s pace bowling options, especially in the left-arm department, are limited. Mohsin Khan’s inconsistent performances in the IPL and Khaleel Ahmed’s lack of versatility have led the team to rely on Arshdeep for the T20 World Cup. However, Arshdeep’s form has been disappointing recently. In 2023, he conceded runs at 9.26 per over and took only 26 wickets in 21 T20Is, with his death bowling being a major concern. His performance in IPL 2024 hasn’t been much better, with 12 wickets in nine matches at an economy rate of 9.64. Despite other options like Sandeep Sharma, Avesh Khan, T Natarajan, and Harshit Rana available, Arshdeep has been selected for the squad.

Yuzvendra Chahal

Yuzvendra Chahal’s last appearance in a T20I was in August 2023, with Kuldeep Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi taking on the role of primary wrist-spinners in recent matches. However, the BCCI has opted for Chahal over Bishnoi due to the latter’s limited opportunities in the IPL, despite Chahal’s consistent performances for the Rajasthan Royals. Nonetheless, Chahal’s international career as a leg-spinner has appeared to be on the decline for several years. While he showed promise at the beginning of IPL 2024 with 10 wickets in his first five matches, he has struggled to maintain his form since then. In his last four matches, the 33-year-old has only managed to take three wickets, conceding over 40 runs on three occasions.