India announce squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021

[Snowflake]

Too many cooks spoil the broth. Bringing in Dhoni is idiotic.

Virat has lost to many ICC events - something needs to be done

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Are they bringing in Dhoni so he could tell him about his decisions that Shastri has been scared to do so?
Dhoni and Kohli are totally different types of strategists/thinkers, it could backfire and hamper the tactics with which Kohli doesn't have confidence in or knows how to use.

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

My thoughts about the Squad.
Overall a good squad considering UAE conditions.

About Ashwin's selection... It is horses for courses and he is injury replacement of Washington Sundar.
If Washy was not injured he would have been picked. Ashwin form in IPL is decent as well.
For Dhawan, he just does not fit in those top 3 now. Rahul and Rohit are more dynamic. He has been a great servant for us, but end of the road for him.

On 5 Spinners.. Lot of cricket to be played in IPL so assumption is pitches will become slower.
Large grounds where India is playing, Plus it is UAE after all.. hardly a seamers paradise. Even They will be bowling a lot of cutters in middle overs. So that is okay.

On Chahal/Kuldeep drop, they looked out of form and short of confidence. Chahar is a right pick.
Varun C is purely on mystery, which is surprising for Indian think tank because that usually is SriLanka/Pakistan trick and Indians believe more in orthodoxy and process driven. But lets see how he goes.

Pandya looks to be the third seamer who will bowl 4 overs with lot of cutters on those slow wickets.
Only concern is it is a right handers team, easier to plan against.

My team for the 1st match against Pakistan:

1)Rahul
2)Rohit
3)Virat
4)SKY
5)Pant
6)Pandya
7)Jadeja
8)Bhuvi
9)Chahar
10)Ashwin
11)Bumrah

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

One thing I must say, so many options in Indian cricket.
Chahal and Iyer would be top picks in any other team. They miss out, but narrowly.

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

Indian fans, who here waiting for the first match where Dhoni comes in and says :
Cheeku long on pe jaaa..

 

[Oxfordchamp]

Guiding is fine but hopefully no clash of interest. Dhoni must remember its Virat's team now and dont try to force his opinion. I always believe captain and only captain should be liable for the team.

Also, what is this mentor role even mean? If he is there to guide players...what is the role of Shastri? If he is there to guide the coach...why we even have a coach in 1st place?

This mentor term was created in IPL purely from a business perspective. Big players like Tendulkar, Ponting etc when they retired were made mentor just so that they remain with the team, spot the jersey, wave hands at camera etc. Franchise owners have lots of money to spend on such bakwaas. Not sure why BCCI need a mentor for national team unless they are prepering Dhoni as next coach. Then what happens to Dravid? Too many open questions. As they say too may cooks spoils the broth.

Ravi Shastri is not much of a t20 specialist and plays the role of man to man management. Dhoni is a strategist and would provide Virat and the team guidance as coach or mentor. Kohli dhoni make a good combo.

 

[Titan24]

Or to counter Virat's tournament losing experience

Thats one way to say it.

 

[Ab Fan]

The squad is good but fast bowling options is pretty old-fashioned. No young faces brought in - Bumrah, Bhuvi and Shami.

They should have added Shardul and Deepak in the squad. Kept Shami and Axar in the reserves. That would be more balanced - 4 spinners and 4 pacers in the squad.

The 18-man selected is perfect though. SKY, Kishan, Rahul Chahar all plays for Mumbai Indians and they all merit place in the T20 team. They do not play the waiting game. Play T20s the way it should be played.

Samson and Pandey have themselves to blame for not being selected. Sri Lanka series ended any of their hope. Shaw is the only other candidate that could be selected in it but they don't mind going with one batsman short. A good IPL might force his way to the team.

 

[Ab Fan]

My thoughts about the Squad.
Overall a good squad considering UAE conditions.

About Ashwin's selection... It is horses for courses and he is injury replacement of Washington Sundar.
If Washy was not injured he would have been picked. Ashwin form in IPL is decent as well.
For Dhawan, he just does not fit in those top 3 now. Rahul and Rohit are more dynamic. He has been a great servant for us, but end of the road for him.

On 5 Spinners.. Lot of cricket to be played in IPL so assumption is pitches will become slower.
Large grounds where India is playing, Plus it is UAE after all.. hardly a seamers paradise. Even They will be bowling a lot of cutters in middle overs. So that is okay.

On Chahal/Kuldeep drop, they looked out of form and short of confidence. Chahar is a right pick.
Varun C is purely on mystery, which is surprising for Indian think tank because that usually is SriLanka/Pakistan trick and Indians believe more in orthodoxy and process driven. But lets see how he goes.

Pandya looks to be the third seamer who will bowl 4 overs with lot of cutters on those slow wickets.
Only concern is it is a right handers team, easier to plan against.

My team for the 1st match against Pakistan:

1)Rahul
2)Rohit
3)Virat
4)SKY
5)Pant
6)Pandya
7)Jadeja
8)Bhuvi
9)Chahar
10)Ashwin
11)Bumrah

Batting depth till 10. It allows the top order and middle order keep looking for runs instead of playing the waiting game of final 5 overs.

 

[Ab Fan]

Kohli can always open if needed as he has done so many times previously in T20s. There is not really much skill difference between an opener and no. 3 role in T20s.

Kishan's another advantage is also left handed and we are lacking in left handers. So, that helps too. He is just giving extra options- can be used in place of KL, or instead of Pant or SKY.

If you pick Iyer, you can play him only as replacement of Pant/SKY and Shaw can only be picked as opener. Kishan gives you both options and allows Indian team to go with extra bowling options.

 

[Napa]

Didn’t Thakur just score the fastest Test half century in England?

 

[globalcitizen]

Very balanced side. Top, middle and lower order is looking strong.
UAE will have dry wickets so obviously spinners will be favoured.
Chahal dropped might be to do with his recent form and performances, but picking Ashwin is brilliant.
Those complaining again , your cricketing intelligence got exposed in last test match, now crying again lol

 

[sharmaji]

Not in a T20.

Didn’t Thakur just score the fastest Test half century in England?

 

[ezhil]

India will not win ICC trophies with Kohli as captain .atleast put up a fight in the knockouts this time dear boys...

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

Very poor squad. Just like the World Cup squad. Thrashing coming up for us.

Dropping of Dhawan and Chahal shows selectors demarcated different formats and took form/performance into account.

Who would you have picked instead?

Siraj, Thakur could have come in.

Siraj to be fair, just started bowling well in IPL.....before that he used to get carted badly.

Nattu is injured.

We could have had more batsmen.

I don't think India will win the World T20 but this is nothing like the WC 2019 squad.

 

[WengerOut]

Dropping of Dhawan and Chahal shows selectors demarcated different formats and took form/performance into account.

Who would you have picked instead?

Siraj, Thakur could have come in.

Siraj to be fair, just started bowling well in IPL.....before that he used to get carted badly.

Nattu is injured.

We could have had more batsmen.

I don't think India will win the World T20 but this is nothing like the WC 2019 squad.

I am not a fan of Shreyas generally, but he has some very good performances in Aus and against Eng. Also WC is in UAE. Why he is in reserve??

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Dropping of Dhawan and Chahal shows selectors demarcated different formats and took form/performance into account.

Who would you have picked instead?

Siraj, Thakur could have come in.

Siraj to be fair, just started bowling well in IPL.....before that he used to get carted badly.

Nattu is injured.

We could have had more batsmen.

I don't think India will win the World T20 but this is nothing like the WC 2019 squad.

Shreyas Iyer? How does he not make it to this squad? We need dynamic batsmen. We dont need 8 bowlers. I know we will never see eye to eye on this but I dont think Ashwin should be playing white ball cricket and the last time we played IPL in the UAE, Washington Sundar was better off spinner. Regardless, I wouldn't have gone with either. Varun Chakravarthy is a very limited spinner and from what I saw of Chahal in Sri Lanka, he was bowling nice and slow with plenty of revs. I think he would have been the better option in UAE. Bhuvi was bowling 75-78 mph in Sri Lanka. I'd take siraj/thakur over that any day.

 

[globalcitizen]

Chahal has picked 17 wickets in last 18 games over 2 years. I think his potency has gone down so it's not a shocking decision as everyone is making it seem

 

[OMB]

It just gives you a completely new dimension: Gautam Gambhir on R Ashwin's selection

MUMBAI: Former Indian cricketer said that off-spinner Ravichandra Ashwin's selection in the squad for the men's gives the Indian team a completely new dimension. He added that Ashwin is a quality cricketer who should have played much more white-ball .
Ashwin last played a T20I in July 2017 against West Indies and had been overlooked in the format since. With Washington Sundar unavailable due to finger injury, it opened doors for Ashwin to secure a place in the 15-man squad.

"Very happy for Ashwin. Probably, he shouldn't have been out of the white-ball cricket anyways, and now he's back. You will have to give it to the selectors they've bought him back. It just gives you a completely new dimension," said Gambhir.
"He is someone, who can bowl with the new ball, he is someone who can bowl in the middle overs, he is someone who can bowl in the death as well - depending on the condition if he gets the game. For me, he is a quality cricketer, who should've played much more whit-ball cricket, as compared to what he has played," added Gambhir.

The 39-year-old was in full praise of batsman Suryakumar Yadav making it to the squad for the T20 World Cup and explained how Yadav is better than Shreyas Iyer who was named in the reserves.

"Surya is a completely different class, as compared to Shreyas Iyer. He is much more versatile; he is much more unorthodox as well. In T20 cricket, you need people that are unorthodox; you want people who can hit that ball in different areas, and that is what T20 cricket is all about. He can lap you, he can late cut you, he can hit you over extra cover; he's got all the shots, especially at No.4, because sometimes No.4 is the most tricky position to bat in T20 cricket, probably the easiest is the top three, but No.4, because you might be in when you have lost two early wickets and you still want to continue the momentum."

"Sometimes you come into the middle, when you have got what 130 for 2, and you have got to continue with the momentum. So, Surya's got both kind of change, which probably Shreyas Iyer doesn't have. And again, you gotta be mindful that he is coming after a serious injury and you never know what kind of
a form he would be in the second leg of IPL as well. So, they've gone with someone, who has done really well, since he has gone into international cricket" signed off Gambhir.

India will start their T20 World Cup campaign against Group 2 rivals Pakistan in Dubai on October 24.
https://m.timesofindia.com/sports/cricket/icc-mens-t20-world-cup/it-just-gives-you-a-completely-new-dimension-gautam-gambhir-on-r-ashwins-selection/articleshow/86063233.cms

 

[Saurav]

Dropping of Dhawan and Chahal shows selectors demarcated different formats and took form/performance into account.

Who would you have picked instead?

Siraj, Thakur could have come in.

Siraj to be fair, just started bowling well in IPL.....before that he used to get carted badly.

Nattu is injured.

We could have had more batsmen.

I don't think India will win the World T20 but this is nothing like the WC 2019 squad.

Nattu is fit but not picked as he hasn't played much T20s this year.

While Shami is picked

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

I am not a fan of Shreyas generally, but he has some very good performances in Aus and against Eng. Also WC is in UAE. Why he is in reserve?? ��

Yeah I have no idea.

Don't think Shreyas would make a difference either way.

Just not a dynamic T20 bat.

Nattu is fit but not picked as he hasn't played much T20s this year.

While Shami is picked

Really?

Nattu is fit and not picked?

Shreyas Iyer? How does he not make it to this squad? We need dynamic batsmen. We dont need 8 bowlers. I know we will never see eye to eye on this but I dont think Ashwin should be playing white ball cricket and the last time we played IPL in the UAE, Washington Sundar was better off spinner. Regardless, I wouldn't have gone with either. Varun Chakravarthy is a very limited spinner and from what I saw of Chahal in Sri Lanka, he was bowling nice and slow with plenty of revs. I think he would have been the better option in UAE. Bhuvi was bowling 75-78 mph in Sri Lanka. I'd take siraj/thakur over that any day.

Interesting.

Here's my take reg the players:

Shreyas - Think he's pretty average. Can be good to hold the innings together but not a dynamic player. At times, can be a liability. Could have had him as one of the backup batters.

Chahal - As mediocre as it gets. Used to be good. Teams have figured out plans to tackle him. Mind you, leggies often do exceeding well against weak teams & implode against better teams. Mishraji is a prime example. Chahal either has to evolve or it will be the end of him. Surprised you are vouching for him. A bit of a choker too imho.

Varun - Purely for mystery quotient. No one expects him to have a long career. But if he strikes form and bamboozles some bat and has a hot streak, he has more than played his part. One of the joker cards. I thought that was a smart move.

Bhuvi - I don't rate him these days. Lost my faith in him a few years back. If he clicks, great. If not, I wouldn't be surprised. Siraj or Thakur should have been there.

Ashwin - Got his chance cos Washington got injured. Utility wise, Washington Sundar is far superior but as a wicket taker, Ashwin is better. He had a good IPL in UAE but didn't bowl that well in India. If he sticks to proper bowling, he would do well. As a batsman, he is pretty hopeless in modern LOI. Especially T20s. Anyways, will warm the bench mostly.

Rahul Chahar is a good pick. Axar too as a utility bowler and slogger at the death. The past selectors were unfair to Shreyas Gopal when he was actually good but now he is not that good.

My fundamental point is when you install systems for accountability, everything gets rectified on its own.

If someone doesn't perform, they get dropped and the cream rises to the top. That combined with format awareness helps build good sides over time.

I liked the selection cos performance is getting rewarded.

Wish we had selected a few more bats. And maybe announced the squad post IPL but I guess there was little time.

Overall, I don't think India will go all the way but this is a good start.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/ishan-kishan-can-open-chief-selector-chetan-sharma-explains-why-shikhar-dhawan-was-excluded-from-india-s-t20-world-cup-squad-101631175415369.html

MS Dhoni’s return to Indian cricket as a mentor may have taken some focus away from it but Shikhar Dhawan’s exclusion from India’s T20 World Cup squad continues to be one of the biggest talking points. Not that it was a bolt from the blue. Dhawan did fall behind Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul as a T20 opener in the last year or so but not seeing him in the 15-member squad announced on Thursday did leave some fans disappointed. India chairman of selectors Chetan Sharma revealed that the decision was taken to give Dhawan some rest.

Describing Dhawan as a very important member of the Indian limited-overs sides, Sharma said the left-hander will continue to be in the loop.

"Shikhar Dhawan is a very important player for us, he was the captain in Sri Lanka. What discussion happened I cannot disclose. He is important and he is there in the loop.

"But the need of the hour was that we look at other players and give Shikhar Dhawan some rest, otherwise he is an important player and he will be back very soon,” Chetan said in his first virtual press-meet on late Wednesday night.

Ever since becoming a regular figure in Indian limited-overs sides since 2013, Dhawan has been an integral part in all ICC events (white-ball). The Delhi left-hander was one of India’s top performers in the 2013 Champions Trophy, 2015 ODI World Cup and 2017 Champions Trophy. In between, he played match-winning innings in the 2014 and 2016 T20 World Cups.

But of late, his strike rate started to look a bit pale compared to the likes of Rahul and Rohit, particularly in the shortest format of the game.

Sharma said Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan are the three openers in the squad. However, there is a possibility that skipper Virat Kohli might open alongside Rohit.

“We have three openers -- Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan, who can bat as opener and can also fit into the middle order. So Kishan is giving us a lot of options, if needed he can open like he has done in ODIs (in Sri Lanka) when he got a fifty and he can also play in middle order because he is a good player of spin.

“It is upto the team management if they want Kohli to open the batting, but as of now we have picked three openers. Virat is an asset for the team. When he bats in the middle order, the team plays around him.

"He has a brilliant record in T20s batting in the middle order. But as I said, it all depends on what the situation is at that point of time," said the former India pacer.

India will begin their campaign in the T20 World Cup against Pakistan on October 24 in Dubai.

 

[Saurav]

Really?

Nattu is fit and not picked?

yes

https://www.insidesport.co/ipl-2021...yderabad-ahead-of-uae-leg-of-ipl-watch-video/

 

[Ab Fan]

Shikhar Dhawan is an integral part of ODI side and will continue playing for India till 2023 World Cup. Although I think Shaw will be good enough to complement Rohit and Kohli in ODIs by then but Indian TM will not unfairly dump Dhawan in his best format, i.e., ODIs.

 

[bala977]

More than the team, I like the thinking and approach behind the selection. Dhoni being the mentor, Ashwin/Axar who provide variation in spin dept along with Varun C., Surya at 3 etc which is perfect as he can guide as well as improvise … nice

 

[Nikhil_cric]

[MENTION=134809]sensible-indian-fan[/MENTION] Chahal doing well while Ashwin has not done anything of note this season. Chahal must be brought into the squad.

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

[MENTION=134809]sensible-indian-fan[/MENTION] Chahal doing well while Ashwin has not done anything of note this season. Chahal must be brought into the squad.

Defo.

Ashwin has been garbage this season.

But I assure you Chahal will flop when it matters.

2 sixes in a crucial game and you will see what happens.

 

[Rajdeep]

[MENTION=134809]sensible-indian-fan[/MENTION] Chahal doing well while Ashwin has not done anything of note this season. Chahal must be brought into the squad.

Chahal (leg spinner), Ashwin (off spinner) and Chakravarty (mystery spinner) should be our 3 main spinners along with all rounder like Jadeja (left arm spin).

Rahul Chahar need to go. Its unfortunate for the youngster but he is not ready yet for world stage.

Axar Patel should be replaced with a seamer either Harshal Patel, Shardul Thakur or Siraj.

Hardik Pandya should be replaced with a batsman but dont think it will happen as he is a sooperstar

 

[mastimasti]

I think I may have posted before but straight forward squad here. We have a settled LOI set up and I think were favourites when the matches were in India...in all honesty, favourites in UAE too.

 

[Saurav]

[MENTION=134809]sensible-indian-fan[/MENTION] Chahal doing well while Ashwin has not done anything of note this season. Chahal must be brought into the squad.

Chahal should replace R Chahar. Ashwin should stay for LHB heavy teams.

Thakur should replace Bhuvi

 

[Mesozoic]

If Pandya doesn't bowl, he should be pushed into the reserves as he can't play as a specialist batter alone with his current form and back issues. Should be replaced by Thakur in the squad.

Varun will most likely be replaced by Chahal (knee issues).

Iyer should come in for one of Ashwin/R Chahar.

 

[OMB]

breaking : Shardul Thakur replaces Axar Patel in India's ICC T20 World Cup squad
more details to follow.

 

[Rajdeep]

breaking : Shardul Thakur replaces Axar Patel in India's ICC T20 World Cup squad
more details to follow.

Yessss....good decision. So my one prediction already came true. Now hopefully Chahal will replace Chahar and Pandya will be replaced by a batsman. I am a big Pandya fan but he is worthless now with injury.

But we must also question the policy of selectors. It is so harsh on players like Axar Patel, Rahul Chahar etc. to give them hope first and then dropping them in last minute. What message selectors trying to send? Basically with these changes selectors are admitting that the squad they picked initially was wrong.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Why shardul Thakur? Has he done well? We need some pace ? I thought Mavi bowled well and he brings a bit of pace.

 

[Rajdeep]

Why shardul Thakur? Has he done well? We need some pace ? I thought Mavi bowled well and he brings a bit of pace.

Looks like you are also clueless like selectors

Kidding man.

Thakur is a good choice for UAE conditions and doing very well in ongoing IPL. What has Mavi done to deserve a spot out of blue? If you need pace we should select M.Siraj who has a decent IPL.

 

[CrIc_Mystique]

My team for 1st match
Hitman
KL R
VK
Surya
Rishabh
Shardul
Jads
Ash
Shami
Jazzboom
Varun/Chahar

The proviso being Jads and rishabh should be the floaters -and at least one of them should come in by the 14th over to mess up the bowlers lengths and bring in the LH option.

Bhuvi is washed up, should never have been selected after CT 2017 and i have no idea how he gets continually selected when he is a pathetic 120kmph trundler who is never going to swing it in the UAE, is an average fielder and batsman. Am sure he knows someone high up in the UAE.
Even Venki Iyer is better choice than him.
What say, fellas?

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Looks like you are also clueless like selectors

Kidding man.

Thakur is a good choice for UAE conditions and doing very well in ongoing IPL. What has Mavi done to deserve a spot out of blue? If you need pace we should select M.Siraj who has a decent IPL.

Because as that Kashmiri kid showed, pace can be very useful even on these tracks. If you read my earlier posts, I said I would choose Thakur over Bhuvi who was trundling in sri lanka.

Our attack looks very one paced . Bumrah certainly has lost that extra yard of pace. Just checked the speeds and realised that Mavi has not bowled particularly quick . Umran, Siraj and Prasidh Krishna are the only quick bowlers who have clocked multiple 145+ deliveries this season .

I'll admit I don't watch much of the IPL Whoever has bowled the best out of those 3 need a look in. Shardul is more of the same.

 

[OMB]

T20 World Cup 2021: Shardul Thakur replaces Axar Patel in Team India squad

The All-India Senior Selection Committee after a discussion with the team management has added Shardul Thakur to the main squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2021. All-rounder Axar Patel, who was part of the 15-member Team India squad will now be on the list of stand-by players.

The All-India Senior Selection Committee after a discussion with the team management has added Shardul Thakur to the main squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2021. All-rounder Axar Patel, who was part of the 15-member Team India squad will now be on the list of stand-by players.

Thakur, who was earlier a standby player in the squad, has been added to the squad on the back of an impressive campaign in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the UAE. The all-rounder has been one of the top players in IPL 2021 with 18 wickets so far from 15 games at 27.16 and a strike rate of 18.61.

Shardul's contributions for the CSK have been instrumental in the team's campaign this season as the MS Dhoni-led team has made it to the final and they will either face Delhi Capitals or Kolkata Knight Riders in the summit clash on October 15.

India’s squad for ICC T20 World Cup: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), 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

The following cricketers will join the team bubble in Dubai and assist Team India in their preparations:

Avesh Khan, Umran Malik, Harshal Patel, Lukman Meriwala, Venkatesh Iyer, Karn Sharma, Shahbaz Ahmed and K. Gowtham.

India will open its T20 World Cup campaign against Pakistan on October 24 in Dubai. The 2007 champions will also face Afghanistan and New Zealand along with 2 qualifiers in Group 2.

Notably, after the upcoming T20 World Cup, Virat Kohli will be stepping down as the Team India captain in the shortest format.

https://zeenews.india.com/cricket/t20-world-cup-2021-shardul-thakur-replaces-axar-patel-in-team-india-squad-2402307.html

 

[Mesozoic]

Great to see Shardul back. I think now we can definitely go with this team against Pakistan..

Rahul
Rohit
Kishan
Kohli
SKY
Jadeja
Thakur
R Chahar
Bhuvi
Shami
Bumrah

 

[CrIc_Mystique]

Great to see Shardul back. I think now we can definitely go with this team against Pakistan..

Rahul
Rohit
Kishan
Kohli
SKY
Jadeja
Thakur
R Chahar
Bhuvi
Shami
Bumrah

So u'll have KL or kishan to keep, no pant? Am not a big IPl fan or regular watcher but bascially from chahar onwards - u cant expect more than 15, its basically quicko collapso - hopefully we never have to utilize them though
Good point though if IK plays, he is at 1 -the LH factor is good to mix it up.
Bhuvi is just over hyped and useless. he's never gonna swing it in UAE conditions.
should have been laid out to pasture long ago.
I'd go for venki iyer for him if the conditions warrant.
Else if it spins, i'd go for ash. At least these guys will contribute with the bat.
Otherwise team looks good, what say?

 

[Mesozoic]

So u'll have KL or kishan to keep, no pant? Am not a big IPl fan or regular watcher but bascially from chahar onwards - u cant expect more than 15, its basically quicko collapso - hopefully we never have to utilize them though
Good point though if IK plays, he is at 1 -the LH factor is good to mix it up.
Bhuvi is just over hyped and useless. he's never gonna swing it in UAE conditions.
should have been laid out to pasture long ago.
I'd go for venki iyer for him if the conditions warrant.
Else if it spins, i'd go for ash. At least these guys will contribute with the bat.
Otherwise team looks good, what say?

Bhuvi, R Chahar and Shami can all chip in. This is not at all a dud 8-11 that we used to have with Chahal/Kuldeep/Bumrah/Saini etc. Anyways, we shouldn't pick bowlers on their batting merit.. especially in T20 Cricket where just 5-6 batters are enough to get to a competitive total..

There's only room for one of Kishan/Pant and right now I'd pick Kishan as the latter has turned into a consolidator these days and doesn't offer much when we already have Rohit, KL and Kohli for that specific role. Kishan can win a game on his own if he gets going.

Agree with Bhuvi that he's no longer the t20 bowler he was back in 2016-18 but still id expect him to do well. With Bumrah and Shami at the other end, his role would be to tie up one end and he does that quite well even now.

 

[sharmaji]

Couple of things:

1. Kohli's ego will not let him bat in the middle-order. He will be coming in at 3, if he is not opening the innings.
2. You're right that Ishan Kishan should bat in top 3, preferably as an opener. However, with KL, Rohit, Virat, there is no room for him in top 3 and his abilities are not maximised in the middle-order.
3. Sky's form is a concern, but hopefully he turns up for the tournament.
4. The team management will NOT leave out Hardik Pandya, even if he is not bowling. His brand is too huge, they've built him as a superstar. So, no place for Thakur in the XI. I feel that Hardik will bowl a bit, like 2 overs a match, and will go for 7-8 rpo.
5. No chance for R Chahar in the XI. One of Varun C or Ashwin will play, mostly Varun if he is fit.
6. If Thakur plays or if Hardik plays and bowls a bit, then they will not play 3 seamers on the UAE pitches. One of Bhuvi/Shami will sit out. Mostly, Bhuvi will play (because of the reputation) but I would prefer that Shami plays.

Great to see Shardul back. I think now we can definitely go with this team against Pakistan..

Rahul
Rohit
Kishan
Kohli
SKY
Jadeja
Thakur
R Chahar
Bhuvi
Shami
Bumrah

 

[Saurav]

Great to see Shardul back. I think now we can definitely go with this team against Pakistan..

Rahul
Rohit
Kishan
Kohli
SKY
Jadeja
Thakur
R Chahar
Bhuvi
Shami
Bumrah

Jaddu at 6?

 

[Mesozoic]

Couple of things:

1. Kohli's ego will not let him bat in the middle-order. He will be coming in at 3, if he is not opening the innings.
2. You're right that Ishan Kishan should bat in top 3, preferably as an opener. However, with KL, Rohit, Virat, there is no room for him in top 3 and his abilities are not maximised in the middle-order.
3. Sky's form is a concern, but hopefully he turns up for the tournament.
4. The team management will NOT leave out Hardik Pandya, even if he is not bowling. His brand is too huge, they've built him as a superstar. So, no place for Thakur in the XI. I feel that Hardik will bowl a bit, like 2 overs a match, and will go for 7-8 rpo.
5. No chance for R Chahar in the XI. One of Varun C or Ashwin will play, mostly Varun if he is fit.
6. If Thakur plays or if Hardik plays and bowls a bit, then they will not play 3 seamers on the UAE pitches. One of Bhuvi/Shami will sit out. Mostly, Bhuvi will play (because of the reputation) but I would prefer that Shami plays.

Yeah I know it's unlikely that Kohli will bat below no.3 but we don't need a top3 where all are 125 SR consolidators. Unless Rahul plays like he did in the last IPL game, we must have one of SKY/Kishan at 3 and Kishan being a left hander gives that much more advantage and variety.

It'll actually be ideal if Hardik can bowl 2 overs at 7-8 RPO but it seems unlikely at the moment. And coming to R Chahar, we must play at least one wrist spinner all the time unless it's against teams like WI filled to the brim with left-handers. I know he's not in the best of forms but I think we can definitely try him out at least in the first two games against pak and nz.

 

[Mesozoic]

Jaddu at 6?

Think he has already proven that he's a good enough T20 no.6.

 

[Ab Fan]

Against Pakistan on Oct'24,

Rohit
Rahul
Kohli
Pant(wkt)
SKY
Pandya
Jadeja
S Thakur
R Chahar
Varun C
Bumrah

This is assuming Pandya willing to bowl two overs.

 

[Rajdeep]

My team for 1st game:

Ishan Kishan
Rohit Sharma
Virat Kohli
Surya Yadav
KL Rahul
Rishab Pant
Ravi Jadeja
Varun Chakravarty
Yuzi Chahal
Mohammed Shami
Jasprit Bumrah

Now we are talking

 

[Saurav]

Think he has already proven that he's a good enough T20 no.6.

he's batted at 7 mostly.

If Pandya doesnt recover,Kishan should be at 6

 

[Saurav]

My team for 1st game:

Ishan Kishan
Rohit Sharma
Virat Kohli
Surya Yadav
KL Rahul
Rishab Pant
Ravi Jadeja
Varun Chakravarty
Yuzi Chahal
Mohammed Shami
Jasprit Bumrah

Now we are talking

Chahal is not there

 

[drubwrubnat]

My team -

KL Rahul
Rohit Sharma
Virat Kohli
Suryakumar Yadav
Hardik Pandya - 6th bowler
Rishabh Pant
Ravindra Jadeja
Bhuvaneshwar Kumar
R Ashwin
M Shami
Jasprit Bumrah

Ishan/ shardul / all others - should be sent to some faroff islands

 

[sharmaji]

4 pacers (including Hardik) is unlikely.

Also, based on form, Varun C will be preferred over Ashwin.

I would even have Ishan Kishan over Pant.

My team -

KL Rahul
Rohit Sharma
Virat Kohli
Suryakumar Yadav
Hardik Pandya - 6th bowler
Rishabh Pant
Ravindra Jadeja
Bhuvaneshwar Kumar
R Ashwin
M Shami
Jasprit Bumrah

Ishan/ shardul / all others - should be sent to some faroff islands

 

[drubwrubnat]

4 pacers (including Hardik) is unlikely.

Also, based on form, Varun C will be preferred over Ashwin.

I would even have Ishan Kishan over Pant.

Sir what im saying is -
In the t20 game, you are as good as your weakest link.
What if a bowler works out ishan k & bowls couplw of quiet overs?
What if someone carts 3 sixes off this varun ?

Again i say, you are as good as your weakest link.
Why to be afraid, no need to tamper with anything. I ve not seen ipl so i dont know the conditions, but these new blokes will concede runs. Dont go by ipl, thats all scripted

 

[sharmaji]

If not IPL, then what do you go by? India hardly plays any bilateral T20 Internationals to know who is in good form.

What you said about Ishan Kishan and Varun C, same can be said about Pant, Ashwin. The point is: Pant and Ashwin maybe match-winners in test matches, but are horribly out of form in T20s (IPL) and are the weakest links (as you put it); they are unlikely to get their form right for the World cup T20. However, Pant might still play ahead of Ishan Kishan, which I think is not the right move.

A mix of form and reputation is needed for team selection. Reputation alone is not enough. Remember Dhoni from 2019 World cup? Or Yuvraj in 2014 T20 World cup final?

Form alone may not be enough either. If that were the case, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Venkatesh Iyer and Chahal would walk into the Team India XI.

And please don't call me sir

Sir what im saying is -
In the t20 game, you are as good as your weakest link.
What if a bowler works out ishan k & bowls couplw of quiet overs?
What if someone carts 3 sixes off this varun ?

Again i say, you are as good as your weakest link.
Why to be afraid, no need to tamper with anything. I ve not seen ipl so i dont know the conditions, but these new blokes will concede runs. Dont go by ipl, thats all scripted

 

[drubwrubnat]

If not IPL, then what do you go by? India hardly plays any bilateral T20 Internationals to know who is in good form.

What you said about Ishan Kishan and Varun C, same can be said about Pant, Ashwin. The point is: Pant and Ashwin maybe match-winners in test matches, but are horribly out of form in T20s (IPL) and are the weakest links (as you put it); they are unlikely to get their form right for the World cup T20. However, Pant might still play ahead of Ishan Kishan, which I think is not the right move.

A mix of form and reputation is needed for team selection. Reputation alone is not enough. Remember Dhoni from 2019 World cup? Or Yuvraj in 2014 T20 World cup final?

Form alone may not be enough either. If that were the case, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Venkatesh Iyer and Chahal would walk into the Team India XI.

My point being that , lets say they hit ashwin or jadeja for 2 sixes in their first over, they hAve 3 more overs to bowl. There is a certain graph below which their bowling wont drop. They can be expected to bowl 2/3 dot balls. But the new breed cant be guaranteed of the same track record.

Pant has faced the best in the world, if he has weaknesses, then those have already been put to the test. Hes not a ordinary player , hes a winner.

Dhoni & yuvraj - exactly! We dont want those kinds, theres nobody in current batting lineup like them. Age is not that big a factor in bowling 4 overs esp spin.

Im saying we should take into account ind vs eng t20 or ind vs aus t20 series, a year back. Bhuvi & shami have bowled & done well against good batting units. I would give defo give them the benefit of doubt, although ive never seen varun c bowl , of him im not sure.

See, some things cant be micro planned. When india beat Pakistan 2003, they had legendary bowlers, but india played out of their skins. If pakistan of today can play like that, then they deserve to win, but we cant be afraid & neglect our sharpest proven spearheads. Contrary to what people think, indian bowling bench strength is not good. We dont have that kind of quality, so atleast we should plug gaps rather than take chance with someone who has a risk of going for 15-20 in an over repeatedly. Bumrah, bhuv, shami can also go for 15, but the batsman has to play very well to score those 15. Hope this helps.

 

[CrIc_Mystique]

My team for 1st game:

Ishan Kishan
Rohit Sharma
Virat Kohli
Surya Yadav
KL Rahul
Rishab Pant
Ravi Jadeja
Varun Chakravarty
Yuzi Chahal
Mohammed Shami
Jasprit Bumrah

Now we are talking

Hmm, dont think Yuzi is in the squad.
Otherwise not a bad choice but cant see pant and ishan both in the same XI. I'd go for Thakur or venki iyer for pant, as Ishan would open. This opens up possibility for about 2 overs of medium pace but give a lot of biff in the batting.
I'd also keep jads as the floater and get him in about the 14th over (assuming ishan is out by then) to keep the LH factor going and also to get the bowlers off their lengths.
And glad u've not mentioned Bhuvi....its time we moved on from him, he's blocked the place of some young guys like Mavi, kartik tyagi etc.
I guess the uae pitches still take spin, i'd have Ash for Yuzi.

 

[shamaan]

My team for 1st game:

Ishan Kishan
Rohit Sharma
Virat Kohli
Surya Yadav
KL Rahul
Rishab Pant
Ravi Jadeja
Varun Chakravarty
Yuzi Chahal
Mohammed Shami
Jasprit Bumrah

Now we are talking

No 6th bowling option ?

 

[MenInG]

BCCI President and former captain Sourav Ganguly on Saturday said the Indian cricket team under Virat Kohli has all the talent to be considered a legitimate contender for the T20 World Cup and it only needs to show a bit of maturity to claim the trophy.

India will open their T20 World Cup campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan on October 24.

"So, you don't become champions easily and you just don't become champions just by stepping into a tournament, so they have to get through the process, they have to show maturity," Ganguly said when asked what India needs to do to win the title.

"...they all have the talent, they all have the skill to score runs and take wickets at this level. They just have to be mentally in good space to win the World Cup," the flamboyant former left-handed batter quipped.

Ganguly said the side should focus on winning every game instead of targetting the title straight up.

"...(the) title is only won when the finals are finished. So, you have a lot of cricket to be played before that and I think India should focus (on) every game, India should focus on winning every game and just taking it from there and not think about the title at the start," he said.

"They (India) will always be contenders in whatever competition they play in and the challenge for them is to be at peace with themselves, focus on the process rather than the results because the most toughest thing and the most wrong thing to do is when you take guard and you think I am here to win the World Cup.

"...what is important is to play the next ball which is coming out of the hand and keep doing that till you get to the finals," he added.

The former skipper was speaking after the Games24x7, a multi-game platform launched a new campaign -- titled 'Game Ke Deewane' -- for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, on its fantasy sports platform, 'My11Circle'.

Seeing the trend in the IPL, does Ganguly expect a low-scoring T20 World Cup? "No, no, I don't think so," he responded.

"Maybe in Sharjah it will be because of the wickets, but Dubai is an absolute belter, the (IPL) final played yesterday was an absolute belter. Abu Dhabi will be a great surface to bat on and it is going to be a great World Cup," added the 49-year-old.

According to Ganguly, the fans' involvement with the game is increasing.

"That is why this game is so big in this country, the fans, the people they are so attached to this game, every year you see the IPL, the international cricket, just getting better and better," he said.

Ganguly also picked his very own ****** moment, which came in his first tour to Australia.

"It is a tough question, I think when I first went to tour Australia with the Indian side in 1991, there were some great players in the dressing room, the likes of Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar, and Mohammed Azharuddin, who was captain of India then,” he said.

Ganguly added, "So I think that first trip will always be my ****** moment because I had seen all of them and my interest in cricket grew with the 1983 World Cup, with Kapil Dev leading India to victory for the first time. So from that point of view, that tour probably will be my first ****** moment."

https://www.timesnownews.com/sports...orld-cup-bcci-president-sourav-ganguly/824060

 

[MenInG]

Out of favour India spinner Yuzvendra Chahal had an amazing outing in the second leg of the Indian Premier League. The 31-year-old left a lasting impression in almost every match and finished the campaign as the second-highest wicket-taker from the Royal Challengers Bangalore camp.

Such was his performance, many fans, including former India opener Virender Sehwag, felt there could have been a final tweak in Team India's 15-man T20 World Cup squad, with the RCB spinner making a late cut.

However, that was not the case as Chahal was still sidelined from the team despite a terrific second leg in UAE.

On Saturday, Team India skipper Virat Kohli, who'll be leading the side in his final assignment in the shorter format of the game, explained the reasons for picking Rahul Chahar ahead of his RCB teammate.

"It was a challenging call but we decided to back Rahul Chahar for a reason. He has bowled amazingly well over the last couple of years in the IPL. A guy who bowls with pace, he did really well in Sri Lanka and against England at home as well, he was someone who bowled those difficult overs," explained Kohli during a Captain's Call organised by the ICC ahead of the upcoming Men's T20 World Cup.

"We believe going on in this tournament, the wickets are going to get slower and slower, so guys who bowl with pace will be able to trouble the batters as compared to those who give it air. Rahul definitely has those strengths naturally as a leg-spinner. He is someone who always attacks the wickets, that is the factor that tilted the thing in favour of him. Picking a World Cup is always tricky and you cannot always have everyone in that squad," he added.

Chahal finished IPL 2021 with 18 wickets from 15 outings, which included a 3/11 against the Mumbai Indians. Out of the 18 wickets, 14 came in 8 matches the team played in the second leg.

India will kick-off their T20 World Cup campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan on October 24.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cric...from-t20-world-cup-squad-101634391213243.html

 

[MenInG]

SURESH RAINA: INDIAN PLAYERS NEED TO WIN IT FOR KOHLI


For India, the message at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup is simple - do it for Virat Kohli.

It will probably be his last time at this tournament as captain, so it's very important for him to make everyone believe we can do it and for us to get behind him.

India fans can't wait for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 to start for this reason. We have the players, we have the momentum - we just need to go out there and execute now.

All of our players have just played the Indian Premier League in the UAE and they have played themselves into top form with eight or nine games in this environment.

This gives India an edge on all other teams and makes them one of the big favourites to win the T20 World Cup in my opinion.

The conditions in UAE are very similar to what we play India and also in Pakistan. It's a good opportunity for the Asian teams to come and play their natural game.

We need to remember there are lots of other good teams in the tournament. Pakistan, Australia and England also look very good, and anything can happen in T20 cricket.

For me, the key to success for India's batting lies in the top three. Rohit Sharma is a gun player - he has a brilliant record at ICC events in the past and had a great IPL.

We need Rohit, KL Rahul and Virat to bat through to 15 overs and lay the platform. They can set the momentum for the India team by doing this.

There are lots of electric combinations in the middle order and obviously Rishabh Pant is going to play a key role there. Hardik Pandya is also very capable as a power hitter.

But if the top three are still there at that stage of the innings, there is no target that India can't chase.

My experience in the IPL was that the wickets in UAE and Oman will be very, very challenging when it comes to the mystery spinners.

That makes Varun Chakravarthy the main guy in the India bowling attack. He has showed he can exploit the pace of the pitches.

Varun has only played three T20Is but I'm not concerned by any lack of experience.

There is plenty of experience in this team, particularly in the seam attack.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar in particular leads the way when it comes to experience and knowledge of how to deal with the big games.

The inclusion of Shardul Thakur can also give extra strength to the fast bowlers that Virat has at his disposal.

We have been waiting for this T20 World Cup for a long time. It has been a difficult two years but I think we're about to see something special in the UAE and Oman.

 

[OMB]

'Don't know selectors' thought process': MSK Prasad on Hardik Pandya's inclusion in T20 World Cup squad

Former India chief selector wants the Mumbai allrounder to bowl for India in the T20 World Cup - as he believes him not bowling may affect the balance of the team.

There is one big concern brewing around India allrounder Hardik Pandya. The right-handed batsman is regarded as one of the best finishers in the world today with the bat. But in a T20 game, when Pandya is expected to bat at no. 4. or no.5 - he is not expected to get too many balls to play in every match.

Hence, as an allrounder, Pandya's selection in the team has become a topic of debate, at a time when he is staying away from his bowling duties since successful back surgery in 2020.

While the right-arm fast bowler has bowled for India and for Mumbai Indians in a few games in between, he has certainly not been consistent with it. In fact, in the second phase of the Indian Premier League 2021 season currently being played in the UAE, Pandya has not bowled at all for India in the UAE.

Former India chief selector wants the Mumbai allrounder to bowl for India in the T20 World Cup - as he believes him not bowling may affect the balance of the team.

“See, Hardik has been picked as an all-rounder, not as a batsman, he is seen an all-rounder, who will add that what you call balance to the side,” Prasad told news agency PTI.

“...(it is) a little surprising that, or I don't know whether he is being instructed, not to bowl or he is being preserved to bowl only in the World Cup. We don't exactly know, but in an ideal scenario, Hardik has been picked as an all-rounder, I would love to see him bowling,” he added.

“I don't know what exactly is the thought process because selectors must be knowing it, or the Board must be knowing it, but Hardik, if he doesn't bowl then there will be little, I mean, the balance of the side will get a little affected,” he signed off.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/dont-know-selectors-thought-process-msk-prasad-on-hardik-pandya-s-inclusion-in-t20-world-cup-squad-101633595358354.html

 

[Saj]

Big advantage going into the T20 World Cup on the back of playing the IPL in UAE.

Familiarity with the pitches, the conditions and players who have been playing the format recently.

 

[Mean&Green]

Aur na Khilao the mere boy yuzi ko best leg spinner in India this was bound to happen I was right the whole time everything went as predicted

 

[Mobashir]

I'm shivering. This is a very strong squad. India will surely win the World Cup.

Yes they just won it, relax now!

 

[Mobashir]

Amazing t20 squad PCB should learn

No thanks.