Predicting India's first-choice T20 World Cup XI

Openers – Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal

As captain, Rohit is set to open batting for the side. He had a poor tournament last time, striking at 106 and averaging 19.33, followed by two sub-par IPL seasons, and has played only three T20Is between the two editions. Nonetheless, his spot is sealed.

India’s conservative approach to sticking to the tried-and-tested might not prompt them to open up with Virat Kohli, who turned around his game in the second half of the recent IPL, striking at 172 while opening in his last five innings. India have backed Jaiswal in the past and they could go in with the left-right pair at the top.

India’s first-choice opener over Shubman Gill during their last T20I series against Afghanistan, Jaiswal also has the best strike rate (162) among all India openers with at least 500 runs in the format, Despite an underwhelming IPL, he should be the one to bat alongside Rohit.

Middle-order - Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya

Kohli and Suryakumar will be among the first names in the team sheet. The leading run-scorer in T20 World Cup history, Kohli has played several memorable knocks in the past, the most recent being his phenomenal 82* against Pakistan in 2022. Suryakumar, arguably the best T20 batter India has ever produced, has four hundreds and a strike rate of 172.

Like many others in the XI, Hardik’s recent form with the bat has not produced any talking points. He averaged 18 for Mumbai Indians in the recent IPL but he is a rare genuine all-rounder, capable of bowling four overs of seam every game. He lends balance to the XI and has also proven his mettle with the bat in crucial moments. His last knock in the T20 World Cup was a 33-ball 63 in the semi-final: he provided some impetus to an innings that was going nowhere. He also made 40* in 23 in the warm-up game against Bangladesh ahead of this edition.

Wicketkeeper - Rishabh Pant

The choice for the wicketkeeper is between Pant and Sanju Samson. Both have flattered to deceive in T20Is in the past, but Pant seems to edge ahead for several reasons: He is a left-hander and can be useful against match-ups; one of the most attacking Test batters, he made 53 in 32 in the warm-up against Bangladesh in a game where Samson, pushed to open, struggled for one run off six balls. With the wicket likely to keep low and slow, Pant, who has fared well in such conditions in the longer format, seems to be the better option.

There were concerns over Pant’s fitness following his return from the horrific car injury but he silenced them during the IPL, where he made 446 runs at a strike rate of 155 while keeping regularly.

Bowlers - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh

Bumrah’s place is not up for debate. Kuldeep, too, has overturned a rough patch to emerge as a vital member of the XI and will offer variation with his left-arm wrist spin.

Jadeja’s place in the XI is interesting. Recently picked as the vice-captain of India’s T20I tour to South Africa, he has not left a mark in the format, scoring merely 480 runs at an average of 22.85 and a strike rate of 125. With the ball, he averages 28.41, but India have continued to back him. He will be the finisher despite his declining strike rate against pace and continued struggles against spinners.

Arshdeep is also likely to play ahead of Mohammad Siraj. Being a left-hander, Arshdeep has more variations, and is also a better bowler at the death. Siraj’s biggest strength is with the new ball, but he has proven to be expensive in the last few overs. Arshdeep was also in better form than Siraj in the IPL – he claimed 21 wickets at an average of 19.85 while Siraj ended with 15, conceding 9.1 runs an over.

Chahal’s selection is debatable with the other spinner being Axar Patel. Though reasons to pick Axar are many, Both are left-arm finger spinners but with different skill sets, with Axar also providing superior hitting abilities. However, India’s usual rigidity – Jadeja and Axar have never played a T20I together – may see them hand Chahal a T20 World Cup debut.

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