Team India looks to zero in on starting XI with uncertainty over Virat Kohli

Image Source : ICC X Indian skipper Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid examining the Nassau County Stadium pitch in New York

It’s a strange build-up to the T20 World Cup where the uncertainties are innumerable ahead of the start of the tournament. This is the first time that 20 teams are taking part in the tournament. For the first time, an ICC event has stretched its limits beyond the traditional places to the United States. A stadium that got completed last month will be hosting eight matches including the marquee India-Pakistan clash. Add to that the fickle nature of the T20 format.

However, one thing which remains consistent is India being favourites before another multi-team event, at least in the eyes of overseas experts and former cricketers. Before every ICC event, India are pitted as favourites, the team that has all the bases covered but somehow, the Men in Blue always stutter at the knockouts hurdle. Since 2014, India has had a final finish in 2014 T20 World Cup, 2017 Champions Trophy, 2023 World Cup and a couple of World Test Championship finals. There have been four semi-final finishes in 2015 and 2019 ODI World Cups and 2016 and 2022 T20 World Cups.

The trophy dought has lasted more than a decade but is it different this time around to suggest that India could go all the way? The Indian team is as different from the last T20 World Cup as it is similar, not just in terms of personnel but approach too. After not playing the T20Is for a year, both the senior pros Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli returned for the Afghanistan series, which was the final assignment for the Indian team in teh format before the IPL and the T20 World Cup.

The return of both Rohit and Kohli meant that India had to revisit their strategy and playing XI which they went with for around 15 months since the last tournament. And with the options they have, getting the right playing XI will be their prerogative in their only warm-up game at the newly built Nassau County stadium ion New York. Playing on the surface will give the Men in Blue an idea of how to go about their business with a lot of unknowns still given they play their three Group A games at the venue.

So what are factors that to be considered with respect to the playing XI? Firstly, Virat Kohli arrived only a day prior to the T20 World Cup. There is still lack of surity as to if Kohli will play or not. But the first decision that India needs to make is regarding Kohli only, should he open alongside Rohit Sharma the skipper or come down at No 3 for Yashasvi Jaiswal to hold onto his place.

It will be a tough call leaving out Jaiswal but if the team management does decide on that. it will provide a bit of flexibility in the middle order. Rishabh Pant is likely to start in the line-up as wicketkeeper ahead of Sanju Samson which means, India could go with all three of Suryakumar Yadav, Dube and Hardik Pandya, inaddition to the keeper and an all-rounder in Ravindra Jadeja at No 7.

Now, Kuldeep Yadav takes the second spinner spot. Should India go with the pace trio or play just Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel as the third spinner? That is the question that the team management would want to find answers to in the warm-up match against Bangladesh before their first game of the tournament against Ireland four days later at the same venue.

The bowling combination will also depend on how the drop-in pitch at the New York stadium plays. If it comes onto the bat nicely, India might actually go with three pacers in addition to both Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube.

India squad for T20 World Cup: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan