⚫ Rohit Sharma: The limited-overs vice-captain is considered the king among batsmen in white-ball cricket. He was the highest run-getter (648 in 9 matches, including five centuries) in the 2019 ODI World Cup in England. He hasn’t been in the best of form in the lead-up to the tournament but the occasion will surely spur him on to bring out his best.
⚫ KL Rahul: He has been in fine touch and, along with Rohit, is expected to provide a robust start to the innings. He is pure class when it comes to clean hitting. He also has the ability to play deep into the innings.
⚫ Virat Kohli: This T20 World Cup will be his last in the format as India captain and he would love to end his stint by winning a global tournament. He will have MS Dhoni as mentor to help him in planning and formulating strategy.
⚫ Ishan Kishan: The Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batsman had a horrible IPL to start with and was dropped from the Mumbai Indians XI. He made a comeback after a few games and has since been in excellent touch with his daring approach. It will be tough to keep the left-hander out of the XI.
Rishabh Pant. File photo
⚫ Rishabh Pant: There’s never a dull moment when the youngster is keeping wickets or batting. His power-hitting in the middle overs can be game-changing. A not-so-impressive IPL shouldn’t be considered the yardstick of his form since, unlike in the IPL, he can bat in the World Cup without having to carry the burden of captaincy.
⚫ Hardik Pandya: The dashing strokeplayer will play purely as a batter since a back niggle during the second half of the IPL has kept him out of bowling. Despite strong reservation from the selectors, Pandya kept his place because of strong backing from the team management, which counts him among the best finishers in the world.
Ravindra Jadeja. File photo
⚫ Ravindra Jadeja: Considered the most dynamic all-rounder because of his ability to turn a match on its head with both bat and ball, Jadeja will be crucial to India’s chances. It will be tough to fit in Rahul Chahar unless Jadeja is ruled out because of injury.
⚫ Shardul Thakur: The pace bowling all-rounder made the 15-member squad replacing Axar Patel in the XV. He had a decent IPL season, striking vital blows in the Powerplay overs though he didn’t get much opportunity with the bat. He can perfectly fit into the seam-bowling all-rounder’s role.
⚫ Ravichandran Ashwin: The experienced off-spinner is likely to be preferred mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy in such a high-voltage clash. Ashwin is making a comeback in the limited overs format and was economical in the IPL. Unless the conditions are spinner friendly, like in Sharjah, the Indians are unlikely to go in with three spinners.
⚫ Mohammed Shami: He has been one of the most improved seamers in recent years, especially at the death. With Bhuvneshwar Kumar struggling with form, Shami will have to be on the ball.
Jasprit Bumrah. File photo
⚫ Jasprit Bumrah: On India’s No.1 fast bowler rests the responsibility of not just restricting the scoring but also picking up vital wickets. Like that of Babar Azam, the Pakistan star. How captain Kohli decides to use him will also be vital. His variations and pace can always be disturbing for the batsmen. That he can use the conditions to his benefit will also help the side.
