It has been 17 years since India won the inaugural edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in South Africa, kick-starting a new era for cricket in spectacular fashion. But a second title in the format India has shaped more than any other (thanks largely to the IPL) has eluded the Men in Blue ever since. With the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the US less than a month away, My Kolkata picks six burning questions that will define India’s journey this summer.
Should Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli open the batting?
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have never been India’s opening combination at an ICC event Getty Images
According to Harsha Bhogle: “In T20 cricket, your best batters need to face maximum deliveries.” By that logic, India should look to open with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. While the Indian skipper is set to take up one end, it is more likely that Yashasvi Jaiswal partners him up top, with Kohli retaining the number three slot, which he has made his own over the past decade. Even though he has opened only nine times for India in T20Is, in which he averages 57.14 with a strike rate of 161.29, Kohli has faced the new ball for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for the best part of a decade. In that time, nobody has scored more runs as an IPL opener than Kohli, whose only T20I century for India came when he opened the innings. With pitches, at least in the US, expected to be slow, the Rohit-Kohli combination provides the perfect mix of experience and skill, though it does not have the left-hander factor that Jaiswal brings.
Who will India miss more: Shubman Gill or Rinku Singh?
Shubman Gill and Rinku Singh are both part of the reserves for the World Cup Getty Images
Having been the leading run-scorer in IPL 2023, Shubman Gill’s exclusion feels strange at first thought, but makes sense when one compares his T20 acceleration levels to Jaiswal. Although neither Gill or Jaiswal has set the IPL alight this year. A more glaring omission is, of course, Rinku Singh, who averages 89 and strikes at 176 in the 11 T20I innings he has played for India. Given his positional versatility and his ability to hit sixes at will, Rinku is likely to be the bigger miss, especially if India end up chasing humongous totals like so many teams have had to do in the IPL. Had Rohit and Virat both bid adieu to the shortest format of the game, Gill and Rinku would undoubtedly have been in the squad. A few weeks down the line, we will know if the baton has taken too long to pass.
Has Suryakumar Yadav done enough to merit his place?
Suryakumar Yadav is still comfortably placed at the top of the ICC Men’s T20 batting rankings Getty Images
On paper, it would be silly to not take the world’s number one ranked men’s T201 batter to the World Cup. As of the latest rankings, Suryakumar Yadav sits 59 points ahead of second-placed Phil Salt. But SKY’s IPL form, notwithstanding his outstanding century against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), has been patchy. Moreover, the demons from the 50-over World Cup last year are yet to be exorcised, especially from the final where SKY looked hapless against an Australian attack that had done their homework. In case India open with Jaiswal and Rohit, SKY arguably comes under more pressure, as he is likely to get less balls (with Kohli at number three) to get his eye in. At the same time, if the 33-year-old can hit form, he remains arguably India’s biggest match-winner with the bat, though he is still seeking his signature India moment at an ICC tournament.
Have India put too much pressure on Hardik Pandya by taking just three fast bowlers?
Hardik Pandya has been bowling regularly in the IPL Getty Images
Carrying four spinners in their 16-member squad means that India have restricted their pacer slots to three, with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj retaining their positions as spearheads and Arshdeep Singh making a return. This implies that India are expecting Hardik Pandya to be fully fit and capable of delivering four overs in every game. Given Hardik’s injury record, is it too much of an ask of the vice-captain? Yes, Pandya has been bowling decently for the Mumbai Indians (MI), finishing his full quota of overs on several occasions. But it is also clear that Pandya has lost some of his pace and bounce with the ball, not to mention form. Once the action shifts to the Caribbean, the Pandya gamble could go wrong, unless India can get some overs out of Shivam Dube or play with all three frontline pacers in the starting lineup.
Which spinners do India start with?
Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja enjoyed an excellent 50-over World Cup on home soil last year Getty Images
Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal are the four spinners India have selected, with the last of the four finally getting his due in making a comeback for the Men in Blue. But which of the four will start most games for India? Jadeja and Axar’s batting abilities mean that the both of them are favourites for starting berths, with Kuldeep (based on his recent India form) marginally ahead of Chahal in the pecking order. Given India play all of their group games during the day and with no dew to account for, both halves of Kul-Cha may be on the pitch together. But once the knockouts set in, Chahal seems most likely to be the one warming the bench, not least because he also happens to be the weakest fielder of the four. However, if the opposition is stacked with right-handers, Chahal may well be in the reckoning.
Can India break their knockouts curse?
India’s last ICC championship came at the Champions Trophy in England in 2013 Getty Images
After the heartache of 2023, this question could not be more relevant. Since winning the ICC Champions Trophy in England in 2013, India have lost five finals and four semi-finals in ICC tournaments. As with most of those missed opportunities, India go in with one of the most well-balanced sides in the competition. But do they know their best XI? Can they stop the occasion from getting to them? Can they peak at the right time? All these are questions that rarely popped up when a certain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was at the helm. With India’s most successful white ball captain long gone, India have transitioned from imperturbable to impotent on the biggest stage. Will 2024 be any different? Only time will tell.
My Kolkata’s preferred India XI for the T20 World Cup
- Rohit Sharma (captain)
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Virat Kohli
- Suryakumar Yadav
- Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper)
- Hardik Pandya (vice-captain)
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Mohammed Siraj
- Yuzvendra Chahal
