T20 World Cup 2024: Major inclusions and exclusions in India squad

The wait finally came to an end as the BCCI announced the 15-member India squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup on Tuesday. The Rohit Sharma-led Men in Blue squad includes youngsters like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Arshdeep Singh, as well as experienced campaigners like Virat Kohli and vice-captain Hardik Pandya.

One of the major talking points ahead of the squad selection meeting that took place in Ahmedabad was regarding the wicketkeeper’s spot. Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson eventually sealed the keeper’s spots in the Indian team.

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There were a few surprising inclusions and exclusions from the squad, however. Fans were not happy with Rinku Singh being demoted to the travelling reserves whereas KL Rahul, whose strike rate has been questioned in the ongoing IPL 2024, was also left out.

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Among the surprise inclusions, on the other hand, were Samson and Shivam Dube. Which other players’ inclusion/exclusion was surprising? We take a look:

Surprising inclusions

Sanju Samson

IPL 2024 has witnessed a resurgence of sorts as far as Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper Sanju Samson is concerned. Samson has been in and out of the Indian team frequently and his roller-coaster ride with the Men in Blue never seems to end as far as his international career is concerned.

However, on the back of a productive IPL season so far, having scored 385 runs from nine matches, Samson will hope he gets to shine on the big stage, at the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the USA.

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Shivam Dube

Shivam Dube is another surprise inclusion in the Indian squad. Many would have expected Rinku Singh to be in the squad ahead of Shivam Dube but it’s exactly the opposite. One of the main reasons behind Dube’s inclusion could be the kind of performances he has produced with the bat — he has scored three fifties for CSK in IPL 2024 so far, while also finishing games for his team.

Yuzvendra Chahal

Yuzvendra Chahal has finally completed his redemption arc. Chahal, who did not get a single game in the 2022 T20 World Cup despite being in the squad, has justified his selection with some fine displays with the ball in IPL 2024, having taken 13 wickets so far.

Chahal’s return to the side also means that the famed KulCha duo (Kuldeep and Chahal ) also make a comeback. Will we see a lot more of KulCha in the T20 World Cup?

Exclusions

Rinku Singh

A proven finisher, Rinku Singh was expected to make the Team India squad for the T20 World Cup. His inclusion would not only have added depth to India’s batting but also the Men in Blue would have had a match-winner.

Unfortunately, despite all his stellar cameos with the bat for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, Rinku will not be a part of India’s main squad but just the travelling reserves.

KL Rahul

KL Rahul was in a tough competition with Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson for the wicketkeeper’s spot. However, it’s his batting, and strike-rate in particular, that has let him down in the recent few weeks.

Rahul has been a victim of slow starts to his innings and his tendency to give away wickets was also a concern. Even a 48-ball 76 against RR or a 53-ball 82 could not help him seal a T20 World Cup spot.

Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill’s exclusion from the India squad might come as a total surprise for many. Gill, currently leading Gujarat Titans in IPL, also does not find a place in the travelling reserves which means he will have to watch the T20 World Cup from his home.

Apart from two fifties in IPL 2024, Gill has been lacking consistency in IPL 2024 and that could be one of the reasons for his omission from the squad. Not to forget, Gill was involved in a horrendous run-out with Rohit Sharma during the first T20I against Afghanistan earlier this year and was eventually dropped for the remaining two matches.

Ishan Kishan

Ishan Kishan’s year has gone from bad to worse after he was dropped from the India squad for the 2022 T20 World Cup. Earlier this year, Kishan lost his BCCI central contract after failing to commit to his domestic side, and the wicketkeeper-batter’s IPL 2024 form is not great either. Apart from one fifty in the IPL, Kishan has got starts on a few occasions and failed to capitalise on those.

The 25-year-old’s prolonged absence from competitive cricket, from November to March, also seems to have affected his performance.

Ravi Bishnoi

Ravi Bishnoi received a harsh reality check after he was dropped from India’s T20 World Cup squad. Nobody would have seen Bishnoi falling out of favour as far as the T20 World Cup team is concerned but Yuzvendra Chahal’s improved display with the ball in IPL 2024 saw Bishnoi drop down in the pecking order.

And while the 23-year-old has struck regularly for LSG this season, his tendency to leak runs was a cause for concern. Take the game against Rajasthan Royals for example, where he gave away 16 runs in his first, and only over.