BCCI names India’s 15-man squad for ICC T20 World Cup 2024; Hardik Pandya in, star keeper-batter out?

The much-awaited day has finally arrived for the Indian cricket fans. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup on Tuesday, April 30. There has been a lot of buzz around the team selection with certain players making huge strides in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).

The squad is a mix of youth and experience and will be led by none other than Rohit Sharma, who celebrates his 37th birthday today. There were concerns over the inclusion of out-of-form Hardik Pandya, but the new Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper will act as Rohit's deputy in the marquee event.

Virat Kohli, who is currently the Orange Cap holder in IPL 2024 with over 500 runs, has been included in the squad. However, with Yashasvi Jaswal picked, the former India skipper is unlikely to bat in the opening spot, where he now plays for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

Some surprising inclusions, but richly deserved

One of the major highlights of the squad announcement is the return of veteran spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. He is one of the best spinners in T20 cricket but has always been overlooked in ICC tournaments. However, this time the selectors didn't shut the door on him and instead appreciated his talent.

Notably, Chahal recently became the first player to complete 200 wickets in IPL history. Having taken 13 wickets in nine matches so far in the tournament, the leggy is a strong contender for the Purple Cap. Meanwhile, Sanju Samson also made it to the squad thanks to his stellar performances in the ongoing IPL both as captain and batter.

Samson is among the top scorers of the 2024 season and his Rajasthan Royals (RR) are flying high with eight wins from nine matches. He was always an out-of-favour player in the Indian team but finally got his reward. While Rishabh Pant is also included as a wicket-keeping option, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper KL Rahul could not find a place.

Shivam Dube, who has been a consistent performer for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the middle order, will return to the national team. Jasprit Bumrah will lead the pace attack comprising Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh. Meanwhile, Shubman Gill and Rinku Singh will travel with the team as reserve players.

India squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup

Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj

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