THE SQUAD:
Virat Kohli (capt);
He has had a modest run of late by his high standards but remains one of the most feared batsmen in the world. He has yet to lead India to an ICC event victory and will be keen to set the record straight.
Rohit Sharma;
The white-ball'hitman'has also been India's best batsman in the ongoing England Test series and will go into the event with his confidence sky-high.
Kl Rahul;
A prolific opener in T20I and IPL, he also offers a handy wicketkeeping option if required.
Suryakumar Yadav;
Had to wait a long time for his break but grabbed the opportunity when he got it. A fearless hitter, the 30-year-old has been a sensation for Mumbai Indians and Team India and seems to be in the form of his life right now.
Rishabh pant (wicketkeeper);
The southpaw has acquired a formidable reputation as a match-winner in all formats.
Ishan Kishan (wk);
Can open, float in the middle order and keep wickets. His versatility makes him highly handy.
Hardik Pandya;
Big-hitting allrounder. His comeback from injury has been carefully managed to ensure he can bowl during the World Cup, which will be crucial to balancing the Indian Xl.
Ravindra Jadeja;
Complete all-rounder package. Effective batsman, an economical left-arm spinner, and a gun fielder. Expect to see Hardik and him at No.6 and No.7 respectively in most of the matches.
Rahul Chahar;
The Mumbai Indians legspinner edged out Yuzvendra Chahal, India's preferred option for the last few years. His impressive showing during the recent Lanka tour would have helped.
Axar Patel;
Like Jadeja, an economical left-hand spinner and valuable batsman.
Varun Chakravarthy;
Injuries have plagued the mystery spinner with a bewildering range of variations. The team management will be hoping he will get through the World Cup unscathed.
Jasprit Bumrah;
India's trump card. They are devastating in all formats. They can bowl at all stages in a T20, but most feared at the death.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar;
The experienced campaigner can take wickets at the start and choke runs at the death.
Mohammed Shami;
He has a knack for picking wickets—a stand-out performer for Punjab Kings in the recent IPL edition.
RESERVES:
Shreyas Iyer;
The middle-order batsman returns after a prolonged spell out due to a shoulder injury.
Shardul Thakur;
The gusty medium pacer has come up with several game-changing knocks in recent Tests. She was suddenly looking like a genuine all-rounder.
Deepak Chahar;
The seamer could be a back-up for Bhuvneshwar and is also more than handy with the bat.
Unlucky To Miss Out:
SHIKHAR DHAWAN, who captained India on the recent limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka, hard-hitting opener PRITHVI SHAW, wily wrist-spinner YUZVENDRA CHAHAL, and all-rounder KRUNAL PANDYA. Left-arm pacer and Yorker specialist T NATARAJAN appears to have been excluded due to fitness concerns.
The final 15 has to be submitted on Oct 10. A few changes could still be announced once the IPL gets underway on Sept 19.
Former Indian skipper M.S. Dhoni, one of the shrewdest brains in international cricket, will serve as a team mentor for the 15-member T20I World Cup squad. Many cricketers who play under Dhoni have spoken glowing of his tactical skills and mentoring abilities. For this tournament, he will work closely with head coach Ravi Shastri and the rest of the team management to "provide support and directions."
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