India's T20 World Cup Squad Revealed: Surprise Picks Amid Captain's Slump?

India is placed in Group A alongside Namibia, the Netherlands, Pakistan, and the United States and will start its campaign against the USA on February 7 in Mumbai.

The star opener Abhishek Sharma looks to be a guaranteed starter in the tournament, having a dream run in T20 cricket this year, be it franchise cricket or the Indian team. This year, he has scored 825 runs in 20 matches at an average of 43.42 at an SR of above 195, with a century and five fifties and a best score of 135.

The leadership group of captain Suryakumar Yadav and Shubman Gill is also expected to be there despite their poor run of form this year. In 20 matches and 18 innings this year, Suryakumar has scored just 213 runs at a shambolic average of 14.20, with a strike rate of just over 125 and no fifties. Gill, currently set to miss the final T20I against South Africa due to a foot injury, has fared better, but it is not saying much, as he is yet to score a fifty in 15 innings since his T20I return and has scored just 291 runs at an average of 24.25 and an SR of over 137, missing out on some promising starts.

Tilak Varma, who showcased his big-match potential during the Asia Cup final against Pakistan and has a stupendous record in run-chases and at number three, is also another expected easy pick in the squad. This year in T20Is, he has made 494 runs at an average of 44.90 and a SR of above 124, with three fifties. While his strike rate is a concern, there is no doubt about his big game capabilities in the sample size of games he has played for India and the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL and could emulate the style that legendary Virat Kohli once used to play with during his peak, switching between anchoring and attacking gears at will.

Opener Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma could be the wicketkeeping options, but it is upto management who gets to play depending on team combination, form and how much the team decides to persist with Gill despite his poor form. If recency bias is a thing, even Ishan Kishan could be an option, having just won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) for Jharkhand for the first time ever. He also emerged as the leading run-getter in the tournament, with 517 runs in 10 innings at an average of 57.44, with an SR of above 195, two centuries and two fifties, including one century in the final against Haryana.

All-rounders Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar could provide the team with unmatched depth and batting/bowling strength.

Kuldeep Yadav, who has been on fire all this year, could very well be the sole specialist spinner, with Sundar and Axar giving him assists. Leading the pace department could be Jasprit Bumrah, a proven match-winner and a man of big moments, with youngsters Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana being other options.

Also, it would be interesting to see if fan favourites like Rinku Singh and Yashasvi Jaiswal, currently not in the scheme of things in T20Is could be picked our not.

The five-match T20I series against New Zealand would start from January 21 onwards after three ODIs between the Champions Trophy 2025 finalists, which would also feature ODI-exclusive stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

- ANI