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India Unveils 15-Member Squad for 2024 T20 World Cup

India Unveils 15-Member Squad for 2024 T20 World Cup

By May 3, 2024 0

India’s quest for T20 World Cup glory continues as they prepare for the 2024 edition in the USA and West Indies. The Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel has named a 15-member squad, hoping to end India’s decade-long ICC trophy drought.

Rohit Sharma will lead the charge as captain, with Hardik Pandya as his deputy. The squad boasts a mix of experience and youth, with eight players from the 2022 T20 WC squad making the cut.

Rohit Sharma, despite a slow start to 2023, has regained his form in IPL 2024, scoring 315 runs at a strike rate of 158.29. Hardik Pandya, on the other hand, has struggled with injuries and form, but remains a key all-rounder.

Explosive opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has impressed since his T20I debut in 2023, amassing 502 runs at a strike rate of 161.93. Virat Kohli, India’s all-time leading T20I run-scorer, has also regained his touch, scoring 500 runs in IPL 2024.

Suryakumar Yadav, the world’s No.1 T20I batter, is the backbone of India’s batting lineup. He has smashed 466 T20I runs since IPL 2023 at a strike rate of 158.

Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has made a strong comeback after a serious car crash, scoring 398 runs in IPL 2024. Sanju Samson, another wicketkeeper-batter, has also impressed with 385 runs in nine matches.

Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj complete the squad.

India will face stiff competition in the 2024 T20 World Cup, but they will be determined to bring home the trophy and end their ICC drought.

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Gambhir Reveals the Batsman He Feared Most in IPL: Rohit Sharma

Gambhir Reveals the Batsman He Feared Most in IPL: Rohit Sharma

By May 3, 2024 0

Gautam Gambhir Reveals the Batsman He Feared the Most in IPL: Rohit Sharma

Ahead of Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) IPL 2024 match against Mumbai Indians, former KKR captain Gautam Gambhir has opened up about the batsman who gave him the most sleepless nights during his time as skipper.

In an interview with Star Sports, Gambhir revealed that Rohit Sharma was the only player he truly feared in the IPL. “In my entire IPL career as captain, only one player had given me sleepless nights, and that was Rohit Sharma. The only batsman I feared in IPL was Rohit Sharma. No Chris Gayle, no AB de Villiers, only Rohit Sharma because I knew that I had to have Plan A, Plan B and probably Plan C as well,” said Gambhir.

Gambhir explained that Sharma’s ability to dominate any bowling attack made him a formidable opponent. “If Rohit is in, I don’t think anyone can control him. I have never planned for any other batter in the IPL except Rohit Sharma.”

Gambhir’s fear of Sharma was evident in his meticulous planning against the Mumbai Indians captain. “There have been times when I have seen the visuals and I would say ‘fair enough, Plan A is fine’. But with Rohit Sharma, probably one night before (the match), I used to think if this doesn’t work, I have to get the other plan; if Sunil (Narine) is going to bowl his four overs, who all are going to bowl the rest 16; and if I finish off Sunil (overs) early and Rohit is (still) there, he can hit 30 (runs) off one over as well.”

Gambhir’s respect for Sharma is understandable given the latter’s remarkable IPL record. Sharma has led Mumbai Indians to five IPL titles, the most by any captain in the tournament’s history. He is also the all-time leading run-scorer in the IPL, with over 6,000 runs to his name.

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Jadeja Advocates Kohli as Opener, Rohit at Number Three for India's T20 World Cup Campaign

Jadeja Advocates Kohli as Opener, Rohit at Number Three for India’s T20 World Cup Campaign

By May 3, 2024 0

India’s T20 World Cup Strategy: Jadeja Advocates Kohli as Opener, Rohit at Number Three

Former Indian all-rounder Ajay Jadeja has proposed a tactical shift for Team India in the upcoming T20 World Cup in the Americas. Jadeja believes that captain Rohit Sharma should move down to the number three position, allowing Virat Kohli to open the innings.

Jadeja argues that Kohli’s consistency and ability to anchor the innings make him the ideal candidate for the opening slot. “If you have Virat in your side, you know consistency is the one thing you will get, so, might as well use him,” he said. “He’s best at the top and the powerplay allows him to settle in.”

By moving Rohit down to number three, Jadeja believes he will have more time to assess the game and make informed decisions as captain. “He gets a little cushion and gets to understand the game, he has so much going on, in his mind as a captain,” Jadeja explained.

Jadeja also defended the inclusion of Hardik Pandya in the squad, despite his recent struggles in the IPL. “He’s a special player, a rare commodity you find in our country where somebody bowls seam-up and can make it to the side with his batting,” Jadeja said.

However, Jadeja acknowledged that Pandya’s selection was not based on current form. “The selection has not been on form, there’s no doubt about it,” he said. “It depends on how you want to play. It’s one of the things I look at this team and think they don’t have many options.”

Jadeja emphasized that the team’s strategy will ultimately depend on Rohit’s vision. “It will all depend on what Rohit thinks,” he said.

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Rohit Sharma's Batting Woes Against Left-Arm Seamers Raise Concerns Ahead of T20 World Cup

Rohit Sharma’s Batting Woes Against Left-Arm Seamers Raise Concerns Ahead of T20 World Cup

By May 3, 2024 0

Rohit Sharma’s recent batting struggles have raised concerns ahead of the T20 World Cup. Despite a promising start to IPL 2024, including a century against Chennai Super Kings, Rohit has failed to reach double figures in his last three innings.

Former India opener Wasim Jaffer has identified Rohit’s vulnerability against left-arm seamers as a potential chink in his armor. “He had his problems against left-arm seamers. The way he plants his front leg, you could always feel that anything that’s coming in will trouble him,” Jaffer said.

This weakness could be particularly problematic for Rohit in the T20 World Cup, where India is likely to face Pakistan and its star left-arm pacer, Shaheen Afridi. Other skilled left-armers in the tournament will also be closely monitoring Rohit’s batting form.

Jaffer suggests that Rohit should adopt a more cautious approach against left-armers, avoiding aggressive shots early in his innings. “I think he’s got decent numbers against Mitchell Starc. And Starc’s form is a concern, Rohit knows that. Rohit also hasn’t scored the runs in his last four matches, so he will be keen to get into the World Cup with a bit of form,” Jaffer said.

“I feel Rohit needs to take a little bit more time; he’s trying to muscle the ball too early in his innings. He can take a couple of overs to get himself in and look to time the ball rather than trying to hit it too hard. It’s going to be an interesting match-up, as any left-handers for Rohit Sharma is a little bit of worry,” Jaffer added.

Rohit’s struggles against left-arm seamers will be a key area to watch in the remaining IPL matches and the upcoming T20 World Cup. If he can overcome this weakness, he will be a crucial asset for India in their quest for the title.

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Virat Kohli's Role in India's T20 World Cup Squad Debated

Virat Kohli’s Role in India’s T20 World Cup Squad Debated

By May 3, 2024 0

Virat Kohli’s inclusion in India’s T20 World Cup squad has sparked debates about his role in the team. While some believe he should open the batting, others suggest he should play as an anchor. However, former Australia all-rounder Tom Moody believes there is no such thing as an anchor in T20s.

Kohli has been in impressive form for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL, scoring 500 runs at a strike rate of 147.49. This has led to suggestions that he could open the batting for India at the T20 World Cup, alongside Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

However, Moody believes that Kohli should not be pigeonholed into a specific role. “He’s got many gears. He needs to work through those. He’s smart enough and experienced enough to adjust to 11-an-over or 9-an-over required rate,” said Moody.

Kohli has a proven track record in T20 internationals, having played some sublime knocks for India. His 82 against Australia in Mohali during the 2016 T20 World Cup and his 82 not out against Pakistan in Melbourne during the 2022 T20 World Cup are just two examples.

Former India pacer Irfan Pathan believes that Kohli will have a major impact on the upcoming T20 World Cup. “Jab waqt aata hai, yehi player akela khada hota hai, Virat Kohli (when it’s required, he is the player who stands alone),” said Pathan.

India will open their T20 World Cup campaign against Ireland on June 5 in New York, followed by the big game against Pakistan on June 9 at the same venue.

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KL Rahul Dropped from India's T20 World Cup Squad: Agarkar Explains

KL Rahul Dropped from India’s T20 World Cup Squad: Agarkar Explains

By May 3, 2024 0

KL Rahul Omitted from India’s T20 World Cup Squad: BCCI Chief Selector Explains

The Indian cricket team’s wicket-keeping position for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 has been a subject of much debate. The selectors have ultimately opted for Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson, leaving out KL Rahul from the 15-member squad and reserves.

This decision has raised eyebrows, considering Rahul’s impressive form in the ongoing IPL 2024. He became the first wicket-keeper batter to score 400 runs in the competition this year. However, BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar has shed light on the rationale behind Rahul’s exclusion.

Agarkar explained that the selectors were prioritizing players who can bat in the middle order. Rahul, on the other hand, has primarily played as an opener for his IPL team, Lucknow Super Giants.

“KL’s a terrific player. But we were looking for guys who bat in the middle. We feel Sanju has the ability to come down the order if need be. Rishabh is batting at No. 5 for DC. It wasn’t whether KL is better or these guys are better. It’s about the slots we needed, and we felt that these two are better equipped at this point in the latter half of the innings,” Agarkar said.

Agarkar also acknowledged the influence of IPL performances on team selection. However, he emphasized that the selectors do not solely rely on three months of cricket.

“It’s a little bit of a challenge. You try and plan before the IPL starts. We had conversations in the last few months anyway. You keep a track of performances and fitness of players, but if you get swayed by three months of cricket, then there’s something wrong in the way you pick players. We were pretty clear in our thinking,” Agarkar added.

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Riyan Parag Acknowledges Areas for Improvement After Royals' Narrow Defeat

Riyan Parag Acknowledges Areas for Improvement After Royals’ Narrow Defeat

By May 3, 2024 0

Riyan Parag, the rising star of Rajasthan Royals, has been a standout performer this season. However, in the team’s recent one-run defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad, Parag acknowledged areas for improvement.

“I have a lot of areas to improve. I am not in my best form, I would have finished the game otherwise… I try to learn from my mistakes and not repeat them,” Parag said after the match.

In their chase of Sunrisers’ 202, Parag and Yashasvi Jaiswal put up a spirited fightback. However, Pat Cummins and Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s death bowling brilliance proved too much for the Royals.

“It is never good to end on the losing side. We did a lot of things right. We will focus on more rather than dwelling on our mistakes… We made a few errors in two-three overs and it cost us the game. That is how T20 is, IPL is,” Parag reflected.

Parag’s shift to batting at number four has paid dividends this season, with 409 runs in 10 matches, including four half-centuries. He attributed his dismissal and Jaiswal’s to execution errors against SRH’s formidable bowling attack.

“I do not think any of us threw our wickets… Probably an error in execution. We would have liked to stay till the end,” Parag said.

He praised SRH’s bowling, particularly Cummins’ pivotal 19th over, and lauded Nitish Kumar Reddy’s standout performance, labeling his sixes against Yuzvendra Chahal as “pure skill.”

Despite the defeat, Parag remains optimistic about the Royals’ prospects. “We have a good team. We have a lot of potential. We just need to keep working hard and keep improving,” he said.

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Rohit Sharma Consoles Omitted Rinku Singh After T20 World Cup Squad Announcement

Rohit Sharma Consoles Omitted Rinku Singh After T20 World Cup Squad Announcement

By May 3, 2024 0

India’s skipper Rohit Sharma, who also leads the Mumbai Indians franchise, recently interacted with Rinku Singh, a left-handed batter who was surprisingly omitted from the 15-player squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squad on Tuesday, leaving many fans and former cricketers perplexed by Rinku’s exclusion.

After addressing the media at a press conference at BCCI headquarters, Rohit met with Rinku at the Wankhede Stadium ahead of Mumbai Indians’ clash with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Friday. A video posted by Mumbai Indians on Twitter shows Rinku beaming as Rohit approaches him. In the subsequent clip, Rohit engages in a serious conversation with the KKR star.

Rinku’s omission from the World Cup squad came despite his impressive performance for India in 15 T20Is, where he amassed 356 runs with an average of 89 and a strike rate of 176.24. However, he was named as a traveling reserve.

During Rohit’s press conference, chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained that Rinku’s exclusion was one of the “toughest decisions” the selectors had to make. He called it “unfortunate” for the 26-year-old hitter and attributed it to the team’s decision to select four spinners.

“It’s probably the toughest thing that we have had to discuss. He has done nothing wrong nor Shubman Gill for that matter. It’s about the combination. Like Rohit said, we are not quite sure what conditions we will get. So, we wanted to have enough options. A couple of spinners were included in the squad…It’s just unfortunate. I don’t think it has anything to do with Rinku Singh. It is not his fault that he has missed out. It is more than the 15 that we felt…At the end of the day, you can only pick 15,” Agarkar said.

Rohit also interacted with KKR team mentor Gautam Gambhir and skipper Shreyas Iyer during the encounter.

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Rinku Singh's Exclusion from T20 World Cup Squad Raises Eyebrows

Rinku Singh’s Exclusion from T20 World Cup Squad Raises Eyebrows

By May 3, 2024 0

Rinku Singh’s exclusion from India’s T20 World Cup squad has sparked controversy, with many questioning the selectors’ decision. The left-handed batsman has been in impressive form for India, scoring 356 runs in 11 innings at a strike rate of 176.23 and an average of 89.

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar acknowledged that Singh’s omission was a “toughest decision,” but explained that the team needed more bowling options. “We’re not sure of the conditions we’ll get (in the USA) and we wanted to have enough (bowling) options,” Agarkar said.

Despite calls for fresh blood in the T20 team, the selectors opted for experience, with the top six in the batting order remaining largely unchanged from the 2022 T20 World Cup. Agarkar defended this decision, stating that the experienced players have been “good enough to be around.”

“We’ve tried to get in players who are going to bat a certain way in the middle of the innings, where a lot of teams will use spin sometimes,” Agarkar said. “We have tried to address that. We have tried to get in some left-handers as well through the middle of that innings.”

Agarkar also addressed concerns over Virat Kohli’s strike rate, which has been a topic of debate. “We have not been discussing it,” Agarkar said. “He has been in great form, no concerns there at all.”

The selectors also defended the inclusion of Hardik Pandya as Rohit Sharma’s deputy. “Nothing was discussed with regard to vice-captaincy,” Agarkar said. “About form, he has come after a longish year off. The good part that we have looked at is he has got through all the games so far for MI.”

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