The ICC T20 World Cup 2022 is around the corner. The tournament is scheduled to begin on the 16th of October. Every person in the cricket community is waiting for arch-rivals India and Pakistan to go head-to-head. The Indian Cricket Team is also keen on trying and testing all possible combinations for the tournament. Many players will be keen on making an impression in the games before the ICC T20 World Cup. So, what does the Indian squad look like and what are the expected 15? Here is a look at all the details of the tournament:
Table of Contents:
| Indian Cricket Team for ICC T20 World Cup 2022. |
| Standby Players for the Indian Cricket Team. |
| Schedule of the Indian Cricket Team for ICC T20 World Cup 2022. |
| Where Can You See the ICC T20 World Cup |
Indian Cricket Team for ICC T20 World Cup 2022:
**The following is the expected squad**
1) Rohit Sharma will be Captaining the Indian Cricket Team for the ICC T20 World Cup:
Rohit Sharma, the Indian skipper will be very keen to lead India at the ICC T20 World Cup. He currently is having a dry run with the bat in hand in the TATA IPL 2022. But the law of averages will certainly come into play. Also, we know that form is temporary and the class is permanent. Rohit will also be keen on winning his second T20 World Cup. He had played an important role in India’s first triumph in 2007. On the day that Rohit fires, he will take the game away in a flash.
2) KL Rahul will be Opening the Batting for India at the ICC T20 World Cup:
KL Rahul will also be keen to show the world what he has got after the disappointment in the 2021 T20 World Cup. Fans currently only remember him as the KL Rahul who got castled by Shaheen Shah Afridi. But the Rahul that takes the game away in a matter of few overs is still unknown to the international fans. He will be showing his illustrious lofted cover drives and pull shots too. He is expected to be the deputy of the team.
3) Shikhar Dhawan will be the Back-Up Opener for India at the ICC T20 World Cup:
Shikhar Dhawan or “Mr. ICC” as he is known is expected to be the backup opener. Last time it was Ishan Kishan, but that move didn’t work very well. Ishan is certainly an exciting prospect but Shikhar is a seasoned pro. His performances at the big ICC tournaments have always been top-notch. So, instead of trying an inexperienced Ishan, why not back Shikhar Dhawan who has always been the team’s crisis man. Also, age might not be on his side but we will be speaking of it only in the case when his performances drop. He has always been on the top of his games. Season after season he has been scoring 500+ runs in the IPL.
4) Virat Kohli:
With all the speculations concerning his current form, some dumb analysts claim the shortest format isn’t for Virat. As a friendly reminder, I would say that Virat has been the top run-scorer and the man of the series in the 2014 and 2016 ICC T20 World Cups. He was India’s savior in the games against Pakistan. When the matters go from bad to worst, it is Virat who comes to the rescue, first. So, no one else in our country deserves this number 3 position more than Virat.
5) Suryakumar Yadav:
Surya has been the top Indian T20 batter for 2 years now. He has done it at the domestic level and hence he deserves that flight to Australia more than anybody. He is the “Mr. 360” of the Indian Cricket Team. Surya has been the sailor who has been carrying the ship of the Mumbai Indians single-handedly. He managed to come into the top scorers of the tournament, even after missing out 6 to 7 games. Surya has been scoring 500+ runs consecutively since the 2018 season. He is an integral part of the Mumbai Indians team that has dominated the IPL, season after season.
6) Shreyas Iyer:
The captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders and India’s consistent number 4 batter in the ODIs is deserving of the flight to Australia. The selectors messed up big time when they didn’t pick Shreyas for the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. Shreyas has an evident weakness against the short ball but the tournament is 5 months away. He can certainly work on the same and come back as a champion. But there are only a few players in the country who play spin better than Shreyas. Shreyas can scare the spinners just by mere presence. He takes the spinners to the cleaners from the word go.
7) Rishabh Pant will Keep Wickets for India at the ICC T20 World Cup:
Rishabh Rajendra Pant has a big point to prove in the shortest format. When Rishabh first burst onto the scene, people regarded him as a pure T20 batter. But his stats in Tests are some of the bests in the world and T20s are very average. The fearless Rishabh Pant that was seen in the 2018 IPL season will do wonders for India. He still is fearless but he needs to be a bit selective. But if the management wants him to play that way, he must do that. He will change the game in the matter of one over. He is a Yuvraj-like player who dominates the game when he is on the crease.
8) Hardik Pandya will be India’s All-Rounder at the ICC T20 World Cup:
Hardik Pandya is the key player for India. His form can be the make it or break it. It will be great to see Hardik bowl a few overs too. Hardik with the bat has always been great but if all-rounder Hardik shows up to the ICC T20 World Cup 2022, it is packed up for the rest of the teams. Hardik will win games for India single-handedly. He has been groomed by MS Dhoni for finishing games. His leadership skills for the Gujarat Titans show us that he is a thinking player and understands the game well.
9) Ravindra Jadeja:
Ravindra Jadeja will also be an important component of India’s success. Jaddu has to make sure he remains fit and available. The case with Jadeja is that when he is fit, he is the fittest person on the field. The energy that Jaddu brings to the field is different. The value he adds to the fielding group is immense. So, you will have Virat, Hardik, Jaddu, Shreyas, and Surya being the top fielders. Jaddu has improved his batting by fourfolds in the past two years. He was so good that the Indian Test team drafted him at the number 5 position. Apart from this, his bowling needs no explanation. He bowls overs within 2 to 3 mins. He can keep the over-rate in check.
10) Bhuvneshwar Kumar:
Bhuvi has been dominating the IPL season after season. After battling injuries from 2019, he is finally able to play and rule the game like a boss. Bhuvi on his day can swing the ball wickedly. One can never forget Bhuvneshwar Kumar hitting the top of the off-stump on the first ball of his career. Kumar has been deadly with those yorkers in the death overs too. With the knuckleball and the wide yorker, he makes himself a complete T20 package. If required he can bat at number 8.
11)Yuzvendra Chahal:
Yuzvendra Chahal has done enough all ready to give him that ticket to Australia. Chahal is a wizard. He is hard to pick even after 7 to 8 years in professional cricket. A daring bowler, Chahal is also a contender for the Purple Cap. The selectors made a big mistake by dropping him in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. He should have been picked ahead of Rahul Chahar or Varun Chakravarthy but that’s done and dusted now. Chahal as I have mentioned earlier is the most successful Indian T20I bowler. He has 60+ international wickets to his name.
12) Jasprit Bumrah will be the leader of the Bowling Attack at the ICC T20 World Cup 2022:
Jasprit Bumrah is the leader of the Indian bowling attack. He has to be the spearhead and has to fire if India has to do well. Batters can win you matches but bowlers will win you tournaments. J Boom, as he is called by his team has a bag full of variations. His spell against KKR will never be forgotten. He has been the top performer for India in the shortest format.
13) Deepak Chahar:
Deepak Chahar might not be in the first 11 but he can be picked as a backup for Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The reason is that Bhuvi is prone to injury. So, if something goes down south, Deepak can step in. The case with Deepak is that we are sure about 3 great overs in the powerplay from him. He swings the ball wildly. His swing at times is more than Bhuvi. He clocks 135+ kmph and can bat number 8 or 7 as well. His batting is something that the team can rely on. Deepak needs to stay fit to make his services available to the team.
14) Kuldeep Yadav/ Axar Patel will be the Back-Up Spinner at the ICC T20 World Cup 2022:
A left-arm spinner is sure to make it to the team. Now the competition is between Bapu Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav. Kuldeep Yadav has made a strong case for himself after a splendid IPL. He is a chinaman bowler and this gives the team an added dimension. Axar Patel on the other hand is a phenomenal left-arm spinner. He bowls quickly through the air. He can also bat a bit and this adds to his portfolio. Bapu has been a sensation in the red-ball format. If he can replicate the same in the shortest format, it will add a lot of value.
15) T Natarajan:
T Natarajan was the player that India missed at the ICC T20 World Cup 2022. These are the words from Ravi Shastri. This speaks volumes of the skill that he possesses. Coming in from the small towns of Tamil Nadu, Nattu has nothing to lose and the world to gain. He can be the surprise package for India.
Expected Playing XI for India at the ICC T20 World Cup:
Rohit Sharma (C), KL Rahul (VC), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, T Natarajan.
Standby Players for the Indian Cricket Team:
- Ishan Kishan (Back-Up Opening Batter)
- Sanju Samson or Deepak Hooda (Back-Up Middle Order)
- Mohammad Shami/ Mohammad Siraj/Umran Malik (Back-up Opening Bowler)
- Harshal Patel (Back-Up Death Bowler)
Indian Cricket Team Schedule for the ICC T20 World Cup:
| Date | Match | Venue | Timing |
| 23rd October, 2022 | India VS Pakistan | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne | 7:00pm (Australian Time) 1:30pm (IST) |
| 27th October, 2022 | India VS A2 | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney | 6:00pm (Australian Time) 12:30pm (IST) |
| 30th October, 2022 | India VS South Africa | Perth Stadium, Perth | 4:30pm (IST) |
| 2nd November, 2022 | India VS Bangladesh | Adelaide Oval, Adelaide | 7:00pm (Australian Time) 1:30pm (IST) |
| 6th November, 2022 | India VS B2 | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne | 7:00pm (Australian Time) 1:30pm (IST) |
Where Can You See the ICC T20 World Cup 2022:
The official broadcaster for the ICC T20 World Cup is Star TV Network in India. So, this includes all the TV Channels of the Star TV Network.
- Star Sports 1
- Star Sports 1 Hindi
- Disney + Star Sports 2
- Star Sports 2 Hindi
Also, we can stream the games online on Disney+Hotstar.
To read more go to ICC T20 World Cup 2022: Top 5 Openers to Watch out for.
Read more such articles at ICC T20 World Cup 2022: Top 5 Spinners to Watch Out For.
To read more go to TATA IPL 2022: Top 5 Indian Bowlers of the Tournament.
Read more such articles at 1983 World Cup: Indian Cricket Team, where are they now?
To know more go to the official website of the BCCI.