After a 16-month absence following a severe car accident, wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has returned, alongside all-rounder Shivam Dube, in the 15-member Team India squad announced by the BCCI on Tuesday for the upcoming T20 World Cup. The ICC’s cricketing extravaganza is scheduled to commence from June 2 in the Caribbean and the United States. While players like Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Virat Kohli, and Suryakumar Yadav were obvious selections for India’s T20 World Cup squad, others earned their spots through impressive performances in the ongoing IPL.
Nine out of the 15 players selected for the squad were also included in the team that competed in the last edition of the tournament in Australia in 2022.
Here’s a summary of the performance of the selected Indian players in the ongoing IPL:
1) Rohit Sharma: Despite Mumbai Indians’ struggles this season, Rohit Sharma has stood out with 315 runs in 10 matches, including a remarkable unbeaten 105 against Chennai Super Kings.
2) Hardik Pandya: Enduring a challenging IPL, Hardik Pandya has managed 197 runs and taken 6 wickets in 10 matches for Mumbai Indians.
3) Yashasvi Jaiswal: Yashasvi Jaiswal’s century against Mumbai Indians revived his campaign for Rajasthan Royals after a series of low scores.
4) Virat Kohli: Ahead of the Indian team selection, Virat Kohli silenced critics with a splendid performance, amassing 500 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate close to 150.
5) Suryakumar Yadav: Suryakumar Yadav showcased his aggression with a powerful 78-run knock against Punjab Kings and a quickfire 52 in his first competitive tournament post-surgery.
6) Rishabh Pant: Making a comeback after a severe car accident, Rishabh Pant impressed with 371 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 160.60, while leading Delhi Capitals.
7) Sanju Samson: Rajasthan Royals’ skipper Sanju Samson has been in fine form, scoring 385 runs at a strike rate of 161.08, including four half-centuries.
8) Shivam Dube: Shivam Dube has been instrumental for Chennai Super Kings, amassing 350 runs in nine matches at an impressive strike rate of 172.41.
9) Ravindra Jadeja: Ravindra Jadeja contributed with both bat and ball for CSK, scoring 157 runs and claiming five wickets in nine matches.
10) Axar Patel: Axar Patel impressed as a spinner and a useful batsman, scoring close to 150 runs and taking nine wickets for Delhi Capitals.
11) Kuldeep Yadav: Kuldeep Yadav showcased excellent form with 12 wickets in nine matches, making him a certain pick for the T20 World Cup squad.
12) Yuzvendra Chahal: Yuzvendra Chahal emerged as a key performer with 13 wickets in nine matches and recently became the first bowler to claim 200 wickets in the tournament’s history.
13) Arshdeep Singh: Arshdeep Singh impressed with 12 wickets in nine games for Punjab Kings, highlighted by a four-wicket haul against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
14) Jasprit Bumrah: Leading the wickets column with 14 scalps in nine games for Mumbai Indians, Jasprit Bumrah has been outstanding with a remarkable economy rate of 6.40.
15) Mohammed Siraj: Mohammed Siraj has struggled with form, conceding runs and managing only six wickets in nine matches for Royal Challengers Bangalore.