Team India have played the finals of the last two ICC events that took place last year. But unfortunately, they ended up on the wrong side in both tournaments. But Rohit Sharma and his men have another shot at the ICC title. They will be entering the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024 as one of the favourites to lift the trophy. India have not won the ICC title since 2013.
They have reached the knockout stage multiple times but couldn’t get over it. So can they do it in 2024? It is a big question. Team India are placed in Group A with Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, and the USA. They will face Ireland in their opening match on June 5 (Wednesday) in New York. The Indian squad has some new faces, while some veterans will be looking to take on more responsibilities. So have a SWOT analysis of Team India for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.
Indian Squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Hardik Pandya (Vice captain), Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Shivam Dube, Sanju Samson (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Md. Siraj.
Team India’s Strength for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024
1. Strong Top Order
Team India have always been a batting-heavy side that have achieved success mainly because of their batters. That is similar to the current squad. However, India always go with a strong top-order, which is also the case in the current squad. These batters are match-winners and have been doing it for years now. India’s likely opening combination will be Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who will bring the left and right-hand batting combinations. Both are attacking batters by nature. It will be followed by Virat Kohli, who is the leading scorer in T20 World Cup history. He gives you assurance in the case of early wickets. The next is No. 1 ranked T20I batter Suryakumar Yadav, who has been unmatchable in T20Is. India have one of the best top-orders in the competition.
2. Variations in Spin departments
The pitches in the USA and West Indies are likely to be slow and will be spin-friendly. That is one of the reasons that India have picked four spinners in their squad. Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Axar Patel will be doing spin jobs for India. Well, all these are different spinners from each other, which gives a variety to choose from. All these spinners come with loads of experience in the shorter format, which is one reason that India might have an edge against their opposition.
Team India’s Weaknesses for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024
1. Middle Order Issues
Team India have a great top order, but the problem lies in the middle order. India don’t have a player who has been consistently batting in the middle order. Rishabh Pant or Sanju Samson will play as the keeper, and none of these have proven themselves in T20Is yet. Shivam Dube has been given a chance, but he has yet to explode in the Indian colors. Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja will be two all-rounders. However, Hardik is coming off a horrible IPL 2024, while Jadeja doesn’t have great batting numbers in T20Is. India even don’t have a designated finisher, which might play a big role in big tournaments like the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.
2. Limited Fast Bowling resources
Surprisingly, India have gone with only three pacers; Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Mohammed Siraj. They have gone with a spin-heavy bowling attack. That can cause an issue going into the tournament. Hardik is likely to be India’s seaming option. Bumrah is certainly one of the best, but Arshdeep and Siraj are not as reliable as Bumrah. Adding to that, these two are good with new balls, and at death, India don’t have someone with Bumrah. And we know that conceding runs in the final overs can make a big difference in the match.
Threat for India in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024
Though Team India are one of the strongest teams in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, it won’t be easy for them to get their hands on the title. There are certain threats for Rohit Sharma and his men. The first and biggest is pressure. India can be considered the new chockers because they chok when it matters a lot. It may be pressure or something else, but that will be on the minds of every player.
Opportunities ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024
The upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024 is a great opportunity for some of the Indian players. This might be the final edition for Rohit Sharma, and he has a chance to win the title. Furthermore, players like Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, and Yuzvendra Chahal, who are back in the mix after good IPL performances, But this can be a make-or-break tournament for them and their careers. Meanwhile, Yashasvi Jaiswal has done well for India, and he can establish himself as a perfect member of the Indian team by doing well here.
Strongest Playing XI for Team India in ICC T20 World Cup 2024 (Predicted)
Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah.