The tournament is the first ICC cricket event to be played since the Covid-19 pandemic and its surge in India forced the BCCI to move the event out of India.
Ahead of India’s opening match against arch-rivals Pakistan on October 24, TOI Sports picked five Indian players who are likely to make an impact in the event.
Virat Kohli
Having already proved his worth in the last three editions of the T20 World Cup, Indian skipper Virat Kohli When he leads India for the last time in the shortest format World Cup, he will once again be in all eyes. Kohli’s record in showpiece events makes him the top Indian player to watch in a World Cup. The 32-year-old has so far scored 777 runs in 16 matches at an average of 86.33. He has been crowned Player of the Tournament in each of the last two editions. Kohli also holds the record of scoring 3159 runs in total of 90 matches in T20 Internationals. He may have many records with the bat, but winning the ICC Senior Trophy is still a dream for him. Kohli, who will step down as India’s T20 captain at the end of the tournament, will have one last shot at T20 World Cup glory as India captain.
Rohit Sharma
Team India’s limited-overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma is all set to become the first Indian player to play all the seven editions of the T20 World Cup since its inception in 2007. Rohit burst onto the international scene during the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 and has been a part of all six World Cups since then. The right-handed batsman has played 28 T20 World Cup matches for India, scoring 673 runs at an average of 39.58. The 34-year-old Rohit is third in the list of highest T20I run-scorers with 2864 runs from 111 matches. He also has four centuries to his name – the most by any batsman in T20Is. The flamboyant opener Rohit has always been popular for his team in big ticket tournaments. Rohit is now widely seen as Kohli’s successor as the Indian T20 captain and will be crucial for the team’s second T20 World Cup title as well.
jasprit bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah will lead India’s T20 attack in the upcoming World Cup for the first time since the outbreak of coronavirus. Bumrah has not been a part of India’s T20 team since then due to workload management. This will be his second T20 World Cup match after playing in the 2016 T20 World Cup. He has taken four wickets in five matches in this tournament at an economy rate of 7.65 and an average of 38.25. Bumrah has been in fine form, ending IPL 2021 as the third-highest wicket-taker with 21 scalps from 14 matches. The 27-year-old pacer has taken 59 wickets in 50 matches at an impressive economy rate of 6.67. He is India’s second highest wicket-taker in T20Is overall Yuzvendra Chahali. His unconventional bowling action and quick pace help him trouble most of the batsmen. Bumrah has mastered the art of making yorkers at will and this could prove to be his best source of wickets on the largely spin-friendly pitches of the UAE.
Rishabh Pant
This will be the first ICC tournament since 2006 in which India will have the MS. Will not done Dhoni as his wicketkeeper. Rishabh Pant will have big shoes going into his maiden T20 World Cup. The 24-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman has shown tremendous improvement in the past and has emerged as a batting mainstay for India across all formats. Pant has played 33 T20 matches and scored 512 runs. He will be expected to play the role of a finisher in the T20 World Cup. Pant also had a good outing in the recently concluded IPL 2021, scoring 419 runs in 16 matches at an average of 34.91.
Varun Chakraborty
Varun Chakravarthy could be one of the big match winners for India in this edition of the T20 World Cup. The mystery spinner is expected to play a key role for India in their maiden T20 World Cup. Varun can make the best of batsmen dance with his extra bounce and unexpected angles. He did well in the IPL by taking 18 wickets in 17 matches at a very good economy rate of 6.58. Varun, 30, has played three T20 Internationals for India so far and has picked up two wickets. In the UAE leg of IPL 2021, Varun was one of KKR’s best and most effective weapons and skipper Kohli and mentor MS Dhoni would surely have noticed it.
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