India announce squad for T20 World Cup; Pant and Samson included

On Tuesday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) revealed the 15-member squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, which is set to take place in the West Indies and the USA, starting June 1. Rohit Sharma is set to captain the team, with Hardik Pandya serving as vice-captain.

The squad sees the return of Rishabh Pant, about 16 months after his car accident on the Delhi-Dehradun highway. Alongside him, Sanju Samson is also selected as a wicket-keeper. Virat Kohli, currently in top form in the IPL 2024, is another key inclusion.

The team will feature a strong spin contingent with Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, and Yuzvendra Chahal, the latter marking his first selection for a T20 World Cup. The pace attack will be spearheaded by Jasprit Bumrah, complemented by Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj.

Notably, KL Rahul and Rinku Singh did not make the 15-member squad but Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, and Avesh Khan have been listed as reserve players.

India’s campaign will kick off against Ireland on June 5, 2024, at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. This will be followed by a highly anticipated match against Pakistan on June 9, at the same venue. Additional matches against the USA and Canada are scheduled for June 12 and June 15, respectively. India is placed in Group A, which also includes arch-rivals Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, and co-hosts USA.

Squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Hardik Pandya (Vice Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj.

Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan.