Cricket News: India’s T20 World Cup 2022 bowling squad

Will India continue to use two spinners?

It is no secret that India prefers or relies on strong spin attacks, and we may see them continuing to do so in October. The most significant talking issue leading up to the T20 World Cup was perhaps Yuzvendra Chahal’s absence from the India team for 2021. The leg-spinner has now turned the page, joined a new IPL team, and scalped most wickets this season, with 27 wickets to his credit.

The veteran Ravichandran Ashwin showed his variety and effectiveness with the bat, scoring at a strike rate of 146 and an average of 30. Kuldeep Yadav has been in similarly strong form over the past two months, taking 21 wickets.

The ever-dependable Ravindra Jadeja can also never be left out of the list. The all-rounder, a cornerstone of the T20I team, had a less than stellar IPL season that began with a subpar captaincy stint with the Chennai Super Kings and ended with an injury that forced him out of the competition. The squad will probably contain 3 of these four players, with Yuzvendra Chahal being a part of the squad.

 

The pace Battery of India:

The quality of Indian pacers has increased manifold day by day as the team has many reliable pacers who can change the game in favour of India on their day.

The depth of India’s fast bowling line-up supports the claim that it is currently the finest it has ever been. Fans will recall that for the bulk of the 1990s, fast bowlers Manoj Prabhakar, Kapil Dev, Javagal Srinath, and Venkatesh Prasad carried the load of picking up wickets. But those times have passed.

There aren’t many death-over bowlers in the world who can compare to Jasprit Bumrah. His striking partner Mohammed Shami maintains order at the start of the innings, and the speed pair has combined for 683 international wickets, so lack of experience shouldn’t be a problem. With Bhuvneshwar Kumar displaying a promising performance against South Africa, he has also made a statement comeback. But here’s where things become intriguing for the Indian selection committee, as many pacers may compete for the final fast-bowling berth in the starting 11.

Harshal Patel has continued to be a threat in the final few overs for all IPL opponents, taking 19 wickets. Given the variety he provides, he may be the favorite to partner with Jasprit Bumrah in the final few overs. Then, with Umran Malik’s incredible pace shattering every metaphorical glass ceiling, we have the craziest of wildcards. Malik is among the top five wicket-takers for the season and has consistently bowled at or near the 150 kmph mark. He also has 22 wickets in this year’s IPL.

Alternatively, India might look at someone with a little more experience like Shardul Thakur, who played in the T20 World Cup in 2021 and is thriving in taking wickets for the team when needed.

The ICC T20 World Cup 2022 is less than five months away, so the selectors have some time before making critical choices, but they prefer the answers to come sooner rather than later.