As the cricketing world gears up for the spectacle of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, anticipation is at its zenith, particularly for the fervent fans of the Indian cricket team. Since clinching the inaugural title in 2007, Team India has been on a quest for the elusive trophy, its absence adding an air of urgency to every subsequent campaign. With the 2024 edition looming on the horizon, hopes are again soaring, especially given the star-studded ensemble that constitutes the Indian squad, as announced by the BCCI on April 30.
Fresh from the crucible of IPL 2024 in India, where the ‘Men in Blue’ players are honing their skills and showcasing their mettle under the most intense pressure, these cricketers are poised to carry that momentum straight into the global arena, set in the cricketing hotbeds of West Indies and USA.
Here at CricToday, we present five Indian players to watch out for as they embark on this exhilarating journey towards T20 glory.
Five Indian Players To Watch Out At T20 World Cup 2024:
1. Virat Kohli
Amidst all existential debates involving his strike-rate concerns, Virat Kohli remains one of India’s best bets for lifting a T20 World Cup trophy until he decides to retire from the format. The cricketer stood tall during India’s previous T20 World Cup crusade in Australia in 2022, where he tallied 296 runs from just six innings. The 82* he pounded against Pakistan in the tournament was among the greatest knocks in the sport’s history.
Virat Kohli also holds some stellar stats in T20Is. Apart from being the format’s highest run-accumulator, the legendary Indian batter is also the leading run-scorer in T20 World Cup matches. Moreover, he top-scored for India in four different T20 World Cups, was the highest overall run-getter in three, and is the only cricketer in history to fetch ‘Player of the Tournament’ awards twice in his career.
While Kohli returned to India’s T20I lore in January 2024 against Afghanistan after a year-long hiatus, he will be heading into the 2024 T20 World Cup in West Indies and USA off the back of a splendid run with the bat in IPL 2024.
At 35, nearing 36, Kohli might be playing his final T20 World Cup through the forthcoming 2024 edition. Despite being one of the most decorated individuals of the tournament, the all-time Indian great will be motivated to conclude his T20 World Cup journey with a trophy in his profile.
2. Suryakumar Yadav
India’s T20 talisman, Suryakumar Yadav, will be expected to fortify his team’s middle order again when they travel to the West Indies and USA this June for the 2024 T20 World Cup. The 33-year-old, a veteran of 60 T20I matches, plundered a series-saving hundred against South Africa at Johannesburg in his previous international appearance in December 2023.
As part of his celestial rise in the shortest format of the game, Suryakumar also emerged as the third-highest run-maker of the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, where he blasted three blistering half-centuries, featuring the 25-ball 61* he smeared against Zimbabwe.
The 40-ball 68 he smacked against South Africa in the same tournament to lift India from a precarious 49-5 to a competitive 133 demonstrated his ability to overcome big-game nerves at the highest level.
With a T20I average of 36 in the West Indies and 42.50 in the USA, Suryakumar Yadav will surely start out as one of the key members of India’s chances in the impending 20-team event.
3. Shivam Dube
With three impactful half-centuries within the first half of IPL 2024, CSK all-rounder Shivam Dube rightfully warranted his place among India’s 15-player 2024 T20 World Cup squad.
The 30-year-old made his T20I debut in November 2019, sporadically playing 21 matches for the country until his latest appearance in January this year against Afghanistan. The dashing all-rounder also won the ‘Player of the Series’ award in India’s winning cause, fetching himself 124 runs and two wickets in three games against the visiting Afghan party.
Among his most recent ventures, Dube smacked a match-winning 23-ball 51 against Gujarat Titans, another 38-ball 66* against Mumbai Indians, a 27-ball 66 against LSG, and a sizzling 20-ball 39* against SRH.
Shivam Dube is also among the leading six hitters of the IPL 2024 season, having launched 26 hits over the fence from his first 10 innings.
4. Yashasvi Jaiswal
Young Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal will be keen to leave a mark in the game’s T20I arena after smothering England in the Test series. A traditionalist and a Test purist in hindsight, the 22-year-old still boasts of a staggering strike rate of 161.93 in international T20s and nearly 150 across all levels of 20-over matches.
Jaiswal recently smacked a 60-ball 104* against Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Gerald Coetzee to orchestrate a remarkable Rajasthan Royals victory over Mumbai Indians at Jaipur.
Set to make his T20 World Cup debut through the upcoming 2024 edition in West Indies and the USA; the Mumbai-based batter will likely command India’s opening stand alongside skipper and senior teammate Rohit Sharma.
5. Jasprit Bumrah
Indian paceman Jasprit Bumrah seems to be knocking over his opponents with utmost ease off late. Following his wicket-taking spree for Team India at the 2023 ODI World Cup, the cricketer also wrecks the opposition’s batting line-ups through his sheer pace and accuracy in IPL 2024.
With 18 wickets from his first 12 games of the season, the speedster has been a proud recipient of the coveted ‘Purple Cap’ for the past couple of weeks. While Bumrah has only played a handful of international matches in the West Indies and the USA, his bowling acumen will undoubtedly be a handy exponent for Team India at the tournament, especially with the new ball.