The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced Team India's 15-member squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the US, with Rohit Sharma named as captain and Hardik Pandya his deputy.
Among the notable omissions from the team are veteran batter KL Rahul, while talented youngster Rinku Singh, who was widely tipped to find a place in the side, also missed out. However, he would be a part of the reserve players for the elite tournament, which features opener Shubman Gill and fast bowlers Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan.
On the other hand, Shivam Dube, who has made a name for himself in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) with his explosive batting performances, will be on the flight to the West Indies.
The T20 World Cup is crucial, especially for Rohit Sharma, given that it could be his last competition as the national team skipper.
Moreover, the Indian Cricket Team would look to end their long-standing drought in International Cricket Council (ICC) events. They last won the ICC Champions Trophy under the leadership of the legendary MS Dhoni in 2013 in England.
If one talks about the World Cup - India's previous title triumph in either the T20 or the 50-over format came in 2011 when they defeated Sri Lanka in the ODI World Cup at home.
India's 15-men squad for the T20 World Cup: Rohit Sharma (captain), Yashashvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj