India’s T20 squad for West Indies tour: The Indian selectors have announced a 15-member T20I squad for three T20I against West Indies.
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India have rested premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, all-rounder Hardik Pandya and leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal for the upcoming three-match T20I series during the tour of West Indies. While Bumrah being rested was on the cards, the reason behind Pandya and Chahal’s rest from the shortest format remains unknown.
On the back of their solid performances, Delhi and Royal Challengers Bangalore fast bowler Navdeep Saini and Rajasthan and Mumbai Indians leg-spinners Rahul Chahar have received maiden call-ups in the T20I team.
In 13 matches in the Indian Premier League this year, Saini dismissed 11 batsmen at an average of 36.09, an economy rate of 8.27 and a strike rate of 26.18. The 26-year old fast bowler has regularly picked wickets across formats in the Indian domestic setup.
Talking of Chahar, Indians’ best spinner this season had picked up 13 wickets in as many matches at an average of 23.69, an economy rate of 6.55 and a strike rate of 21.69.
Shreyas Iyer and Manish Pandey earn comebacks
Among people who have made their comeback into the team are batsmen Shreyas Iyer and Manish Pandey, all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar and fast bowlers in Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed and Deepak Chahar.
Mumbai batsman and Delhi Capitals captain Iyer had recently done well in both the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the IPL. Having scored 484 runs in 10 matches at an average of 60.50 and a strike rate of 152.20 including two centuries and a half-century, Iyer was the second highest run-scorer in India’s domestic T20 competition. The 24-year old cricketer was also the second-highest run-scorer for DC in IPL 2019 after scoring 463 runs at an average of 30.86 and a strike rate of 119.94 including three half-centuries.
Karnataka captain and Sunrisers Hyderbad batsman Manish Pandey also did well in both the tournaments. Pandey registering a strong comeback after a lean patch in the IPL was commendable.
As far as Ahmed is concerned, he picked up 12 wickets in four matches of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and followed it with an even better 19 wickets in nine matches in the IPL. Chahar, who made his T20I debut in England last year, finished IPL 2019 as the third-highest wicket-taker (22 wickets at an average of 21.90, an economy rate of 7.47 and a strike rate of 17.59) behind Imran Tahir and Kagiso Rabada.
Jadeja, whose last T20I had also come in West Indies in 2017, was selected on the back of picking 15 wickets in the IPL at an average of 22.86, an economy rate of 6.35 and a strike rate of 21.60.
Dinesh Karthik dropped once again
While reports of former India captain and current wicket-keeper batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni being unavailable for this tour have come true, wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik, all-rounder Vijay Shankar (injured), fast bowlers Umesh Yadav and Sidharth Kaul and leg-spinner Mayank Markande have been dropped.
India’s T20 squad for West Indies tour
India’s squad for 3 T20Is: Virat Kohli (Captain), Rohit Sharma (VC), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant (WK), Krunal Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Rahul Chahar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Deepak Chahar, Navdeep Saini
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 21, 2019
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