Team India which is the world’s top-ranked side in the MRF Tyres T20I Team Rankings will be looking for a much better showing than their group-stage elimination in 2021, and have brought a talent-packed squad to Australia. The withdrawal of Jasprit Bumrah through injury is a blow but India will be confident they have the depth to cover the absence of the star pace bowler.
After unofficial warmups against Australia on Monday and New Zealand on Wednesday in Brisbane, India’s campaign will start with a blockbuster against Pakistan on Oct. 23 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which is sold out. It will then play Bangladesh and South Africa, as well as two qualifiers from the first round.
India has been acclimatizing in Western Australia, where it had a win and a loss in practice games against a West Australian XI.
ICC T20 World Cup: Full Schedule of Team India
India vs Pakistan
Sunday 23 October
MCG, Melbourne
India vs Runner Up Group A
Thursday 27 October
SCG, Sydney
India vs South Africa
Sunday 30 October
Perth Stadium, Perth
India vs Bangladesh
Wednesday 02 November
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
India vs Winner Group B
Sunday 06 November
MCG, Melbourne
Team India Squad:
Rohit Sharma (captain), Lokesh Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Deepak Hooda, Mohammed Shami.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India(BCCI) said Mohammed Shami would replace Bumrah as the 15th player in the squad. Shami had already landed in Australia and will join the Indian team in Brisbane for two warmup matches against Australia and New Zealand next week.
Shami has experience of playing in Australia and was India’s second highest wicket-taker during the ODI World Cup in 2019. The right-arm fast bowler was due to play in the home T20 series against Australia and South Africa last month but pulled out after he tested positive for COVID-19.
He hasn’t played a T20 international in almost a year since claiming six wickets in five games during the last T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
*With inputs from agencies
Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
