5 India batters who pick themselves in the T20 World Cup squad

India will play a string of T20Is before the much-anticipated T20 World Cup in Australia. While it gives the think-tank an opportunity to experiment ahead of the marquee tournament, come the time, there are quite a few names to pick themselves, while some will be surprise entries.

In a high-octane edition that demands every team to field their best XI, it’s no surprise that India will look to put all their match-winners out there.

Apart from factors that include injuries and lack of form, India will be keen to assemble a playing XI that strikes the perfect balance between experience and youth.

And on that note, we take a look at the five players who will pick themselves in the T20 squad.

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#1 India skipper Rohit Sharma

The Indian skipper will be leading the charge as India gear up for the all-important tournament. With 3379 runs from 128 matches at an average of 31.88 and a strike rate of 139.63, he is one of the key figures for the side in the T20 World Cup.

Rohit Sharma’s ability to single-handedly take the game away from the opposition makes it a no-brainer to land him a slot in the squad and in the playing XI

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#2 KL Rahul

Despite being hampered by a string of injuries, KL Rahul still picks the slot as the opener alongside Sharma. His stroke play and temperament that saw him stack up 1831 runs from 56 matches at an average of 40.69, makes him a specialist opener.

He’s capable of dropping anchors or being aggressive based on the match situation, making him one of the more dangerous players to play the format. Rahul’s experience of playing some key ICC tournaments and also leading his franchise team in the IPL makes him a quality asset.

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#3 Virat Kohli

Lack of form or not, Virat Kohli cannot just be ignored. While the modern-day great has been going through a forgettable lean run, he’s a big match player who can deliver consistently.

He’s done that before, and his knack of pacing his innings in either scenario of the game — setting a total to chase makes him the prime player to take the No. 3 spot.

The records speak for themselves: 3308 runs in 99 matches at an average of 50.12 and a strike rate of 137.66. And with the breaks he’s been given along with the rest of the senior names in the side, a refreshed and recalibrated Kohli is good news for India.

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#4 Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant’s unorthodox batting style is a double-edged sword and often puts him in the spotlight each time he delivers or fails with the willow. Despite the gamble, his presence in the side is a necessity.

Not only is he a safe bet behind the stumps, Pant can strike from ball one if the situation demands it. More often than not, he manages to find the fence early in the innings.

With 768 runs from 50 T20Is at an average of 22.59 and a strike rate of 124.47, Pant will most probably be India’s designated finisher who will also be tasked with shepherding the lower order.

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#5 Suryakumar Yadav

He may not have had the greatest ODI run in the ongoing series against the West Indies, but Suryakumar Yadav has proved himself to be a formidable force at No.4. He recently notched up his maiden T20I hundred against England and nearly took his side over the line.

The flamboyant batter played his part in India’s T20 World Cup run last year and has an inkling of the competition he will be up against. The Mumbai man will face some competition from Shreyas Iyer and Deepak Hooda, but his penchant for big knocks makes him one of the names billed to be in the squad.