3 glaring weaknesses in India's T20 World Cup 2024 squad

Following two disappointing exits in the last two editions of the T20 World Cup, Team India will be under pressure to deliver when they fly to the USA and the Caribbean later this year.

The BCCI recently announced the Men in Blue's squad for the event. Along expected lines, Rohit Sharma will lead the side, with Hardik Pandya as his deputy. Rishabh Pant has made a comeback to the T20I team, while Shivam Dube and Yashasvi Jaiswal have been picked.

India's squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup: Rohit Sharma (captain), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan

Like any Indian squad, this one is brimming with talent. But that doesn't mean much in isolation, and whether these names will be able to gel together in a balanced XI is a topic of considerable debate.

On that note, here are three glaring weaknesses in India's 2024 T20 World Cup squad.

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#3 There are plenty of doubts surrounding ideal batting positions

India v Australia - T20I Series: Game 5

What does India's ideal batting lineup look like? There are way too many players whose preferred positions overlap, right frorm the top of the order.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are all at their best while opening the batting. Fitting them in would mean that Kohli might have to bat post the powerplay, where he isn't very effective.

Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav need to face as many balls as possible, and Shivam Dube needs to be present to take on spin in the middle overs. Even Hardik Pandya needs time to settle, and the only success he has achieved with the bat over the last few years has come at No. 4.

Individually, these players might be effective T20 batters, but in tandem, they might be caught out.

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#2 India's pace options are limited and out of form

India v England - ICC Men's T20 World Cup: Semi Final

India have picked only three frontline options in their squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup. Jasprit Bumrah is the only one among them who is reliable, with Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj in the middle of a lean run of form.

Arshdeep was disappointing in T20Is in 2023 as he was expensive at the death and slightly inconsistent in the powerplay. The left-arm seamer hasn't had a great IPL either, with an economy rate touching 10.

Siraj, meanwhile, was even dropped from the Royal Challengers Bengaluru playing XI earlier in the season. While he still seems to be a decent powerplay option, his death bowling doesn't inspire much confidence.

Bumrah might find himself having to carry the entire workload during the T20 World Cup. The likes of Avesh Khan, Sandeep Sharma and T Natarajan, who would've taken some of the load off him in the powerplay and at the death, haven't made the grade.

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#1 The Men in Blue have virtually no reliable lower-order batters

Sri Lanka v India - Asia Cup

Without Rinku Singh, India's finishing options look threadbare. Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja are the primary names in contention, and all three of them haven't been in the best of form.

Hardik has clear limitations against hard lengths, and his spin game hasn't inspired much confidence either. Jadeja is virtually unplayable against spin in the shortest format, while Axar's gears in the end overs are still questionable despite an improved skillset against pace.