5 contenders for the Indian pace-attack at ICC T20 World Cup

As the ICC T20 WC is approaching, the Indian Cricket Team management has been the lookout for the perfect squad. While the batting looks settled with the likes of Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, skipper Virat Kohli, and Shreyas Iyer, the eyes are on the bunch of bowlers that are to be picked. Jasprit Bumrah is a no-brainer and Deepak Chahar gave every sign of cementing his place in the squad to travel Australia for the mega event. With pitches to assist the seamers, more and more options have been tried out and the coming few months will decide the fate of the Indian pace-attack. Here is a list of 5 contenders that can join the above pair for the utmost T20 tournament.

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#5 Khaleel Ahmed

Can being a left-armer work in Ahmed's his favour?

Khaleel Ahmed came into the spotlight with his impressive show at the IPL for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) where he deceived the batsmen by swinging the new ball and even stole the show at the death. In 10 IPL matches, the 22-year-old cricketer has scalped 19 wickets at an acceptable economy rate of 8.59, considering all the tough overs that he has bowled.

The Rajasthan bowler got an Indian call-up in 2018 for his consistency at the domestic level and has been in the plans of the selectors since then, though he hasn't cemented his spot yet. If he keeps on knocking the doors of the selectors, with the dearth of left-arm seamers in India, Ahmed might just book his place for the ICC T20 WC.

#4 Shardul Thakur

Shardul Thakur has crucial days ahead with the T20 WC approaching

The Mumbai bowler has been in and out of the Indian team and has got limited opportunities only when the spearheads have been rested. Shardul Thakur has quite a bit of experience at the domestic level. He is a thinking bowler who has impressive variations like yorker, knuckle-ball, and slower cutters up his sleeve. In his short stint with the Indian team, the 28-year-old has picked 8 wickets from 7 T20Is. Wiith an ordinary show in those outings, he was unable to fix his spot yet. He is currently a part of T20Is against Sri Lanka and should grab any opportunity that comes by.

Furthermore, his recent contribution with the bat might go in his favour as the batting depth is essential in the shortest version.

#3 Navdeep Saini

Is raw pace an added advantage for Navdeep Saini?

Navdeep Saini got the attention after he made an impression in red-ball cricket for Delhi with his sheer pace and consistency in line and length. The Karnal-born fast bowler can click 150 kmph regularly and that has been an aspect for which he has got the national call-up recently. The Australian pitches are known to assist fast-bowling and India would be glad if he proves his point in the series against Sri Lanka and the upcoming edition of IPL. With Chahar and Bumrah already in the mix, the 27-year-old can provide the versatility to the Indian pace-attack.

#2 Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is currently out of the team due to injury

It has been a long time since we saw a match-winning performance from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who at once used to be the leader of the Indian bowling attack. Though there have been youngsters punching the clock in T20Is, the experience that the 29-year-old brings to the table can't be turned a blind eye on. He has always brought discipline into the bowling line-up and has been impressively economical. In the past couple of years, he has also widened his bowling arsenal thus becoming an options for his captains even in the death overs. The upcoming IPL might decide his future with the Indian set-up to travel Down Under later this year.

#1 Mohammed Shami

Mohammed Shami is at the peak of his game since last year

Mohammed Shami has experienced one of the greatest transformations in a fast bowler that one can think of. From being an inconsistent injury-prone bowler, he has turned into a one of the fittest and dependable blokes around. This has been witnessed in the past 12 months in all forms of cricket he has played. The 29-year-old has been amongst wickets in both white-ball and red-ball cricket and his hunger to bowl is very evident. Though he has lesser variations than fellow Indian pacers, which T20I cricket demands, his zippy nature and knack of picking wickets can't be ignored. Shami's quick yorkers are an asset and he leads the race to join Bumrah and Chahar at the mega event in Australia in October 2020.

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