Rishabh Pant named in India's T20 World Cup squad, 16 months on from being involved in a near-fatal car crash; KL Rahul, India's wicketkeeper at last year's 50-over World Cup, has been left out; Watch Men's T20 World Cup live on Sky Sports from June 1-29
Tuesday 30 April 2024 16:22, UK
Rishabh Pant has been named in India's squad for the T20 World Cup, 16 months on from being involved in a near-fatal car crash.
Pant underwent plastic surgery after being left with facial injuries following the collision in northern India in December 2022.
He returned to competitive cricket last month, captaining Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League and has scored 398 runs in 11 innings at a strike rate of 158.56.
Pant is one of two wicketkeepers picked, alongside Sanju Samson, who has made a World Cup squad for the first time at the age of 29.
There's no room in the squad for KL Rahul, who was India's wicketkeeper at last year's 50-over World Cup but hasn't played a T20 international since the 2022 T20 World Cup.
All-rounder Shivam Dube, recalled by India last August after more than two years out, has also made the squad, but Rinku Singh has been overlooked despite playing most of India's recent T20I games.
Wrist spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, the only bowler to take 200 wickets in IPL history, is a surprise inclusion because he wasn't used when India hosted the 50-over World Cup last year. Chahal has 13 wickets in nine IPL games in 2024.
India have picked three further spinners in their 15-man squad, including left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, and left-arm spin all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel.
Star batters Virat Kohli and captain Rohit Sharma have also been confirmed as part of the squad for the tournament in June in the Caribbean and United States.
Sharma and Kohli are in good form in the IPL. Kohli leads the run-scorers' charts with 500 in 10 innings, including one hundred and four half-centuries. Sharma has 311 in nine games at a strike rate of 160.30.
Nine of the 15-man squad were at the 2022 T20 World Cup, where India lost in the semi-finals to eventual champions England.
India begin their 2024 campaign on June 5 against Ireland. They will also play Pakistan, tournament hosts the USA and Canada.
India T20 World Cup squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Suryakumar Yadav
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