India’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup campaign moves to the Caribbean after a series of matches in the USA, prompting significant selection decisions.
Head coach Rahul Dravid addressed the media before India’s opening Super Eight match against Afghanistan on Thursday, fielding questions about the team lineup.
India’s squad for the tournament includes four spinners, though only two were used in New York, bowling a total of nine overs across the three completed matches. The conditions in the Caribbean could necessitate a different team balance, with Dravid hinting at the possible inclusion of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav.
“It’s tough to leave anyone out,” Dravid said. “New York had conditions favouring pace bowlers. We might need something different here in Barbados. Yuzvendra Chahal or Kuldeep Yadav could be used here. We are fortunate to have players with all-round abilities. We had eight batters in the New York games, but also had seven bowling options.”
The squad’s balance suggests a spin-heavy strategy for the second half of the tournament. However, Dravid emphasized the importance of flexibility, adjusting to real-time conditions rather than sticking strictly to pre-planned strategies.
“We feel we have the experience, knowledge, and ability to adapt to different situations that may arise,” he said. “Conditions can change drastically even within a few days. We need to be quick, smart, and able to assess and adapt.”
Dravid also highlighted the importance of in-game flexibility. “Each situation is unique; I believe in flexibility. In the Pakistan game, we moved Axar Patel up the order and Rishabh Pant to No. 3. There’s a lot of strategic thinking involved. We don’t have this flexibility in Test cricket, but in T20s, where match-ups are crucial, it’s more common.”
India Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
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