Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson were two of the major winners as India announced their squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies.
Shivam Dube and Yuzvendra Chahal were two others to make the cut, but there was no room for the likes of Rinku Singh or Shubman Gill, both of whom have been a key part of India’s T20 plans since the last tournament.
India head into the tournament as favourites, thanks largely to the vast amount of T20 cricket their squad plays and the talent available to them, but the scars of the last two international tournaments will be sure to linger in the knockout stages.
Here is a look at the betting ahead of the T20 World Cup, which is due to start on June 1.
World T20 Odds
- India - 10/3
- Australia - 7/2
- England - 9/2
- South Africa - 13/2
- Pakistan - 8/1
- New Zealand - 8/1
- West Indies - 8/1
- Afghanistan - 33/1
- Sri Lanka 40/1
All odds are courtesy of bet365, and accurate at the time of writing (April 30, 3pm)
Who else is in the squad?
For Pant, the inclusion marks a full comeback after he was involved in a serious car accident in December 2022 that left many fearing for his career, but he has shown for Delhi Capitals in the IPL this year that he still possesses the stardust that makes him such a valuable player and also proved his full fitness.
He will battle it out with Rajasthan Royals’ in-form wicketkeeper-captain Samson for a place in the team, but Pant’s international experience and middle overs hitting is likely to give him the edge, with Samson batting in the top order for his franchise.
Rohit Sharma will lead the team despite being deposed from role with Mumbai Indians by Hardik Pandya - who will assume vice-captain duties - while Virat Kohli also makes the squad despite concerns over his ability to score at a quick enough rate in the conditions.
Suryakumar Yadav will be integral in the middle order while Shivam Dube also gets the nod following his vast improvements for CSK over the past two IPL seasons.
On the bowling front, Chahal is one of four spinners who will battle it out along with Ravi Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, and has been one of the standout bowlers in this year’s IPL and holds the record for the highest wicket-taker of all time in the tournament.
Jasprit Bumrah, arguably the best bowler in the world at the moment, will be a key figure while Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh are the other seamers selected - meaning Pandya will be required to bowl some overs if he is fit enough.
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