TheBCCI has announced India’s squad for the T20 World Cup. The biggest surprisewas the absence of Yuzvendra Chahal while R Ashwin made his comeback. Theoff-spinner had last played in 2017 against West Indies. Meanwhile, YuzvendraChahal who is India’s highest wicket-taker has failed to make come back.
Whilethe Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has the hosting rights, the tournament has been moved out of the country with an eye on the COVID-19pandemic.
Indiaand Pakistan will be locking horns on October 24 in a group-stage encounter.The tournament will get underway from October 17, with the final to be playedin Dubai on November 14.
Thetournament will begin with the Round 1 Group B encounter between hosts Oman andPapua New Guinea on October 17, with Scotland and Bangladesh, the other teamsin Group B, clashing in the evening match. Ireland, Netherlands, Sri Lanka, andNamibia -- making up Group A -- will be in action in Abu Dhabi the next day,with Round 1 matches running till October 22.
Thetop two teams in each group will proceed to the Super 12 stage of thetournament, beginning on October 23. The second round of the tournament -- theSuper12 stage -- will get underway in Abu Dhabi on October 23, with the Group 1contest between Australia and South Africa.
Thiswill be followed up with an evening clash between England and West Indies inDubai. Old rivals England and Australia will lock horns in Dubai on October 30.
Itwill conclude on November 6 with matches between Australia and West Indies inAbu Dhabi, and England and South Africa in Sharjah. Group 2 will commence witha heavyweight clash between India and Pakistan in Dubai on October 24. Pakistanthen take on New Zealand in Sharjah on October 26, in a tough start for the2009 champions. Afghanistan begin their campaign on October 25 atSharjah,taking on the winners of Group B from the first round.
Itwill conclude on November 8, with India taking on the second-placed Round 1qualifier from Group A. The first semi-final will be held in Abu Dhabi onNovember 10.
Thesecond semi-final will be hosted by Dubai on November 11. Both semi-finalshave reserve days. The marquee clash of the tournament will take place in Dubaion November 14, Sunday, with Monday acting as the reserve day for the final.
SQUAD:Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma (vc), KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant,Hardik Pandya, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rahul Chahar, Varun, MohammedShami, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishan Kishan. Stand-byes:Shreyas lyer, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur.