The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup 2024 earlier this month, but they have until the May 25 deadline, set by the ICC, to make final changes in it. With the IPL 2024 going into overdrive in the last couple of weeks, a couple of players in the T20 World Cup squad haven’t been able to keep up with their lofty standards in the tournament, potentially facing the axe from the Indian squad.
In this article, SportsTiger looks at three changes that the BCCI should make in India’s T20 World Cup 2024 squad before the final deadline of May 25.
Rinku Singh for Shivam Dube
Shivam Dube was picked in the 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup 2024 on the back of decent performances on his return to the Indian setup last summer after he took the IPL by storm with Chennai Super Kings. But, following a consistent run in first half of the IPL 2024, Shivam Dube had a string of low scores, which led to the exit from the tournament for CSK without securing the playoffs spot.
The 30-year-old, who is a designated all-rounder, didn’t bowl much in the ongoing season of the IPL either because he was surplus to the requirements of CSK, which isn’t an ideal circumstance before going into a big tournament like the T20 World Cup. Therefore, Rinku Singh, who has been quite a performer for India and his franchise Kolkata Knight Riders, should get drafted into the main squad for the upcoming ICC tournament instead of Shivam Dube, who can take his place in the travelling reserves list.
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T Natarajan for Khaleel Ahmed
Khaleel Ahmed was picked in the Indian travelling reserves for the T20 World Cup 2024 after impressing one and all in the early stages of the IPL 2024. But, the left-arm pacer, who last played for India in 2018, had a dip in his performances, conceding runs in excess of 10 regularly with the Delhi Capitals in the second half of the IPL season, culminating in their exit from the tournament before the playoffs stage.
With that, Khaleel Ahmed should make way for T Natarajan in the travelling reserves for the upcoming ICC tournament. A like-for-like replacement, the Tamil Nadu-born cricketer, who last played for India in 2021, has been quite magnificent in all phases of the innings for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2024, conceding runs at 9.12 to the over, which is a decent number in a tournament where the batting has ruled the roost.
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Varun Chakravarthy for Yuzvendra Chahal
Yuzvendra Chahal has been one of the top faces in the spin bowling department for India in limited-overs cricket in the last eight years or so. But he has been constantly in-and-out of the Indian squad in the past few seasons, owing to the batters finding ways to put him under pressure with their ability to score boundaries off him.
In the early stages of the IPL 2024, he picked up wickets at a decent economy rate for Rajasthan Royals, but his performances have dropped away in the second half of the season, going for more than 10 runs per over despite the team reaching the playoffs stage. Therefore, Varun Chakravarthy, who has been quite exceptional in keeping the batters honest with his economy rate of 8.18 in the IPL 2024 with Kolkata Knight Riders, should be taken to the T20 World Cup 2024 in place of Yuzvendra Chahal.
