Can Rohit Sharma's India Win T20 World Cup 2024? SWOT, Team Rating, Prediction

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in World Cup 2023 (X.com)

Times are changing fast, and there is hardly any breathing space as a cricketer or as a fan to digest a heartbreaking loss or celebrate a historic win. It was just six months ago that India lost the 50-over World Cup final with Rohit Sharma walking off the field wiping his tears, and such is the nature of cricket nowadays, that the man is up again cherishing the hopes of lifting the World Cup trophy, this time in the shortest format of the game.

India have announced a strong 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and USA and are eyeing their second World Cup title in the format. The 'Men in Blue' won the inaugural edition, but have not been able to replicate those heroics so far, and in the 2022 edition they crashed out of the tournament in the semis.

So, let's now try to dive deeper into India's squad and gauge the strength and weakness of the Indian contingent for the all-important marquee event.

India's Squad for T20 World Cup

Rohit Sharma (C), Hardik Pandya (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah.

Strengths Of India For T20 World Cup 2024

Experienced Arsenal

One of the major strengths for India in this T20 World Cup is the experience in the squad. The skipper Rohit Sharma has played all the eight editions of T20 World Cup so far and with likes of Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya alongside him, there is no dearth of experience.

Virat Kohli in T20 World Cup 2022 (X.com)

Also, rest of the players have played T20 World Cup in the past and all are seasoned cricketers who have lot of T20 experience and also knowledge of Caribbean conditions.

Quality in spin department

Yuzvendra Chahal is making a comeback for India in T20 World Cup (X.com)

India have four quality spinners in their ranks - Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. All four have the ability to change the game with their crafty bowling, and with conditions in USA and Caribbean expected to assist spinners, they would be key assets in India's quest to lift the trophy.

Flexibility & Depth For Conditions In USA-Caribbean

As mentioned above, India have four spinners in their arsenal, and two of them are quality batters too. It provides India with great flexibility and depth and they can try out different combinations as Rohit has Hardik and Shivam Dube too as seam-bowling all-rounders.

Also, if the conditions demand batters to apply themselves and play a waiting game, then India have the players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma who can absorb pressure and if there is a need to play an aggressive brand of cricket, there are likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube who can go big from the ball one. 

Spin department as mentioned earlier is good, and in the form of Jasprit Bumrah, there is a gun-T20 bowler who can change the game in any conditions.

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Weaknesses Of India For T20 World Cup 2024

Lack of Quality Finishers

Finishers play a big role in T20 format, and India look light in that department for this World Cup. The likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube all bat in top 5 for their respective franchises in IPL and even Hardik Pandya, in recent times, has preferred to bat up the order and has not been able to get going right from the onset. 

Shivam Dube against Afghanistan (X.com)

Ravindra Jadeja's stocks as a finisher in T20Is have also come down in recent times, and this could be a cause of worry for the Indian team.

Over-dependence on Jasprit Bumrah at death

Jasprit Bumrah is arguably the best bowler in T20Is currently, and he is capable of delivering in varied situations and conditions. However, India have only Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh in pace department alongside him, and both of them have blown hot and cold in this format.

Siraj is a good Powerplay bowler, but his death-bowling skills are still not upto the standards that are required, while Arshdeep Singh has been guilty of inconsistency. The left-arm seamer has the ability to deliver both at the death and with the new ball, but tends to falter in crunch situations.

Opportunities For India In T20 World Cup 2024

To End ICC Trophy Drought Of 11 Years

India have been one of the most consistent teams across formats in the last decade or so, but they have not been able to lift a ICC trophy since the 2013 Champions Trophy win. They failed in the final of World Cup 2023, and before that they have often crumbled under pressure in crunch matches, and that is something they would be looking to leave behind in this campaign and bring home that long-awaited trophy.

Threats For India In T20 World Cup 2024

Problem Of Plenty

India have lot of options at their disposal, and it is going to be tough task to nail down the final eleven. Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel are two same kind of cricketers and though Jadeja has not been in great form in this format, he might be preferred for his experience and that would make difficult for India to play Axar Patel. 

Also, playing two wrist spinners, Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav together would be a bold call, and same goes with the batting combination with option of Virat Kohli as an opener. 

This could create instability if India keeps chopping and changing their combination and might backfire in big games.

Choking on big stage

Rohit Sharma in World Cup 2023 (X.com)

India, despite truckloads of talent at their disposal have been guilty of choking in knockout games and they have to get away with this mental blockage, if they want to go the full distance this time around. This baggage could haunt them again, and it is one of the big threats for India as they head into another World Cup.

Team Report Card - India

Prediction For India For T20 World Cup

India have quality squad at their disposal, but there are some weakness as well and teams like England, Australia look more strong on paper given the dynamic nature of T20Is these days. So, we might see Rohit Sharma and his boys getting knocked out in the semifinals once again.

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