New Delhi, May 22: The first batch of Team India will leave for the US on May 25 to take part in the ICC T20 World Cup, sources said.
The tournament will start on June 1 in the West Indies and the USA. India’s T20 World Cup campaign begins on June 5 against Ireland at the newly-constructed Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. India vs Pakistan clash will take place on June 9.
They will later play tournament co-hosts USA (June 12) and Canada (June 15) to wrap up their Group A matches.
The first batch of players will consist of players who are not participating in the playoffs stage of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. This includes key players like skipper Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, Arshdeep Singh, and Axar Patel.
The initial plan was for the first batch to leave on May 21, but this has since been revised to May 25 as India is playing only one warm-up game (vs Bangladesh on June 1). The delayed departure will provide the squad with sufficient time to overcome jet lag and participate in quality net sessions before their warm-up match.The remaining players, who will compete in the IPL playoffs, will depart on May 26, a day after the IPL final.
This strategic scheduling allows players to shift their focus from the domestic pressures of the IPL to the international demands of the T20 World Cup without losing crucial practice time.
In the tournament, India will be aiming to end their ICC trophy drought, having last won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013.
Since then, India has reached the 50-over World Cup final in 2023, semifinal in 2015 and 2019, the title clash of the ICC World Test Championship in 2021 and 2023, T20 WC final in 2014, semifinals in 2016 and 2022 but failed to secure a big ICC trophy.
India will be aiming to win their first T20 WC title ever since they won the inaugural edition of the tournament back in 2007 in South Africa. In the last edition held in Australia in 2022, India lost to England by 10 wickets in the semifinals.
With a well-rounded squad, India will be one of the favorites to win the T20 World Cup 2024 and end their ICC trophy drought since 2013.
But they will need to overcome some challenges and find the right combination to lift the title.India’s road to the T20 World Cup 2024 is fraught with significant challenges that require urgent and strategic solutions. The batting order dilemma, particularly Virat Kohli’s position, demands clarity to ensure a stable and effective lineup.
The middle order’s inconsistency and the finishers’ struggles in the death overs necessitate immediate attention to bolster the batting depth. Additionally, the lack of part-time bowling options and the need to adapt to the unique conditions in the USA underline the critical areas for improvement.
Leadership clarity, amid the uncertainty surrounding Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya, will be essential for cohesive team performance.
Finally, reducing over-reliance on top-order batsmen by encouraging contributions from the entire lineup will be pivotal. (Agencies)
