The last T20 World Cup happened way back in 2016. West Indies came out as the winners, thanks to the final-over heroics by Carlos Brathwaite. Although the next edition was planned in Australia last year, the event was postponed due to the pandemic. The World Cup will now take place in India later this year.
It has been almost five years, and hence, we can expect to see a few changes in the Indian Team. Many players who were part of the unit then will not be in the squad for the forthcoming T20 World Cup. We talk about these players in this article.
1. MS Dhoni
The legendary MS Dhoni will miss the first T20 World Cup for Team India. He has retired from the game, and therefore, will not be part of the squad. It will be a major hole to fill in the unit. This is because MSD was one of the best T20 players for India over the years. He was also a fine captain of the team. Hence, his absence could have an impact on Team India’s chances.
2. Yuvraj Singh
Although his form was not that great at that time, Yuvraj Singh was selected due to his experience. However, Yuvi could not perform to his level in the tournament. Since then, the Punjab cricketer did not play much in the blue jersey. He even announced his retirement a couple of years ago. A solid all-rounder with exceptional power-hitting abilities, Yuvi will not play the T20 WC.
3. Suresh Raina
Suresh Raina has also retired from the game. India’s former No.3 in T20 internationals, Raina has won numerous games for India. For the Uttar Pradesh cricketer, the last few years have been tough. While he completely lost his place in the Indian Team, Raina has had to face his share of controversies, too.
4. Ajinkya Rahane
Ajinkya Rahane was once part of the Indian limited-overs setup. However, a return to the squad now looks unlikely. Hence, although he played the previous T20 World Cup, he will not be part of the upcoming campaign. Nevertheless, Rahane is crucial to Team India’s plans in the red-ball format.
5. Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh was also part of the 2016 World Cup squad. A veteran of the Indian Team, Bhajji is one of the first T20 spinners in India. He represented the nation at a few T20 World Cups and is extremely effective with his act. For Bhajji as well, a spot in the squad has been difficult in the last few years. Although he hasn’t retired yet, a comeback is now impossible.
6. Pawan Negi
Multi-utility cricketers are always useful in T20’s. Pawan Negi was one such cricketer at that time. He used to give a few overs of off-spin and had the ability to be extremely explosive lower down the order. Hence, he was picked in the final squad. However, Negi did not have a successful career with the Indian Team. In IPL too, the Delhi man hasn’t been able to set the stage on fire. It needs to be seen if he can do well in IPL 2021.
7. Ashish Nehra
Although he was out of the Indian Team for a while, Ashish Nehra made a comeback after some good performances for SRH and CSK in IPL. He used to bowl in the power play and a couple of overs at the death if needed. India did not have a left-arm seamer, and hence, Nehra was in the line-up. The Delhi pacer played a few more games for India after the World Cup. He retired a couple of years ago, though. Nehra now works as a cricket commentator.
