Ideal XI for India to have a shot at 2021 T20 WC in India

1. KL Rahul (WK)
2. Rohit
3. Virat (C)
4. Samson
5. Pant
6. Hardik Pandya
7. Krunal Pandya
8. Bhuvi
9. Saini
10. Chahal
11. Bumrah
12. Iyer/Pandey/Shikhar Dhawan/Gill
13. Jadeja/Sundar/Tewatia/Riyan Parag/Abhishek Sharma
14. Kuldeep/R. Bishnoi
15. Shami/D. Chahar

In T20s Samson is better than Iyer/Pandey at 4, change my mind. Since especially Samson is able to hit both genuine pace and spin off length/short/full with a proper bat swing, with still head and without really moving around the crease much as Iyer/Pandey tends to do against good quality pace.

But knowing the ridiculous think tank of Bewda and Koach, they might end up choosing Iyer for # 4 (who I feel can hit spinners well but no so much against genuine pace like Rabada or Starc, and besides has an ideal tempo for ODI but not T20I) and Jadeja for # 7, which weakens the cumulative hitting ability of the top 7 and as a result, we may end up repeating 2016 T20 WC semifinals mistake where we may end up scoring 190 in a 220 pitch and WI or Eng will outmuscle us in the chase with their keep hitting approach.

No 7 is a huge hole. Jadeja is again more suited for ODI, since in T20 he is neither a hitter at 7 nor his bowling is wicket taking enough as a second spinner. (latest IPL matches and the 2016 T20 WC are enough evidence). With Hardik Pandya not able to bowl due to his back, we need 3 pacers so we can not play Kulcha together. Unfortunately we are unable to unearth someone for this crucial position in IPL. That and I wish we are able to unearth a good left arm pace bowler like Zaheer Khan (Akash Singh perhaps is a promising prospect) in the future.

The only other options for no 7 spin bowling allrounder from the players who have been given their India debut, besides Jadeja are Sundar, Krunal and Axar, of which my preference would be Krunal since he has performed in IPL finals before and has better hitting ability than Jadeja, Sundar and Axar. Left field, batting alrounders who can bowl spin options might be Riyan Parag or Abhishek Sharma, but don't see that happening as current team management are not known to blood someone young. Rahul Tewatia, like Samson, if he can continue on his all round contribution with late order hitting and some leg spin in this IPL and the next before the WC, might perhaps make a more than decent case for himself. (What a redemption arc would that be).

submitted by /u/harycane
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