'I wanted four spinners and three seamers and Hardik being the fourth seamer' - Rohit Sharma on India's T20 WC combination

The BCCI’s Ajit Agarkar-led national selection committee has unveiled the Indian squad for the imminent T20 World Cup slated in the US and Caribbean come June. While the team composition abounds in familiar faces, the contentious wicketkeeper-batter role witnessed both Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson securing spots in the 15-member squad.

Further bolstering the lineup, the explosive Shivam Dube, having showcased his prowess with the willow for Chennai Super Kings in IPL encounters, earns a nod. The return of leg-spin maestro Yuzvendra Chahal, buoyed by his stellar IPL outing, underscored the selectors' inclination towards proven performers. 

In what was widely anticipated, Rohit Sharma has been entrusted with the mantle of leadership, with Hardik Pandya donning the role of his deputy. Notably absent from the squad is KL Rahul, with selectors purportedly emphasising a need for more aggressive middle-order options. However, the exclusion of Rinku Singh, a standout finisher in recent T20 formats, raised eyebrows. Singh finds himself relegated to the reserves alongside the likes of Shubman Gill and pacers Avesh Khan and Khaleel Ahmed.

Rohit Sharma highlighted the importance of considering various factors, including pitch conditions and opposition strategies, while discussing the team's composition for the T20 World Cup. He emphasized the need for a strong middle-order hitter, with Shivam Dube emerging as a prime candidate during the IPL.

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"Don't know how the pitch will be in USA. We are playing in West Indies but at different venues. You have to look at the opposition's combinations as well. One thing that we looked at was middle-order hitting. Our top-order hitting has been alright, not that bad. We wanted someone to play that role in the middle overs freely, without worrying about who is bowling. Shivam Dube was the guy who showed this in IPL," Rohit Sharma said while speaking on the team's composition,

Won’t go too much details of the XI: Rohit

With the tournament poised to commence amidst uncertain pitch conditions, Sharma emphasised the need for adaptability and flexibility in match strategy.

"Won’t go too much details [of the XI]. I definitely wanted four spinners. We played a lot of cricket there. We know the conditions. Match starts at 10-10:30. Little technical aspect involved in this. I will give more details later, but won’t say right now in public. But I wanted four spinners and three seamers and Hardik being the fourth [seamer]. Two spinners can bat in Jaddu [Ravindra Jadeaj] and Axar [Patel] and two spinners in '[Yuzvendra] Chahal and Kuldeep [Yadav]," concluded Sharma.