Rishabh Pant has been named in India’s squad for the T20 World Cup, 16 months after he was involved in a near-fatal car accident.
Pant underwent plastic surgery after sustaining facial injuries following the collision in northern India in December 2022.
He returned to competitive cricket last month, captaining the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League and scoring 398 runs in 11 innings at a strike rate of 158.56.
Pant is one of two wicketkeepers selected alongside Sanju Samson, who was included in the World Cup squad for the first time at the age of 29.
There is no place in the squad for KL Rahul, who was India’s wicketkeeper in the 50-over World Cup last year but has not played a T20 international since the 2022 T20 World Cup.
All-rounder Shivam Dube, whom India recalled last August after a gap of more than two years, was also in the squad but Rinku Singh was overlooked despite playing most of India’s recent T20I matches.
Wrist spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, the only bowler to take 200 wickets in IPL history, is a surprise inclusion as he was not used when India hosted the 50-over World Cup last year. Chahal has 13 wickets in nine IPL games in 2024.
India have named three more spinners in their 15-member squad, including left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav and left-arm spin all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel.
Star batter Virat Kohli and captain Rohit Sharma have also been confirmed as part of the squad for June’s tournament in the Caribbean and USA.
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Watch the moment Virat Kohli scored his eighth IPL century for Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Rajasthan Royals
Sharma and Kohli are in good form in the IPL. Kohli leads the run-scoring list with 500 in 10 innings, including one hundred and four half-centuries. Sharma has 311 points in nine games at a strike rate of 160.30.
Nine of the 15-member squad featured in the 2022 T20 World Cup, where India lost to eventual champions England in the semi-final.
India begins their 2024 campaign against Ireland on June 5. They also play against Pakistan, the tournament is hosted by the USA and Canada.
India’s T20 World Cup squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Suryakumar Yadav.
Watch every match of the 2024 T20 World Cup live on Sky Sports Cricket from June 1-29 or stream with NOW.
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