Young fast bowler Harshit Rana has been ruled out due to injury, and experienced pacer Mohammed Siraj has been named as his replacement.
The decision was officially approved by the Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. This setback comes as a blow to Harshit Rana, who sustained an injury during India’s warm-up match against South Africa on 4 February. The pacer suffered a right knee injury, which ruled him out of the tournament before he could make his World Cup debut.
India is placed in Group A for the tournament, alongside Pakistan, Namibia, the Netherlands, and the USA. The group promises to be competitive, with India and Pakistan being the top contenders, while the other teams will look to spring surprises.
The Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian team will kick off their T20 World Cup campaign against the USA on Saturday. The match will be played at the Wankhede Stadium, giving India the advantage of playing in familiar home conditions. Playing at home also brings added pressure, as expectations from fans will be sky-high.
India is entering this tournament with a big goal. They aim to become the first team in history to defend the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title successfully. Along with that, they are also chasing another milestone — becoming the first team to lift the T20 World Cup trophy on home soil.
The updated India squad looks well-balanced, with a mix of youth and experience across departments. The batting line-up includes aggressive and in-form players like Suryakumar Yadav, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, and Rinku Singh. The bowling unit features strong options in both pace and spin, including Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar.
As fans eagerly await the first game, Team India will hope to start their T20 World Cup campaign on a winning note and keep their dream of back-to-back titles alive.
