India played an intense five-match T20I series versus South Africa at home, which concluded on Sunday evening (June 19). With the series levelled at 2-2, both sides had all to play for before the final encounter, at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, which ended in no-result with only 3.3 overs of play possible due to persistent rain.

Despite the series being shared, India had quite a few positives with the form and performances of Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, etc. as they continue to fix their final combination for the 2022 T20 World Cup, set to be held in Australia later this year. While a lot of players are still fighting hard to cement a spot in the final squad, Little Master Sunil Gavaskar was asked about veteran Shikhar Dhawan's chances.

"No. I don't see his name popping up. If it had to pop up, it would have been in this squad. A lot of guys have gone to England and he could have been in this squad. If he is not in this squad, I don't see him ending in the mix (for T20 World Cup)," Gavaskar said in an interaction on&nbsp;Star Sports&nbsp;during the Bengaluru T20I.

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For the unversed, Dhawan has played 68 T20Is for India, scoring&nbsp;1,759 runs at 126.36. While he has had seven consecutive IPL seasons with over 400-plus runs, his strike rate was deemed to be an issue for the Men in Blue. Even though Dhawan improved his strike rate in IPL, does well for India in&nbsp;ICC events and has has a lot of experience overall, he has fallen behind in the pecking order with the emergence of some young and dashing openers.&nbsp;Thus, he missed being a part of India's squad in the 2021 edition and is likely to remain out of favour for this year's showpiece event as well, which will take place Down Under.

India played an intense five-match T20I series versus South Africa at home, which concluded on Sunday evening (June 19). With the series levelled at 2-2, both sides had all to play for before the final encounter, at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, which ended in no-result with only 3.

India played an intense five-match T20I series versus South Africa at home, which concluded on Sunday evening (June 19). With the series levelled at 2-2, both sides had all to play for before the final encounter, at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, which ended in no-result with only 3.3 overs of play possible due to persistent rain. Despite the series being shared, India had quite a few positives with the form and performances of Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, etc. as they continue to fix their final combination for the 2022 T20 World Cup, set to be held in Australia later this year. While a lot of players are still fighting hard to cement a spot in the final squad, Little Master Sunil Gavaskar was asked about veteran Shikhar Dhawan's chances. "No. I don't see his name popping up. If it had to pop up, it would have been in this squad. A lot of guys have gone to England and he could have been in this squad. If he is not in this squad, I don't see him ending in the mix (for T20 World Cup)," Gavaskar said in an interaction on Star Sports during the Bengaluru T20I. ALSO READ | Ind vs SA, T20Is: Bhuvneshwar Kumar creates new record for Team India after memorable series vs Proteas For the unversed, Dhawan has played 68 T20Is for India, scoring 1,759 runs at 126.36. While he has had seven consecutive IPL seasons with over 400-plus runs, his strike rate was deemed to be an issue for the Men in Blue. Even though Dhawan improved his strike rate in IPL, does well for India in ICC events and has has a lot of experience overall, he has fallen behind in the pecking order with the emergence of some young and dashing openers. Thus, he missed being a part of India's squad in the 2021 edition and is likely to remain out of favour for this year's showpiece event as well, which will take place Down Under.

Don't see his name popping up: Sunil Gavaskar dismisses India star's chances of making it to T20 WC squad

Comeback man Dinesh Karthik returned to the Team India setup after a three-year hiatus during the recently-concluded India-South Africa home T20Is. In the five-match series, DK performed well -- with a 21-ball 30 not out and 55 in the second and fourth match respectively -- to strengthen his case to feature in Rohit Sharma-led India's 2022 T20 World Cup squad.

After the end of the five-match series, which ended in a 2-2 scoreline after the series finale was abandoned due to rain in Bengaluru on Sunday (June 19), former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra picked DK&nbsp;as one of the star performers (along with Player-of-the-Series Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ishan Kishan) for the host nation. He also lauded DK for his longevity, stating that he has even outlived&nbsp;MS Dhoni's career span.

"At No. 3, I have kept Karthik. Batting is very difficult at the number he bats. The way he has played, he has been brilliant. It has been a very long career (debuting in 2004), Dhoni's entire international career got over in between but DK is still there," Chopra said.&nbsp;

"The hunger is coming to the fore, the game plan, just the clarity about how he is going to play. He plays slightly in an unorthodox fashion but that is what is required to be done in the death overs. A specialist death batter is a very difficult role, there is no other role more difficult than this in the world," Chopra added.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rishabh-pant-or-dinesh-karthik-irfan-pathan-names-his-choice-while-picking-rohit-cos-ideal-t20-wc-xi-489844">Rishabh Pant or Dinesh Karthik? Irfan Pathan names his choice while picking Rohit &amp; Co.'s ideal T20 WC XI</a>

For the majority of his career, DK was in the shadow of Dhoni, who excelled as India's finisher, astute captain, and wise keeper. After Dhoni's retirement, Rishabh Pant has broken into the scene, however, the swashbuckling left-hander hasn't been that successful in white-ball formats, so far, as compared to Tests. Hence, DK is still giving tough competition to the 24-year-old and is focused on representing India in the 2022 T20 WC, to be held Down Under.

The 37-year-old Karthik will now shift his focus to the two-match T20I series between India and Ireland, in Dublin, on June 26 and 28.

Comeback man Dinesh Karthik returned to the Team India setup after a three-year hiatus during the recently-concluded India-South Africa home T20Is. In the five-match series, DK performed well -- with a 21-ball 30 not out and 55 in the second and fourth match respectively -- to strengthen his case to feature in Rohit Sharma-led India's 2022 T20 World Cup squad.

Comeback man Dinesh Karthik returned to the Team India setup after a three-year hiatus during the recently-concluded India-South Africa home T20Is. In the five-match series, DK performed well -- with a 21-ball 30 not out and 55 in the second and fourth match respectively -- to strengthen his case to feature in Rohit Sharma-led India's 2022 T20 World Cup squad. After the end of the five-match series, which ended in a 2-2 scoreline after the series finale was abandoned due to rain in Bengaluru on Sunday (June 19), former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra picked DK as one of the star performers (along with Player-of-the-Series Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ishan Kishan) for the host nation. He also lauded DK for his longevity, stating that he has even outlived MS Dhoni's career span. "At No. 3, I have kept Karthik. Batting is very difficult at the number he bats. The way he has played, he has been brilliant. It has been a very long career (debuting in 2004), Dhoni's entire international career got over in between but DK is still there," Chopra said. "The hunger is coming to the fore, the game plan, just the clarity about how he is going to play. He plays slightly in an unorthodox fashion but that is what is required to be done in the death overs. A specialist death batter is a very difficult role, there is no other role more difficult than this in the world," Chopra added. ALSO READ | Rishabh Pant or Dinesh Karthik? Irfan Pathan names his choice while picking Rohit & Co.'s ideal T20 WC XI For the majority of his career, DK was in the shadow of Dhoni, who excelled as India's finisher, astute captain, and wise keeper. After Dhoni's retirement, Rishabh Pant has broken into the scene, however, the swashbuckling left-hander hasn't been that successful in white-ball formats, so far, as compared to Tests. Hence, DK is still giving tough competition to the 24-year-old and is focused on representing India in the 2022 T20 WC, to be held Down Under. The 37-year-old Karthik will now shift his focus to the two-match T20I series between India and Ireland, in Dublin, on June 26 and 28.

'MS Dhoni's international career got over but....' - Aakash Chopra lauds Dinesh Karthik after SA T20Is

India and South Africa were involved in a closely-fought five-match T20I series in the former's own backyard, which ended tamely with the fifth and final encounter being abandoned on Sunday (June 19). Due to persistent rain in Bengaluru, the final match of the series led to a no-result, however, Rishabh Pant-led Men in Blue had a lot of takeaways from the series.

The return and form of Dinesh Karthik, who made a comeback in the Team India setup after almost three years, made heads turn. DK returned with a tough 21-ball 30* in the second T20I and was the Player-of-the-Match in the fourth and final encounter, in Rajkot, which helped India level the series 2-2 before the final game resulted in no winner. Thus, calls have intensified for him to be a part of Rohit Sharma-led India's 2022 T20 World Cup squad.

DK had a splendid IPL 2022 season as well, returning with 330 runs at a strike rate of 183.33. Thus, he carried his form for India whereas Rishabh Pant fell flat with the bat in the SA series, ending with scores of&nbsp;29, 5, 6, 17 and 1*. He&nbsp;had a decent IPL 15, scoring 340 runs at 151.78 but hardly&nbsp;made match-winning contributions, unlike DK.

Thus, former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan -- who was part of MS Dhoni-led India's victorious 2007 T20 World Cup squad and ended as the Player-of-the-Match in the finale -- picked his ideal XI for Rohit &amp; Co., naming DK over Pant.

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Speaking to&nbsp;Star Sports,&nbsp;Pathan picked star batters KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the top 3 of his World Cup playing XI. “In Australia, you need powerful starts because the ball swings and seams a lot. So you need a player who has a lot of experience,” Pathan said. "Kohli may not have performed well so far but in Australia, he has scored a lot of runs,” he added.

Further, after picking the likes of Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya, Irfan chose DK over Pant and mentioned his all-rounders in Ravindra Jadeja, Harshal Patel (who can bat a bit) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar before ending his XI with&nbsp;Yuzvendra Chahal and Jasprit Bumrah.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/dinesh-karthik-the-finisher-who-is-far-from-finished-489375">Dinesh Karthik: The finisher who is far from finished</a>

Irfan Pathan's India XI for 2022 T20 World Cup:&nbsp;KL Rahul, (C) Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah.

India and South Africa were involved in a closely-fought five-match T20I series in the former's own backyard, which ended tamely with the fifth and final encounter being abandoned on Sunday (June 19).

India and South Africa were involved in a closely-fought five-match T20I series in the former's own backyard, which ended tamely with the fifth and final encounter being abandoned on Sunday (June 19). Due to persistent rain in Bengaluru, the final match of the series led to a no-result, however, Rishabh Pant-led Men in Blue had a lot of takeaways from the series. The return and form of Dinesh Karthik, who made a comeback in the Team India setup after almost three years, made heads turn. DK returned with a tough 21-ball 30* in the second T20I and was the Player-of-the-Match in the fourth and final encounter, in Rajkot, which helped India level the series 2-2 before the final game resulted in no winner. Thus, calls have intensified for him to be a part of Rohit Sharma-led India's 2022 T20 World Cup squad. DK had a splendid IPL 2022 season as well, returning with 330 runs at a strike rate of 183.33. Thus, he carried his form for India whereas Rishabh Pant fell flat with the bat in the SA series, ending with scores of 29, 5, 6, 17 and 1*. He had a decent IPL 15, scoring 340 runs at 151.78 but hardly made match-winning contributions, unlike DK. Thus, former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan -- who was part of MS Dhoni-led India's victorious 2007 T20 World Cup squad and ended as the Player-of-the-Match in the finale -- picked his ideal XI for Rohit & Co., naming DK over Pant. ALSO READ | WATCH: Netizens divided over Ruturaj Gaikwad's behaviour with groundsman in Bengaluru T20I Speaking to Star Sports, Pathan picked star batters KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the top 3 of his World Cup playing XI. “In Australia, you need powerful starts because the ball swings and seams a lot. So you need a player who has a lot of experience,” Pathan said. "Kohli may not have performed well so far but in Australia, he has scored a lot of runs,” he added. Further, after picking the likes of Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya, Irfan chose DK over Pant and mentioned his all-rounders in Ravindra Jadeja, Harshal Patel (who can bat a bit) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar before ending his XI with Yuzvendra Chahal and Jasprit Bumrah. ALSO READ | Dinesh Karthik: The finisher who is far from finished Irfan Pathan's India XI for 2022 T20 World Cup: KL Rahul, (C) Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah.

Rishabh Pant or Dinesh Karthik? Irfan Pathan names his choice while picking Rohit & Co.'s ideal T20 WC XI

Dinesh Karthik has made a sensational comeback to the Indian cricket team after a brilliant campaign for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the recently-concluded IPL 2022. He emerged as one of the best finishers in the tournament and produced some memorable knocks for RCB batting in the lower-middle order to earn a recall in the Indian team after a gap of three years.

Karthik had last played for India during the 2019 ODI World Cup and had failed to make his comeback to the team across any format. He even enjoyed a commentary stint during India's tour of England last year with many writing him off. However, the veteran wicket-keeper batter has had an incredible redemption this year.

He has continued his finishing heroics for the Indian team in their ongoing T20I series against South Africa at home after an exceptional IPL campaign. Karthik played a brilliant knock of 56 runs off just 27 balls in the 4th T20I against South Africa on Friday to help India win the game by 82 runs and reaffirm his credentials as one of the best finishers in the Indian team at present.

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Lauding him after his terrific knock against the Proteas in the 4th T20I in Rajkot, former India pacer Ashish Nehra said India needs experienced players like Karthik in the lower middle-order for the T20 World Cup in Australia this year. Nehra said players like Karthik can help India chase down targets of 200 in Australia.

"Today he batted at No.6, which I liked, and that fact that he scored a half-century...his innings was longer and he got to bat earlier in the game...so these are the expectation you have from your most experienced player whom you have recalled to the team," Nehra said on Cricbuzz.

"Yes he does score runs in the last 3-4 overs but experience means that he knows a lot many other things as well. Selectors, team management should all be happy. The knock surely will give him confidence as well and going forward, in this entire talk about impact at that batting position...you have Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja and then the experience of Karthik. He is the kind of player who can help you chase down even targets of 200 in Australia,” he added.

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Karthik has so far scored 84 runs in the ongoing T20I series against South Africa striking at an impressive 158.6 out of which 84 runs have come in the slog overs at a strike rate of over 186. He has truly been in the form of his life and Nehra believes the veteran keeper batter has already sealed his spot in India's T20 World Cup 2022 squad.

“He has already booked his place in the T20 World Cup squad. He scored 55 at a strike rate of 200," said the former India pacer following Karthik's 56-run knock against the Proteas on Friday.

Dinesh Karthik has made a sensational comeback to the Indian cricket team after a brilliant campaign for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the recently-concluded IPL 2022.

Dinesh Karthik has made a sensational comeback to the Indian cricket team after a brilliant campaign for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the recently-concluded IPL 2022. He emerged as one of the best finishers in the tournament and produced some memorable knocks for RCB batting in the lower-middle order to earn a recall in the Indian team after a gap of three years. Karthik had last played for India during the 2019 ODI World Cup and had failed to make his comeback to the team across any format. He even enjoyed a commentary stint during India's tour of England last year with many writing him off. However, the veteran wicket-keeper batter has had an incredible redemption this year. He has continued his finishing heroics for the Indian team in their ongoing T20I series against South Africa at home after an exceptional IPL campaign. Karthik played a brilliant knock of 56 runs off just 27 balls in the 4th T20I against South Africa on Friday to help India win the game by 82 runs and reaffirm his credentials as one of the best finishers in the Indian team at present. Also Read: Rohit Sharma's old chat with Dinesh Karthik goes viral after his comeback Lauding him after his terrific knock against the Proteas in the 4th T20I in Rajkot, former India pacer Ashish Nehra said India needs experienced players like Karthik in the lower middle-order for the T20 World Cup in Australia this year. Nehra said players like Karthik can help India chase down targets of 200 in Australia. "Today he batted at No.6, which I liked, and that fact that he scored a half-century...his innings was longer and he got to bat earlier in the game...so these are the expectation you have from your most experienced player whom you have recalled to the team," Nehra said on Cricbuzz. "Yes he does score runs in the last 3-4 overs but experience means that he knows a lot many other things as well. Selectors, team management should all be happy. The knock surely will give him confidence as well and going forward, in this entire talk about impact at that batting position...you have Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja and then the experience of Karthik. He is the kind of player who can help you chase down even targets of 200 in Australia,” he added. Also Read: 'Rishabh Pant is overweight': Danish Kaneria raises questions over Indian skipper's fitness Karthik has so far scored 84 runs in the ongoing T20I series against South Africa striking at an impressive 158.6 out of which 84 runs have come in the slog overs at a strike rate of over 186. He has truly been in the form of his life and Nehra believes the veteran keeper batter has already sealed his spot in India's T20 World Cup 2022 squad. “He has already booked his place in the T20 World Cup squad. He scored 55 at a strike rate of 200," said the former India pacer following Karthik's 56-run knock against the Proteas on Friday.

He has already booked his place in T20 WC 2022 squad: Ashish Nehra makes bold claim about Dinesh Karthik

Mohammed Shami is one of the most experienced fast bowlers in the Indian setup at present but is unlikely to be part of the Indian squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022, as per former India cricketer Ashish Nehra. Nehra believes Shami is not in the scheme of things for India ahead of the T20 World Cup 2022 which is just four months away. The next edition of the showpiece event will be played in Australia this year.

Shami was part of the Indian squad which had a disappointing campaign in the T20 World Cup 2021 in UAE last year. He featured in India's clash against Namibia at the World Cup and has since not managed to play a single T20I for the Men in Blue. He is not part of India's squad in the ongoing T20I series against South Africa at home.

While many believe he has a chance to make his comeback in the T20I side ahead of the World Cup, Nehra feels Shami won't make the cut. However, the former India pacer backed Shami to be part of India's squad for the 2023 ODI World Cup which will be played at home next year.

"Seems like he doesn't feature in the current scheme of things for the T20 World Cup. But we all know about his abilities. Even if he doesn't play in this year's T20 World Cup, India will definitely consider him for the 2023 World Cup at home. We don't have many ODIs this year and Shami is on a break at the moment after the IPL. India can play him in England for the 50-over games after the Test match," Nehra said on Cricbuzz.

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Shami, who has been rested from the ongoing series against South Africa at home, will return to action when India take on England in the final sixth Test in July. He is expected to spearhead India's pace attack along with Jasprit Bumrah in the one-off Test match. Nehra wants India to play Shami in the white-ball matches as well after the Test match in order to have a full-strength bowling attack.

"We don't have many ODIs this year and Shami is on a break at the moment after IPL. India can play him in England for the 50-over games after the Test match. You will play three ODI games against a top-quality white-ball team like England, and you would definitely love to beat them. And for that, you need your best bowlers. I would definitely take Shami in that bracket," said Nehra.

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Shami along with the likes of captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Bumrah had been rested from the T20I series against South Africa. India will next tour Ireland for a limited-overs series following the conclusion of the ongoing South Africa series before heading to England.

Mohammed Shami is one of the most experienced fast bowlers in the Indian setup at present but is unlikely to be part of the Indian squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022, as per former India cricketer Ashish Nehra.

Mohammed Shami is one of the most experienced fast bowlers in the Indian setup at present but is unlikely to be part of the Indian squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022, as per former India cricketer Ashish Nehra. Nehra believes Shami is not in the scheme of things for India ahead of the T20 World Cup 2022 which is just four months away. The next edition of the showpiece event will be played in Australia this year. Shami was part of the Indian squad which had a disappointing campaign in the T20 World Cup 2021 in UAE last year. He featured in India's clash against Namibia at the World Cup and has since not managed to play a single T20I for the Men in Blue. He is not part of India's squad in the ongoing T20I series against South Africa at home. While many believe he has a chance to make his comeback in the T20I side ahead of the World Cup, Nehra feels Shami won't make the cut. However, the former India pacer backed Shami to be part of India's squad for the 2023 ODI World Cup which will be played at home next year. "Seems like he doesn't feature in the current scheme of things for the T20 World Cup. But we all know about his abilities. Even if he doesn't play in this year's T20 World Cup, India will definitely consider him for the 2023 World Cup at home. We don't have many ODIs this year and Shami is on a break at the moment after the IPL. India can play him in England for the 50-over games after the Test match," Nehra said on Cricbuzz. Also Read: Should be mandatory for every IPL franchise to have a women's team: Lalit Modi Shami, who has been rested from the ongoing series against South Africa at home, will return to action when India take on England in the final sixth Test in July. He is expected to spearhead India's pace attack along with Jasprit Bumrah in the one-off Test match. Nehra wants India to play Shami in the white-ball matches as well after the Test match in order to have a full-strength bowling attack. "We don't have many ODIs this year and Shami is on a break at the moment after IPL. India can play him in England for the 50-over games after the Test match. You will play three ODI games against a top-quality white-ball team like England, and you would definitely love to beat them. And for that, you need your best bowlers. I would definitely take Shami in that bracket," said Nehra. Also Read: 'Rishabh Pant is overweight': Danish Kaneria raises questions over Indian skipper's fitness Shami along with the likes of captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Bumrah had been rested from the T20I series against South Africa. India will next tour Ireland for a limited-overs series following the conclusion of the ongoing South Africa series before heading to England.

'Seems like he doesn't feature': Ashish Nehra feels Mohammed Shami won't make it to India's T20 WC squad

Kuldeep Yadav has had a tough ride in international cricket since the 2019 ODI World Cup. Following his IPL 2022 blitz, where he ended as the fifth-highest wicket while representing the Delhi Capitals (DC), the wrist-spinner is now in the scheme of things for Team India ahead of this year's T20 World Cup, set to be held in Australia.&nbsp;

Former Indian batter-turned-expert Sanjay Manjrekar has recently called for Kuldeep's inclusion in the Indian team ahead of the showpiece event Down Under. Manjrekar feels the pitches in Australia will assist a spinner like Kuldeep and won't be to the liking of Yuzvendra Chahal.

Speaking on&nbsp;Sports 18,&nbsp;Manjrekar was asked how Chahal, who was the Player-of-the-Match in the third T20I between India and South Africa on Tuesday (June 14), fits in the Men in Blue's plans going ahead. To this, the 56-year-old said, "He will be tested on those pitches in Australia. The pitches won't be the ones that Chahal relishes and that's why I believe Kuldeep Yadav has got to be a part of the squad. There will be bounce for his kind of bowler."

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"The other thing is in a World Cup you play a different team every game, so there will come teams who will not be so good against the kind of deception that a Kuldeep Yadav has," Manjrekar further pointed out.

So far, Kuldeep has played 24 T20Is for India. In Australia, the 27-year-old spinner has played three T20Is, claiming four scalps at an economy of 5.50. He was part of India's ongoing home T20Is versus the Proteas before an injury ruled him out of action.

Kuldeep Yadav has had a tough ride in international cricket since the 2019 ODI World Cup. Following his IPL 2022 blitz, where he ended as the fifth-highest wicket while representing the Delhi Capitals (DC), the wrist-spinner is now in the scheme of things for Team India ahead of this year's T20 World Cup, set to be held in Australia.

Kuldeep Yadav has had a tough ride in international cricket since the 2019 ODI World Cup. Following his IPL 2022 blitz, where he ended as the fifth-highest wicket while representing the Delhi Capitals (DC), the wrist-spinner is now in the scheme of things for Team India ahead of this year's T20 World Cup, set to be held in Australia. Former Indian batter-turned-expert Sanjay Manjrekar has recently called for Kuldeep's inclusion in the Indian team ahead of the showpiece event Down Under. Manjrekar feels the pitches in Australia will assist a spinner like Kuldeep and won't be to the liking of Yuzvendra Chahal. Speaking on Sports 18, Manjrekar was asked how Chahal, who was the Player-of-the-Match in the third T20I between India and South Africa on Tuesday (June 14), fits in the Men in Blue's plans going ahead. To this, the 56-year-old said, "He will be tested on those pitches in Australia. The pitches won't be the ones that Chahal relishes and that's why I believe Kuldeep Yadav has got to be a part of the squad. There will be bounce for his kind of bowler." ALSO READ | Yuzvendra Chahal reveals technical changes he made for better returns after India's 3rd T20I win vs SA "The other thing is in a World Cup you play a different team every game, so there will come teams who will not be so good against the kind of deception that a Kuldeep Yadav has," Manjrekar further pointed out. So far, Kuldeep has played 24 T20Is for India. In Australia, the 27-year-old spinner has played three T20Is, claiming four scalps at an economy of 5.50. He was part of India's ongoing home T20Is versus the Proteas before an injury ruled him out of action.

There'll be bounce for his kind of bowler in AUS: Manjrekar feels star spinner needed in India's T20 WC squad

Dinesh Karthik has been hailed by many and labelled as the comeback man after he was named in India's T20I squad for the home series versus Temba Bavuma-led South Africa. Karthik played his first-ever game for Team India -- after the 2019 ODI World Cup semi-finals -- when he stepped onto the 22-yard cricket strip for Rishabh Pant &amp; Co. during the series opener in New Delhi.

While he didn't face a lot of balls in the first T20I, Karthik returned with an impressive 21-ball 30 not out in the second match of the series, in Cuttack on Sunday evening (June 12). Thus, former Indian captain, Kapil Dev has heaped praise on DK for his impressive run in IPL 2022 -- where he ended with 330 runs at 183.33 for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) -- and lauded him for keeping his motivation levels high despite not representing India for a long time.

"This time he has performed so well (in IPL 15) that he has forced the selectors to think that 'look, you can't ignore me'. Rishabh Pant is a youngster, he has plenty of cricket. Dinesh Karthik has experience and performance, which is why I would say, that no praise is enough for him," said Kapil on Youtube channel Uncut.

The 1983 World Cup-winning captain&nbsp;added, "He has been playing cricket even before MS Dhoni. It’s been 2 years since Dhoni retired but even now, Karthik has kept his motivation level high and to love the game with the same passion and heart after so many years is not easy. If you talk about consistency, then Dinesh Karthik is ahead of them all. Irrespective of how many balls he faces – 20, 10, or 15, he always delivers, like we saw in the IPL."

<section>
ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/i-wouldnt-have-him-in-indias-t20-world-cup-squad-gautam-gambhirs-take-on-star-players-chances-488094">'I wouldn't have him in India's T20 World Cup squad' - Gautam Gambhir's take on star player's chances</a>

Karthik has surely kept his dreams alive of representing India in the 2022 T20 World Cup. Nonetheless, he would still need to perform on a consistent level to hold onto his spot, especially after regulars such as captain Rohit Sharma, vice-captain KL Rahul, former skipper Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, etc. return back into the playing XI.&nbsp;

Karthik-starrer India are facing South Africa in the third T20I in Visakhapatnam, on Tuesday evening (June 14), in a bid to keep the five-match series alive.
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Dinesh Karthik has been hailed by many and labelled as the comeback man after he was named in India's T20I squad for the home series versus Temba Bavuma-led South Africa.

Dinesh Karthik has been hailed by many and labelled as the comeback man after he was named in India's T20I squad for the home series versus Temba Bavuma-led South Africa. Karthik played his first-ever game for Team India -- after the 2019 ODI World Cup semi-finals -- when he stepped onto the 22-yard cricket strip for Rishabh Pant & Co. during the series opener in New Delhi. While he didn't face a lot of balls in the first T20I, Karthik returned with an impressive 21-ball 30 not out in the second match of the series, in Cuttack on Sunday evening (June 12). Thus, former Indian captain, Kapil Dev has heaped praise on DK for his impressive run in IPL 2022 -- where he ended with 330 runs at 183.33 for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) -- and lauded him for keeping his motivation levels high despite not representing India for a long time. "This time he has performed so well (in IPL 15) that he has forced the selectors to think that 'look, you can't ignore me'. Rishabh Pant is a youngster, he has plenty of cricket. Dinesh Karthik has experience and performance, which is why I would say, that no praise is enough for him," said Kapil on Youtube channel Uncut. The 1983 World Cup-winning captain added, "He has been playing cricket even before MS Dhoni. It’s been 2 years since Dhoni retired but even now, Karthik has kept his motivation level high and to love the game with the same passion and heart after so many years is not easy. If you talk about consistency, then Dinesh Karthik is ahead of them all. Irrespective of how many balls he faces – 20, 10, or 15, he always delivers, like we saw in the IPL." ALSO READ | 'I wouldn't have him in India's T20 World Cup squad' - Gautam Gambhir's take on star player's chances Karthik has surely kept his dreams alive of representing India in the 2022 T20 World Cup. Nonetheless, he would still need to perform on a consistent level to hold onto his spot, especially after regulars such as captain Rohit Sharma, vice-captain KL Rahul, former skipper Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, etc. return back into the playing XI. Karthik-starrer India are facing South Africa in the third T20I in Visakhapatnam, on Tuesday evening (June 14), in a bid to keep the five-match series alive.

He forced selectors to think that 'look, you can't ignore me': Kapil Dev heaps praise on Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik has made a remarkable comeback into the Indian team after the 2019 ODI World Cup. Many had written him off but the veteran keeper-batter produced a sensational performance with the bat for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in IPL 2022 and, hence, earned a recall into the Indian T20I line-up.

Karthik, at 37, is part of the Rishabh Pant-led Indian squad for the ongoing South Africa home T20Is. While he faced only two balls and was unbeaten on 1 in the series opener, Karthik produced another gem of an innings as a finisher when he returned with a 21-ball 30* in the second T20I versus the Proteas in Cuttack on Sunday evening (June 12). Thus, he is now also performing for Team India as he remains in contention to feature in the national side's 2022 T20 World Cup squad.

However, former Indian opener-turned-commentator Gautam Gambhir feels Karthik will find it tough to retain his place once regulars such as KL Rahul, captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and others return.

Speaking on Star Sports' Match Point, Gambhir lauded DK's 2nd T20I heroics and said, "It was very valuable (the knock), he has been doing that for the last 2-3 months for RCB. But, I was a bit amazed that Axar came ahead of Dinesh Karthik. I would've been more happy if he had come ahead of Axar."

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"Too early to say. T20 World Cup is far ahead. He needs to consistently perform till then but if he wants to bat only in the last three overs, things could get tough. India will definitely be looking at someone in the top 7 who can bowl and if Axar is batting at 7, the team would be a batter short," he opined.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-sa-prediction-who-will-win-3rd-t20i-between-india-and-south-africa-in-visakhapatnam-488033">IND vs SA prediction: Who will win 3rd T20I between India and South Africa in Visakhapatnam</a>

"In such a case I would not have him (Karthik) in the World Cup Squad. I would definitely have people like Rishabh Pant, and Deepak Hooda (in the team). We have got KL Rahul, we've got Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma. Once they come back, it's going to be tough for Dinesh Karthik to find a place in the playing XI. If he doesn't have a place in the playing XI, there's no point giving him a place in the squad," Gambhir mentioned.

"Once KL, Rohit, Surya and Virat are back, I don't see him in the playing XI. This will be your top 4 and then you'll have someone like Hooda, Pant, Hardik, Jadeja. I will have a younger guy (in place of Karthik) who is a better fielder on those grounds and can probably chip in with a couple of overs as well. Karthik, unfortunately, will have to miss out unless and until the selectors make a huge call and drop one of the top four," the cricketer-turned-politician added.

Karthik, however, would want to continue performing for Team India in the remainder of the SA series to keep his World Cup dreams alive. On Tuesday evening (June 14), Pant &amp; Co. will take on Temba Bavuma's South Africa in the third T20I to keep the series alive after conceding a 2-0 lead.
</section>

Dinesh Karthik has made a remarkable comeback into the Indian team after the 2019 ODI World Cup. Many had written him off but the veteran keeper-batter produced a sensational performance with the bat for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in IPL 2022 and, hence, earned a recall into the Indian T20I line-up.

Dinesh Karthik has made a remarkable comeback into the Indian team after the 2019 ODI World Cup. Many had written him off but the veteran keeper-batter produced a sensational performance with the bat for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in IPL 2022 and, hence, earned a recall into the Indian T20I line-up. Karthik, at 37, is part of the Rishabh Pant-led Indian squad for the ongoing South Africa home T20Is. While he faced only two balls and was unbeaten on 1 in the series opener, Karthik produced another gem of an innings as a finisher when he returned with a 21-ball 30* in the second T20I versus the Proteas in Cuttack on Sunday evening (June 12). Thus, he is now also performing for Team India as he remains in contention to feature in the national side's 2022 T20 World Cup squad. However, former Indian opener-turned-commentator Gautam Gambhir feels Karthik will find it tough to retain his place once regulars such as KL Rahul, captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and others return. Speaking on Star Sports' Match Point, Gambhir lauded DK's 2nd T20I heroics and said, "It was very valuable (the knock), he has been doing that for the last 2-3 months for RCB. But, I was a bit amazed that Axar came ahead of Dinesh Karthik. I would've been more happy if he had come ahead of Axar." "Too early to say. T20 World Cup is far ahead. He needs to consistently perform till then but if he wants to bat only in the last three overs, things could get tough. India will definitely be looking at someone in the top 7 who can bowl and if Axar is batting at 7, the team would be a batter short," he opined. ALSO READ | IND vs SA prediction: Who will win 3rd T20I between India and South Africa in Visakhapatnam "In such a case I would not have him (Karthik) in the World Cup Squad. I would definitely have people like Rishabh Pant, and Deepak Hooda (in the team). We have got KL Rahul, we've got Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma. Once they come back, it's going to be tough for Dinesh Karthik to find a place in the playing XI. If he doesn't have a place in the playing XI, there's no point giving him a place in the squad," Gambhir mentioned. "Once KL, Rohit, Surya and Virat are back, I don't see him in the playing XI. This will be your top 4 and then you'll have someone like Hooda, Pant, Hardik, Jadeja. I will have a younger guy (in place of Karthik) who is a better fielder on those grounds and can probably chip in with a couple of overs as well. Karthik, unfortunately, will have to miss out unless and until the selectors make a huge call and drop one of the top four," the cricketer-turned-politician added. Karthik, however, would want to continue performing for Team India in the remainder of the SA series to keep his World Cup dreams alive. On Tuesday evening (June 14), Pant & Co. will take on Temba Bavuma's South Africa in the third T20I to keep the series alive after conceding a 2-0 lead.

'I wouldn't have him in India's T20 World Cup squad' - Gautam Gambhir's take on star player's chances

Team India already have one eye on the forthcoming T20 World Cup, set to be held in Australia later this year, after their disastrous run in the last year's edition. Ahead of the showpiece event, former Indian captain, Kapil Dev slammed India's top order's T20 batting approach and asked them to strike at a higher rate.&nbsp;

The 1983 World Cup-winning skipper Kapil feels that Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli have the potential to go at a strike rate of 150-160, however, they restrict themselves and often get out while accelerating at the latter half of the innings, putting pressure on the rest of the batters. Kapil also went on to add that if they can't change their approach in a fast-moving game, they should be replaced by fresh faces.&nbsp;

"They have a big reputation and there's huge pressure on them, which shouldn't be the case. You have to play fearless cricket. All of these are players who can hit at a strike rate of 150-160. Whenever we need them to score runs, they all get out. When it is time to take off (in the innings), they are out. And that adds to pressure. Either you play an anchor or you play striker,” said Kapil on the Youtube channel&nbsp;Uncut.

<section>
ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/need-a-wicketkeeper-who-will-play-dhonis-role-shastri-on-how-karthik-can-cement-his-place-in-indian-team-485322">Need a wicketkeeper who will play Dhoni’s role: Shastri on how Karthik can cement his place in Indian team</a>

Kapil stressed on Rahul and said, "When you talk about KL Rahul, if the team tells him to play the entire 20 overs and you come back with a score of, say 60 not out, you're not doing justice to your team." He added, "

“I think the approach needs to change. And if it doesn't, you have to change the players. A big player is expected to make a big impact. Having a big reputation is not enough, you also have to deliver great performances."

At present, a second-stringed Rahul-led India are gearing up for the home T20Is versus South Africa, starting on June 09. Rohit and Virat have been rested and will return to action during the one-off Test versus England, on July 01.
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Team India already have one eye on the forthcoming T20 World Cup, set to be held in Australia later this year, after their disastrous run in the last year's edition.

Team India already have one eye on the forthcoming T20 World Cup, set to be held in Australia later this year, after their disastrous run in the last year's edition. Ahead of the showpiece event, former Indian captain, Kapil Dev slammed India's top order's T20 batting approach and asked them to strike at a higher rate. The 1983 World Cup-winning skipper Kapil feels that Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli have the potential to go at a strike rate of 150-160, however, they restrict themselves and often get out while accelerating at the latter half of the innings, putting pressure on the rest of the batters. Kapil also went on to add that if they can't change their approach in a fast-moving game, they should be replaced by fresh faces. "They have a big reputation and there's huge pressure on them, which shouldn't be the case. You have to play fearless cricket. All of these are players who can hit at a strike rate of 150-160. Whenever we need them to score runs, they all get out. When it is time to take off (in the innings), they are out. And that adds to pressure. Either you play an anchor or you play striker,” said Kapil on the Youtube channel Uncut. ALSO READ | Need a wicketkeeper who will play Dhoni’s role: Shastri on how Karthik can cement his place in Indian team Kapil stressed on Rahul and said, "When you talk about KL Rahul, if the team tells him to play the entire 20 overs and you come back with a score of, say 60 not out, you're not doing justice to your team." He added, " “I think the approach needs to change. And if it doesn't, you have to change the players. A big player is expected to make a big impact. Having a big reputation is not enough, you also have to deliver great performances." At present, a second-stringed Rahul-led India are gearing up for the home T20Is versus South Africa, starting on June 09. Rohit and Virat have been rested and will return to action during the one-off Test versus England, on July 01.

When we need them to score runs, they get out: Kapil Dev on India's top order's T20 batting approach

Hardik Pandya impressed one and all with his all-round abilities and captaincy in the recently-concluded IPL 2022 edition, leading the debutants Gujarat Titans (GT) to their maiden championship. With Hardik's stunning comeback at the competitive level, the 28-year-old is set to also&nbsp;return for Team India in their forthcoming home T20Is versus South Africa, starting on June 09.

Hardik's fitness and all-round abilities were keenly observed by many during IPL 15. The 15th season was Hardik's return to competitive cricket after a long time, having been on a break following the 2021 T20 World Cup due to fitness concerns. While he did bowl at regular intervals, picking eight wickets, and amassed&nbsp;487 runs for Gujarat, many feel he is now ready to make a comeback in the white-ball formats and slowly reappear in&nbsp;the red-ball side. However, former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri wants Hardik to only stick to T20Is till this year's World Cup, set to be held in Australia later this year.

"He will walk back into that squad for me either as a batter or as an all-rounder. I don't think he is that badly injured where he cannot bowl you two overs. He has had ample rest and he will continue to have ample rest because that's the only format he should play going into the World Cup. They shouldn't take the risk of making him play ODI cricket," said Shastri in&nbsp;Star Sports'&nbsp;show&nbsp;Game Plan.

Shastri further asserted how a fully fit Hardik is an asset for Team India, as he has the capability of doing two players' jobs.&nbsp;

"Massive, he does the job for two players. A Hardik Pandya playing just as a batter would mean he has to bat in the top four or five, but Hardik Pandya playing as an all-rounder means he can bat at five, six, or four and still bowl those two-three overs for you," said the ex-India&nbsp;coach.

In the last few&nbsp;years, Hardik hasn't bowled a lot -- in the IPL or for India -- due to back concerns. However, he bowled at regular intervals in IPL 15 and also clocked the 140kph mark in the first few matches.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/when-we-need-them-to-score-runs-they-get-out-kapil-dev-on-indias-top-orders-t20-batting-approach-485465">When we need them to score runs, they get out: Kapil Dev on India's top order's T20 batting approach</a>

Hardik is preparing hard for India's upcoming five-match T20Is versus Temba Bavuma-led South Africa. The Indian team will be led by KL Rahul in regular captain Rohit Sharma's absence, who has been rested along with Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah.

India's T20I squad for South Africa series -&nbsp;KL Rahul (Capt), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant(VC) (wk), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Hardik Pandya, Venkatesh Iyer, Y Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, R Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik

Hardik Pandya impressed one and all with his all-round abilities and captaincy in the recently-concluded IPL 2022 edition, leading the debutants Gujarat Titans (GT) to their maiden championship.

Hardik Pandya impressed one and all with his all-round abilities and captaincy in the recently-concluded IPL 2022 edition, leading the debutants Gujarat Titans (GT) to their maiden championship. With Hardik's stunning comeback at the competitive level, the 28-year-old is set to also return for Team India in their forthcoming home T20Is versus South Africa, starting on June 09. Hardik's fitness and all-round abilities were keenly observed by many during IPL 15. The 15th season was Hardik's return to competitive cricket after a long time, having been on a break following the 2021 T20 World Cup due to fitness concerns. While he did bowl at regular intervals, picking eight wickets, and amassed 487 runs for Gujarat, many feel he is now ready to make a comeback in the white-ball formats and slowly reappear in the red-ball side. However, former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri wants Hardik to only stick to T20Is till this year's World Cup, set to be held in Australia later this year. "He will walk back into that squad for me either as a batter or as an all-rounder. I don't think he is that badly injured where he cannot bowl you two overs. He has had ample rest and he will continue to have ample rest because that's the only format he should play going into the World Cup. They shouldn't take the risk of making him play ODI cricket," said Shastri in Star Sports' show Game Plan. Shastri further asserted how a fully fit Hardik is an asset for Team India, as he has the capability of doing two players' jobs. "Massive, he does the job for two players. A Hardik Pandya playing just as a batter would mean he has to bat in the top four or five, but Hardik Pandya playing as an all-rounder means he can bat at five, six, or four and still bowl those two-three overs for you," said the ex-India coach. In the last few years, Hardik hasn't bowled a lot -- in the IPL or for India -- due to back concerns. However, he bowled at regular intervals in IPL 15 and also clocked the 140kph mark in the first few matches. ALSO READ | When we need them to score runs, they get out: Kapil Dev on India's top order's T20 batting approach Hardik is preparing hard for India's upcoming five-match T20Is versus Temba Bavuma-led South Africa. The Indian team will be led by KL Rahul in regular captain Rohit Sharma's absence, who has been rested along with Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah. India's T20I squad for South Africa series - KL Rahul (Capt), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant(VC) (wk), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Hardik Pandya, Venkatesh Iyer, Y Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, R Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik

'They shouldn't take risk' - Shastri explains why Hardik Pandya should stick to shortest format till T20WC

The IPL 2022 edition ended on May 29 (Sunday). There were plenty of memorable performances by uncapped players, veteran stars whereas some big names failed to get going and fell flat. The likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Kieron Pollard, Glenn Maxwell and many other superstar cricketers failed to live upto expectations and had an ordinary run.

Thus, former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra picked Team India's T20 World Cup squad, for the mega event set to be held in Australia later this year, on the basis of Indian players' IPL 2022 performance. While Chopra named Hardik Pandya -- IPL 15's winning captain -- as India's skipper, he dropped Virat, Rohit, Rishabh Pant and Jadeja.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/kl-rahul-a-special-player-but-kohli-and-rohit-belong-in-a-different-league-says-former-pakistan-captain-484006">KL Rahul a special player but Kohli and Rohit belong in a different league, says former Pakistan captain</a>

"The first name I am keeping is KL Rahul. He can play till 15-17 overs, he is a T20 gun batter and scored more than 600 runs this year. I have kept Ishan Kishan along with him. If you see his numbers, you will say it was not that bad a season for Ishan Kishan."

"At No. 3, I have kept Rahul Tripathi. He played very well this, strike rate has been very high and given match-winning performances. At No. 4, I have kept SKY. He has not played all the games but he has played at a different level in the matches he played," Chopra said on his Youtube channel.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hardik-pandya-captains-aakash-chopras-ipl-2022-xi-no-place-for-dk-rashid-khan-and-umran-malik-483865">Hardik Pandya captains Aakash Chopra's IPL 2022 XI, no place for DK, Rashid Khan and Umran Malik</a>

He added, "After that, my Player of the Tournament. I have made Hardik Pandya the captain of the team. He can play in the middle and be a finisher as well. After that, I have given a spot to Dinesh Karthik and he is my wicketkeeper as well. He has run at a strike rate of 180-190 and finished a lot of matches."

"At No. 7, I have kept Krunal Pandya because he has had a very good season. He has been very economical as a bowler and scored crucial runs as a batter. He can bat up and down the order. You require a left-hander in the middle."

"After that, Yuzi Chahal has to be in my side. Then I have three fast bowlers and the fourth fast bowler is Hardik Pandya - Mohammed Shami, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh. I am seeing this as the XI," Chopra opined further.

India's T20 World Cup squad based on IPL 2022 performances: KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Rahul Tripathi, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (c), Dinesh Karthik, Krunal Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Sanju Samson, Deepak Hooda, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshal Patel, Jasprit Bumrah

The IPL 2022 edition ended on May 29 (Sunday). There were plenty of memorable performances by uncapped players, veteran stars whereas some big names failed to get going and fell flat.

The IPL 2022 edition ended on May 29 (Sunday). There were plenty of memorable performances by uncapped players, veteran stars whereas some big names failed to get going and fell flat. The likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Kieron Pollard, Glenn Maxwell and many other superstar cricketers failed to live upto expectations and had an ordinary run. Thus, former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra picked Team India's T20 World Cup squad, for the mega event set to be held in Australia later this year, on the basis of Indian players' IPL 2022 performance. While Chopra named Hardik Pandya -- IPL 15's winning captain -- as India's skipper, he dropped Virat, Rohit, Rishabh Pant and Jadeja. ALSO READ | KL Rahul a special player but Kohli and Rohit belong in a different league, says former Pakistan captain "The first name I am keeping is KL Rahul. He can play till 15-17 overs, he is a T20 gun batter and scored more than 600 runs this year. I have kept Ishan Kishan along with him. If you see his numbers, you will say it was not that bad a season for Ishan Kishan." "At No. 3, I have kept Rahul Tripathi. He played very well this, strike rate has been very high and given match-winning performances. At No. 4, I have kept SKY. He has not played all the games but he has played at a different level in the matches he played," Chopra said on his Youtube channel. ALSO READ | Hardik Pandya captains Aakash Chopra's IPL 2022 XI, no place for DK, Rashid Khan and Umran Malik He added, "After that, my Player of the Tournament. I have made Hardik Pandya the captain of the team. He can play in the middle and be a finisher as well. After that, I have given a spot to Dinesh Karthik and he is my wicketkeeper as well. He has run at a strike rate of 180-190 and finished a lot of matches." "At No. 7, I have kept Krunal Pandya because he has had a very good season. He has been very economical as a bowler and scored crucial runs as a batter. He can bat up and down the order. You require a left-hander in the middle." "After that, Yuzi Chahal has to be in my side. Then I have three fast bowlers and the fourth fast bowler is Hardik Pandya - Mohammed Shami, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh. I am seeing this as the XI," Chopra opined further. India's T20 World Cup squad based on IPL 2022 performances: KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Rahul Tripathi, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (c), Dinesh Karthik, Krunal Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Sanju Samson, Deepak Hooda, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshal Patel, Jasprit Bumrah

Hardik to lead India in Aakash Chopra's T20 WC squad based on IPL 2022, Virat, Rohit & some big names dropped

Virat Kohli entered IPL 2022 after being free from captaincy responsibilities altogether. While he had relinquished Team India's captaincy in the shortest format and also stepped down as Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) skipper post last year's season, he was sacked as India's ODI skipper and he also resigned as the Test captain.

Thus, many thought he would go all-out in the 15th season of the IPL, being held in India. Nonetheless, he ended the league stage with only 309 runs at a strike rate of 117.93 along with two fifties. While he can still turn the tides in the playoffs, after having played his best knock in RCB's last league stage outing, many are concerned about Kohli's form in a T20 World Cup year for the Men in Blue.

However, former Indian spinner-turned-commentator Murali Karthik has backed Kohli to remain in India's T20I scheme of things as he can deliver at any time.

"You can't keep such players out of the squad for tournaments like the T20 World Cup because they have earned the right to be there for what they are and what they can do at the end moment," Kartik said on 'CricChat Season 2' on ShareChat Audio Chatrooms.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/even-rohit-virat-havent-scored-runs-former-pak-captain-defends-ishan-kishans-selection-for-sa-t20is-481740">Even Rohit, Virat haven't scored runs: Former Pak captain defends Ishan Kishan's selection for SA T20Is</a>

After returning with a match-winning 54-ball 73 in RCB's eight-wicket win over table-toppers Gujarat Titans (GT) in their final group stage fixture, Faf du Plessis-led Bengaluru will now play the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Eliminator and hope for some consistency from Kohli in the fag end of the IPL 2022 edition.

Kohli has been rested for India's upcoming five T20Is versus South Africa, at home, from starting June. Thus, he will take some time off before going all-out for India in an important calendar year, comprising the T20 World Cup in Australia in October-November.

Virat Kohli entered IPL 2022 after being free from captaincy responsibilities altogether. While he had relinquished Team India's captaincy in the shortest format and also stepped down as Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) skipper post last year's season, he was sacked as India's ODI skipper and he also resigned as the Test captain.

Virat Kohli entered IPL 2022 after being free from captaincy responsibilities altogether. While he had relinquished Team India's captaincy in the shortest format and also stepped down as Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) skipper post last year's season, he was sacked as India's ODI skipper and he also resigned as the Test captain. Thus, many thought he would go all-out in the 15th season of the IPL, being held in India. Nonetheless, he ended the league stage with only 309 runs at a strike rate of 117.93 along with two fifties. While he can still turn the tides in the playoffs, after having played his best knock in RCB's last league stage outing, many are concerned about Kohli's form in a T20 World Cup year for the Men in Blue. However, former Indian spinner-turned-commentator Murali Karthik has backed Kohli to remain in India's T20I scheme of things as he can deliver at any time. "You can't keep such players out of the squad for tournaments like the T20 World Cup because they have earned the right to be there for what they are and what they can do at the end moment," Kartik said on 'CricChat Season 2' on ShareChat Audio Chatrooms. ALSO READ | Even Rohit, Virat haven't scored runs: Former Pak captain defends Ishan Kishan's selection for SA T20Is After returning with a match-winning 54-ball 73 in RCB's eight-wicket win over table-toppers Gujarat Titans (GT) in their final group stage fixture, Faf du Plessis-led Bengaluru will now play the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Eliminator and hope for some consistency from Kohli in the fag end of the IPL 2022 edition. Kohli has been rested for India's upcoming five T20Is versus South Africa, at home, from starting June. Thus, he will take some time off before going all-out for India in an important calendar year, comprising the T20 World Cup in Australia in October-November.

'You can't keep such players....' - Former India spinner backs Virat Kohli amid batting concerns

On Sunday (May 22), the BCCI selection committee announced an 18-member Team India squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series versus South Africa, starting from June 09. While the big guns such as regular captain Rohit Sharma, former skipper Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah have been rested, KL Rahul will lead the line-up, which also sees the comeback of Dinesh Karthik.

Karthik, who had donned the commentator's hat last year, has seen his career getting revived in IPL 2022, where he is representing the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Karthik got a new lease of life at the RCB, where he has made heads turn being a fantastic finisher for the three-time runners-up and rescuing them from several precarious situations. In 14 games, Karthik has amassed 287 runs&nbsp;at an average of 57.40 and a strike rate of 191.

Thus, Karthik's IPL 15 knocks have helped him make a comeback in Team India setup. In a video shared by RCB, the veteran keeper-batter thanked Bengaluru's top brass&nbsp;Sanjay Bangar, Mike Hesson and Indian captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid for instilling faith on him.

"Very happy. Very very very satisfying. I must say this has been my most memorable comeback because a lot of people had given up on me and for me to do what I did, practice with the way I did with my coach Nayar. So many special things in the lead to the auction and how I practiced post that. I lot of credit also to Sanjay Bangar and Mike Hesson. The clarity that they gave me to execute the role that I wanted to, in many ways I am indebted to RCB for picking me and believing in me," said Karthik who was roped in by the francse&nbsp;for 5.50 crore at IPL mega auction.

"A lot of credit must go to the selectors, Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid because these days with so many young boys putting their names for selection, to see the skillset that is there and then to believe that this is the guy we need for the World Cup, it is a very very humbling feeling. I know the journey is still there to the World Cup but to be a part of the scheme of things and giving me an opportunity to showcase my skills and I am very proud of it," Karthik added.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-rohit-sharma-rested-as-india-announce-squad-for-t20i-series-against-south-africa-481249">Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma rested as India announce squad for T20I series against South Africa</a>

"I started believing but people around me gave me a feeling saying I should not dream too much. I took up the role of a commentator and that made it look like I am no more interested in trying to come back to the Indian team but I have always said that for me, playing for the Indian team is the priority, because I had time I did it. I am very excited overall," he signed off.

India's T20I squad for South Africa series -&nbsp;KL Rahul (Capt), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant(VC) (wk), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Hardik Pandya, Venkatesh Iyer, Y Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, R Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik

On Sunday (May 22), the BCCI selection committee announced an 18-member Team India squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series versus South Africa, starting from June 09.

On Sunday (May 22), the BCCI selection committee announced an 18-member Team India squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series versus South Africa, starting from June 09. While the big guns such as regular captain Rohit Sharma, former skipper Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah have been rested, KL Rahul will lead the line-up, which also sees the comeback of Dinesh Karthik. Karthik, who had donned the commentator's hat last year, has seen his career getting revived in IPL 2022, where he is representing the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Karthik got a new lease of life at the RCB, where he has made heads turn being a fantastic finisher for the three-time runners-up and rescuing them from several precarious situations. In 14 games, Karthik has amassed 287 runs at an average of 57.40 and a strike rate of 191. Thus, Karthik's IPL 15 knocks have helped him make a comeback in Team India setup. In a video shared by RCB, the veteran keeper-batter thanked Bengaluru's top brass Sanjay Bangar, Mike Hesson and Indian captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid for instilling faith on him. "Very happy. Very very very satisfying. I must say this has been my most memorable comeback because a lot of people had given up on me and for me to do what I did, practice with the way I did with my coach Nayar. So many special things in the lead to the auction and how I practiced post that. I lot of credit also to Sanjay Bangar and Mike Hesson. The clarity that they gave me to execute the role that I wanted to, in many ways I am indebted to RCB for picking me and believing in me," said Karthik who was roped in by the francse for 5.50 crore at IPL mega auction. "A lot of credit must go to the selectors, Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid because these days with so many young boys putting their names for selection, to see the skillset that is there and then to believe that this is the guy we need for the World Cup, it is a very very humbling feeling. I know the journey is still there to the World Cup but to be a part of the scheme of things and giving me an opportunity to showcase my skills and I am very proud of it," Karthik added. ALSO READ | Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma rested as India announce squad for T20I series against South Africa "I started believing but people around me gave me a feeling saying I should not dream too much. I took up the role of a commentator and that made it look like I am no more interested in trying to come back to the Indian team but I have always said that for me, playing for the Indian team is the priority, because I had time I did it. I am very excited overall," he signed off. India's T20I squad for South Africa series - KL Rahul (Capt), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant(VC) (wk), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Hardik Pandya, Venkatesh Iyer, Y Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, R Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik

'A lot of people had given up on me' - Dinesh Karthik reacts after his memorable Team India comeback

Virat Kohli remains the talk of the cricketing fraternity despite his dismal run in IPL 2022. So far, the former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain has amassed only&nbsp;236 runs at an average of&nbsp;19.67 and a poor strike rate of&nbsp;113.46 with a solitary fifty under his belt.

While a lot has been said and written about Kohli and how he should take a break in order to rediscover his form and comeback motivated as ever for Team India, the 33-year-old recently opened up on the prospect of taking a breather from cricket and spoke about his goals for the national side.

"I know how motivated I will be when the scores start coming," Kohli told Star Sports. "I want to win India the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup; that's the motivation."

"I have to move forward maintaining a balance, get some rest, some rejuvenation, once I'm in the mindset then there's no looking back and... it's great fun. My main aim is to help India win the Asia Cup and the World Cup and for that I am ready to do anything for the team," he told former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh in a chat for Star Sports.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sourav-ganguly-built-a-new-team-doubt-if-virat-kohli-did-the-same-as-captain-says-virender-sehwag-480429">Sourav Ganguly built a new team, doubt if Virat Kohli did the same as captain, says Virender Sehwag</a>

While Ravi Shastri, Kevin Pietersen and many others have called for Kohli to take a break from the cricketing activities, the latter opened up in this regard and said, "It's not a lot of people who mentioned it. There is one person precisely who has mentioned it which is Ravi bhai and that's because he has seen from close quarters over the last six-seven years the reality of the situation that I have been in."

"The amount of cricket that I have played and the ups and downs and the toll that it takes on you to play three formats of the game plus the IPL for 10-11 years non-stop with the seven years of captaincy in between," he opined.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-virat-kohli-on-verge-of-achieving-major-milestone-as-rcb-face-gt-in-a-must-win-tie-480386">IPL 2022: Virat Kohli on verge of achieving major milestone as RCB face GT in a must-win tie</a>

"It is definitely a thing that one needs to consider because you don't want to do something which you are not a part of 100% and I have always believed in that in my life. So, to take a break and when to take a break is obviously something that I need to take a call on, but it is only a healthy decision for anyone to take some time off and just rejuvenate yourself mentally and physically.

"Not so much physically because physical fitness you keep up with through the course of playing cricket all the time, but it is a mental kind of reset that you need, and you want to be excited for what you are doing. You don't want to feel like you have been forcing yourself into any situation," Kohli added.

With India's T20I squad to be announced for the forthcoming South Africa series, from June 09, it seems Kohli will get a break and will likely return to action for the fifth and final Test versus England, in early July.

Virat Kohli remains the talk of the cricketing fraternity despite his dismal run in IPL 2022. So far, the former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain has amassed only 236 runs at an average of 19.

Virat Kohli remains the talk of the cricketing fraternity despite his dismal run in IPL 2022. So far, the former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain has amassed only 236 runs at an average of 19.67 and a poor strike rate of 113.46 with a solitary fifty under his belt. While a lot has been said and written about Kohli and how he should take a break in order to rediscover his form and comeback motivated as ever for Team India, the 33-year-old recently opened up on the prospect of taking a breather from cricket and spoke about his goals for the national side. "I know how motivated I will be when the scores start coming," Kohli told Star Sports. "I want to win India the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup; that's the motivation." "I have to move forward maintaining a balance, get some rest, some rejuvenation, once I'm in the mindset then there's no looking back and... it's great fun. My main aim is to help India win the Asia Cup and the World Cup and for that I am ready to do anything for the team," he told former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh in a chat for Star Sports. ALSO READ | Sourav Ganguly built a new team, doubt if Virat Kohli did the same as captain, says Virender Sehwag While Ravi Shastri, Kevin Pietersen and many others have called for Kohli to take a break from the cricketing activities, the latter opened up in this regard and said, "It's not a lot of people who mentioned it. There is one person precisely who has mentioned it which is Ravi bhai and that's because he has seen from close quarters over the last six-seven years the reality of the situation that I have been in." "The amount of cricket that I have played and the ups and downs and the toll that it takes on you to play three formats of the game plus the IPL for 10-11 years non-stop with the seven years of captaincy in between," he opined. ALSO READ | IPL 2022: Virat Kohli on verge of achieving major milestone as RCB face GT in a must-win tie "It is definitely a thing that one needs to consider because you don't want to do something which you are not a part of 100% and I have always believed in that in my life. So, to take a break and when to take a break is obviously something that I need to take a call on, but it is only a healthy decision for anyone to take some time off and just rejuvenate yourself mentally and physically. "Not so much physically because physical fitness you keep up with through the course of playing cricket all the time, but it is a mental kind of reset that you need, and you want to be excited for what you are doing. You don't want to feel like you have been forcing yourself into any situation," Kohli added. With India's T20I squad to be announced for the forthcoming South Africa series, from June 09, it seems Kohli will get a break and will likely return to action for the fifth and final Test versus England, in early July.

I want to win India the Asia Cup and T20 World Cup, says former skipper Virat Kohli

The IPL 2022 edition is surely closely being followed by the Indian selection committee with the T20 World Cup set to be held later this year, in Australia. Many veteran, out-of-favour, and young players have a chance to showcase their skills and credentials in order to appear in the Indian squad for the showpiece event.

In this regard, veteran wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has been phenomenal in IPL 15. Karthik, who had an ordinary run in the last two IPL seasons, has scored 274 runs in 12 games at a strike rate of&nbsp;200.00 by playing some memorable cameos and match-finishing knocks. Thus, he has surely made heads turn and is now in the reckoning for a Team India comeback for the T20 WC.

Little Master Sunil Gavaskar has backed&nbsp;Karthik to take up the lower-order batter's responsibility for India in the showpiece event. "The way the IPL is going for him at the moment, I do believe he should be very much in the running for the India spot in the October tournament, maybe even earlier for South Africa, for England, I do believe he should be earlier in the team," Gavaskar told Sports Today.

"I would definitely look at him as a batter who can come in at No. 6 or No. 7 like he is doing for RCB and take the game away from the opposition," Gavaskar added.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sunil-gavaskar-resorts-to-ms-dhonis-famous-catchphrase-when-asked-about-csk-skippers-ipl-future-478682">Sunil Gavaskar resorts to MS Dhoni's famous catchphrase when asked about CSK skipper's IPL future</a>

Gavaskar revealed that he spent a lot of time with Karthik when the latter turned into a commentator last year, especially during the WTC final and India-England Tests in the United Kingdom. "I spent a lot of time with him last year. We spent about 10-12 days in quarantine in Belgrade, Serbia where we practically sort of spending 12 to 14 hours a day, eating lunch, dinner, and breakfast. Spending time with him, I got to see how keen he was to come back to the Indian team. He was keen to come back to the team that played in the UAE last year. That didn’t quite happen. It was perhaps a little too close. The IPL that year didn’t go all that well for him," Gavaskar concluded.

Will DK make a comeback into the Indian team for the mega event Down Under? Only time will tell...

The IPL 2022 edition is surely closely being followed by the Indian selection committee with the T20 World Cup set to be held later this year, in Australia. Many veteran, out-of-favour, and young players have a chance to showcase their skills and credentials in order to appear in the Indian squad for the showpiece event.

The IPL 2022 edition is surely closely being followed by the Indian selection committee with the T20 World Cup set to be held later this year, in Australia. Many veteran, out-of-favour, and young players have a chance to showcase their skills and credentials in order to appear in the Indian squad for the showpiece event. In this regard, veteran wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has been phenomenal in IPL 15. Karthik, who had an ordinary run in the last two IPL seasons, has scored 274 runs in 12 games at a strike rate of 200.00 by playing some memorable cameos and match-finishing knocks. Thus, he has surely made heads turn and is now in the reckoning for a Team India comeback for the T20 WC. Little Master Sunil Gavaskar has backed Karthik to take up the lower-order batter's responsibility for India in the showpiece event. "The way the IPL is going for him at the moment, I do believe he should be very much in the running for the India spot in the October tournament, maybe even earlier for South Africa, for England, I do believe he should be earlier in the team," Gavaskar told Sports Today. "I would definitely look at him as a batter who can come in at No. 6 or No. 7 like he is doing for RCB and take the game away from the opposition," Gavaskar added. ALSO READ | Sunil Gavaskar resorts to MS Dhoni's famous catchphrase when asked about CSK skipper's IPL future Gavaskar revealed that he spent a lot of time with Karthik when the latter turned into a commentator last year, especially during the WTC final and India-England Tests in the United Kingdom. "I spent a lot of time with him last year. We spent about 10-12 days in quarantine in Belgrade, Serbia where we practically sort of spending 12 to 14 hours a day, eating lunch, dinner, and breakfast. Spending time with him, I got to see how keen he was to come back to the Indian team. He was keen to come back to the team that played in the UAE last year. That didn’t quite happen. It was perhaps a little too close. The IPL that year didn’t go all that well for him," Gavaskar concluded. Will DK make a comeback into the Indian team for the mega event Down Under? Only time will tell...

'He can come in at No. 6 or 7' - Sunil Gavaskar picks Dinesh Karthik as India's finisher for T20 World Cup

India are set to host Australia in a three-match T20I series in September, ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup. Prior to the upcoming edition of the T20 World Cup, to be held in Australia later in October, Rohit Sharma &amp; Co. will gear up for the marquee event by facing the T20 World champions Aaron Finch-led Aussies in the Indian subcontinent.

"Australia will play a number of white ball series with home games against Zimbabwe, New Zealand, West Indies, and England coming to either side of three T20s in India in September," a report in Fox Sports read.

Cricket Australia's full schedule (2022-23):

<section>
June-July 2022: Tour of Sri Lanka (3xT20s, 3xODIs, 2xTests) 
August-September 2022: Zimbabwe (3xODIs) and New Zealand (3xODIs) at home 
September 2022: White ball series in India (3xT20s) 
October 2022: West Indies and England at home (6xT20s) 
October-November 2022: T20 World Cup at home 
November 2022: England at home (3xODIs) 
December-January 2022-23: West Indies (2xTests) and South Africa (3xTests, 3xODIs) at home 
February-March 2023: Test tour of India (4xTests) 
March-May 2023: Indian Premier League 
June-July 2023: Ashes tour of England (5xTests, ODIs expected) 
August 2023: Test tour of South Africa (3xTests) 
October-November 2023: ODI World Cup in India

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/when-i-raised-my-voice-against-forced-conversion-danish-kaneria-tweets-amid-feud-with-shahid-afridi-477543">'India not our enemy country' - Danish Kaneria slams Shahid Afridi, makes explosive remark on Twitter</a>

Talking about the Australian cricket team, it is going to be on the road since June this year before returning home to defend its title in the T20 World Cup. Further, the Pat Cummins-led Australian side will also square off against India in the next edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in early 2023, in India. On the other hand, they will travel to the United Kingdom for the Ashes 2023 in June-July next year.

Meanwhile, India will also have a hectic schedule post the conclusion of IPL 2022. After hosting South Africa in five T20Is, they&nbsp;will travel to the United Kingdom where they play England in all formats, then lock horns with&nbsp;Ireland in a limited-overs series, travel to the Caribbean island before returning home to host&nbsp;the Aussies, and then make a trip Down Under for the T20 WC.
</section>

India are set to host Australia in a three-match T20I series in September, ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup. Prior to the upcoming edition of the T20 World Cup, to be held in Australia later in October, Rohit Sharma & Co.

India are set to host Australia in a three-match T20I series in September, ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup. Prior to the upcoming edition of the T20 World Cup, to be held in Australia later in October, Rohit Sharma & Co. will gear up for the marquee event by facing the T20 World champions Aaron Finch-led Aussies in the Indian subcontinent. "Australia will play a number of white ball series with home games against Zimbabwe, New Zealand, West Indies, and England coming to either side of three T20s in India in September," a report in Fox Sports read. Cricket Australia's full schedule (2022-23): June-July 2022: Tour of Sri Lanka (3xT20s, 3xODIs, 2xTests) August-September 2022: Zimbabwe (3xODIs) and New Zealand (3xODIs) at home September 2022: White ball series in India (3xT20s) October 2022: West Indies and England at home (6xT20s) October-November 2022: T20 World Cup at home November 2022: England at home (3xODIs) December-January 2022-23: West Indies (2xTests) and South Africa (3xTests, 3xODIs) at home February-March 2023: Test tour of India (4xTests) March-May 2023: Indian Premier League June-July 2023: Ashes tour of England (5xTests, ODIs expected) August 2023: Test tour of South Africa (3xTests) October-November 2023: ODI World Cup in India ALSO READ | 'India not our enemy country' - Danish Kaneria slams Shahid Afridi, makes explosive remark on Twitter Talking about the Australian cricket team, it is going to be on the road since June this year before returning home to defend its title in the T20 World Cup. Further, the Pat Cummins-led Australian side will also square off against India in the next edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in early 2023, in India. On the other hand, they will travel to the United Kingdom for the Ashes 2023 in June-July next year. Meanwhile, India will also have a hectic schedule post the conclusion of IPL 2022. After hosting South Africa in five T20Is, they will travel to the United Kingdom where they play England in all formats, then lock horns with Ireland in a limited-overs series, travel to the Caribbean island before returning home to host the Aussies, and then make a trip Down Under for the T20 WC.

India to host Australia in three T20Is before T20 World Cup, BG Trophy early next year

When Virat Kohli got dismissed for a golden duck in Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) face-off versus Lucknow Super Giants, in IPL 2022's match 31, a statistic started doing the rounds on social media and elsewhere. It revealed that the once regarded 'run machine' has now gone over 100 matches without a century&nbsp;across all formats (17 Tests, 21 ODIs, 25 T20Is and 38*&nbsp;IPL games).&nbsp;

Kohli had a wry smile as he walked past KL Rahul &amp; Co. after an embarrassing first-ball duck. Four evenings later, King Kohli came to the crease in the second over of RCB's innings after Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) opted to bowl first at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai in match 36 of the 15th season, on Saturday evening (April 23). As soon as he arrived, Kane Williamson -- a tactical mastermind -- strived hard to grab Aiden Markram's attention to add him to the slip cordon. Soon, Marco Jansen bowled outside off-stump, on the fifth-stump line, as Kohli wasted no time to edge one and get caught in the slips. This time, no smile followed as RCB's former skipper stood still in disbelief. He&nbsp;looked helplessly toward his non-striker (Anuj Rawat) as&nbsp;if asking&nbsp;to be pinched in order to accept the reality before walking back.

After his second successive golden duck, Kohli's expression said it all. There was sheer disbelief in his eyes. Thus, there was pin-drop silence in the stadium as an often hard-to-please and unforgiving crowd silently sympathised with Kohli after yet another failure.&nbsp;

Virat Kohli's no-shows since NZ tour, 2020

Ducks - 9 
Golden Ducks - 3 (2 in IPL)

**across all formats

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-rohit-sharma-need-a-six-month-break-pietersen-comes-out-in-support-of-indias-under-fire-duo-473031">Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma need a six-month break: Pietersen comes out in support of India's under-fire duo</a>

What's fretting King Kohli? (Covid break, bio-bubble fatigue, overburdened, empty stands, BCCI row, etc.)

Those who possess even the most basic updates of men's cricket are aware of Kohli's barren run. It has been written, re-written, highlighted on front pages on several occasions, and even discussed on&nbsp;hour-long shows on how Team India and RCB's former captain has been without a century in competitive cricket since late 2019. At first, it seemed as if it was just a matter of time before Kohli would rediscover his form. However, time is now surely passing away at a rapid pace for the 33-year-old superstar cricketer.

Kohli's downfall coincided with Covid-19's advent. It led to a six-month-long break at the international level. Since then, Kohli has not been the old Kohli. At times, his aggression has gone missing, he has been completely undone by the bio-bubble restrictions and looked clueless playing in front of empty stands.&nbsp;A player of Kohli's caliber cherishes the crowd support. Their energy rubs on him, helping him remain at his usual chirpy best. All this is lagging in his game nowadays!

Also, Team India's unbelievably hectic cricketing&nbsp;calendar hasn't helped Kohli's case. Despite some mini-breaks, he has almost been omnipresent for India and the RCB. The nearly-decade-long captaincy responsibilities (he became RCB's full-time skipper in 2013) also led to him being overburdened. Moreover, the BCCI captaincy row added salt to Kohli's wounds. The entire saga panned out in the open. Thus, it led to Kohli taking BCCI heads on, however, mentally he kept losing the battle with each passing day...

The dismissals depict a sad story...

Since April 2020, Kohli has fallen to spinners more often than&nbsp;not (51 out of his total 74 dismissals have been against the tweakers). In addition, he continues to remain lost regarding&nbsp;the fourth-fifth stump lines; chasing deliveries way out of his arc. At times, the gap between bat and pad has also widened alarmingly. Surely, he can't be far away from finding his peak once again. He is too good a player to miss out for too long. But, hasn't it already been a long wait? Has he become a victim of his greatness? Is he overcooked and&nbsp;desperately in need of a lengthy break?

Ravi Shastri on Star Sports:&nbsp;Virat Kohli is overcooked. If anyone needs a break, it's him. Whether it's 2 months or a month-and-a-half, whether it's after England or before England. He needs a break because he has got 6-7 years of cricket left in him and you don't want to lose that with a fried brain. He is not the only one. There might be 1 or 2 in world cricket going through the same. You need to address the problem upfront.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-virat-kohlis-batting-woes-continue-dismissed-for-second-consecutive-golden-duck-watch-473267">IPL 2022: Virat Kohli's batting woes continue, dismissed for second consecutive golden duck - WATCH</a>

The answers lie within Kohli's mind. He knows his body and how his mind functions better&nbsp;than anyone (Taking the liberty to share a&nbsp;message for his&nbsp;plethora of&nbsp;fans: don't make him your main protagonist in every discussion. Don't even discuss him. Focus less on him. Outside noise needs to die down for Kohli to rise again).

Even the great Sachin Tendulkar had flaws. He, however, always found ways to tackle them. For now, Kohli is content with working on his strengths than weaknesses. Maybe he needs to slow down. Maybe, he needs to fight the bubble within&nbsp;before coming out of this crisis.

The engine surely needs an overhaul. At present, the damage has been done. But, King Kohli isn't one to be kept out for very long. Somewhere down the line, his usual form is still waiting for him. He just needs to redo the coding&nbsp;to function as usual.

When Virat Kohli got dismissed for a golden duck in Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) face-off versus Lucknow Super Giants, in IPL 2022's match 31, a statistic started doing the rounds on social media and elsewhere.

When Virat Kohli got dismissed for a golden duck in Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) face-off versus Lucknow Super Giants, in IPL 2022's match 31, a statistic started doing the rounds on social media and elsewhere. It revealed that the once regarded 'run machine' has now gone over 100 matches without a century across all formats (17 Tests, 21 ODIs, 25 T20Is and 38* IPL games). Kohli had a wry smile as he walked past KL Rahul & Co. after an embarrassing first-ball duck. Four evenings later, King Kohli came to the crease in the second over of RCB's innings after Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) opted to bowl first at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai in match 36 of the 15th season, on Saturday evening (April 23). As soon as he arrived, Kane Williamson -- a tactical mastermind -- strived hard to grab Aiden Markram's attention to add him to the slip cordon. Soon, Marco Jansen bowled outside off-stump, on the fifth-stump line, as Kohli wasted no time to edge one and get caught in the slips. This time, no smile followed as RCB's former skipper stood still in disbelief. He looked helplessly toward his non-striker (Anuj Rawat) as if asking to be pinched in order to accept the reality before walking back. After his second successive golden duck, Kohli's expression said it all. There was sheer disbelief in his eyes. Thus, there was pin-drop silence in the stadium as an often hard-to-please and unforgiving crowd silently sympathised with Kohli after yet another failure. Virat Kohli's no-shows since NZ tour, 2020 Ducks - 9 Golden Ducks - 3 (2 in IPL) **across all formats ALSO READ | Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma need a six-month break: Pietersen comes out in support of India's under-fire duo What's fretting King Kohli? (Covid break, bio-bubble fatigue, overburdened, empty stands, BCCI row, etc.) Those who possess even the most basic updates of men's cricket are aware of Kohli's barren run. It has been written, re-written, highlighted on front pages on several occasions, and even discussed on hour-long shows on how Team India and RCB's former captain has been without a century in competitive cricket since late 2019. At first, it seemed as if it was just a matter of time before Kohli would rediscover his form. However, time is now surely passing away at a rapid pace for the 33-year-old superstar cricketer. Kohli's downfall coincided with Covid-19's advent. It led to a six-month-long break at the international level. Since then, Kohli has not been the old Kohli. At times, his aggression has gone missing, he has been completely undone by the bio-bubble restrictions and looked clueless playing in front of empty stands. A player of Kohli's caliber cherishes the crowd support. Their energy rubs on him, helping him remain at his usual chirpy best. All this is lagging in his game nowadays! Also, Team India's unbelievably hectic cricketing calendar hasn't helped Kohli's case. Despite some mini-breaks, he has almost been omnipresent for India and the RCB. The nearly-decade-long captaincy responsibilities (he became RCB's full-time skipper in 2013) also led to him being overburdened. Moreover, the BCCI captaincy row added salt to Kohli's wounds. The entire saga panned out in the open. Thus, it led to Kohli taking BCCI heads on, however, mentally he kept losing the battle with each passing day... The dismissals depict a sad story... Since April 2020, Kohli has fallen to spinners more often than not (51 out of his total 74 dismissals have been against the tweakers). In addition, he continues to remain lost regarding the fourth-fifth stump lines; chasing deliveries way out of his arc. At times, the gap between bat and pad has also widened alarmingly. Surely, he can't be far away from finding his peak once again. He is too good a player to miss out for too long. But, hasn't it already been a long wait? Has he become a victim of his greatness? Is he overcooked and desperately in need of a lengthy break? Ravi Shastri on Star Sports: Virat Kohli is overcooked. If anyone needs a break, it's him. Whether it's 2 months or a month-and-a-half, whether it's after England or before England. He needs a break because he has got 6-7 years of cricket left in him and you don't want to lose that with a fried brain. He is not the only one. There might be 1 or 2 in world cricket going through the same. You need to address the problem upfront. ALSO READ | IPL 2022: Virat Kohli's batting woes continue, dismissed for second consecutive golden duck - WATCH The answers lie within Kohli's mind. He knows his body and how his mind functions better than anyone (Taking the liberty to share a message for his plethora of fans: don't make him your main protagonist in every discussion. Don't even discuss him. Focus less on him. Outside noise needs to die down for Kohli to rise again). Even the great Sachin Tendulkar had flaws. He, however, always found ways to tackle them. For now, Kohli is content with working on his strengths than weaknesses. Maybe he needs to slow down. Maybe, he needs to fight the bubble within before coming out of this crisis. The engine surely needs an overhaul. At present, the damage has been done. But, King Kohli isn't one to be kept out for very long. Somewhere down the line, his usual form is still waiting for him. He just needs to redo the coding to function as usual.

IPL 2022: What's fretting Virat Kohli, the player?

Shaheen Afridi has grown from strength to strength with each game for Pakistan. He has become the Men in Green's multi-format player in no time and his stature is rising at a rapid pace. Last year, the young pacer was the star performer for Babar Azam &amp; Co. as Pakistan finally ended their winless streak versus India in World Cup history.

With India and Pakistan playing each other in their respective Super 12 opening clash in 2021 T20 World Cup, in Dubai, Shaheen returned with a match-winning spell of 3 for 31 -- dismissing India's Big Three in Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli -- as Pakistan restricted India for&nbsp;151-7 before the one-time winners chased it down with ten wickets and 13 balls to spare.

Recently, in conversation with Geo Super, Shaheen revealed he had a chat with Shahid Afridi to get some tips ahead of the marquee clash versus India. "When we had that match against India in the T20 World Cup, I requested Lala to have a word with me. Because before that I played just one match against India, that too in Asia Cup, which was in One-Day format. And this was a T20 game and we never won a World Cup game against India," Shaheen said.

"So I thought that this was a big opportunity for me. So I called Lala for some tips and asked him, 'What different do I do today?'. He gave me very good advice and told, 'Do something so that the entire stadium notices only Shaheen' and give your 100 percent in bowling and fielding. I just did that and we got the results,” he added.

<section>
ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/if-one-comes-your-way-former-coach-ravi-shastri-reveals-how-team-india-tackled-australias-sledging-473996">'If one comes your way....' - Former coach Ravi Shastri reveals how Team India tackled Australia's sledging</a>

Shahid Afridi has had some memorable performances versus India during his playing days for Pakistan. Thus, his words surely encouraged a young Shaheen, who was highly impressive versus India and led the Men in Green to a stunning ten-wicket win at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai.&nbsp;

Babar-led Pakistan, however, couldn't reach the tournament final in last year's edition, losing to eventual winners Australia in the semi-finals.
</section>

Shaheen Afridi has grown from strength to strength with each game for Pakistan. He has become the Men in Green's multi-format player in no time and his stature is rising at a rapid pace.

Shaheen Afridi has grown from strength to strength with each game for Pakistan. He has become the Men in Green's multi-format player in no time and his stature is rising at a rapid pace. Last year, the young pacer was the star performer for Babar Azam & Co. as Pakistan finally ended their winless streak versus India in World Cup history. With India and Pakistan playing each other in their respective Super 12 opening clash in 2021 T20 World Cup, in Dubai, Shaheen returned with a match-winning spell of 3 for 31 -- dismissing India's Big Three in Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli -- as Pakistan restricted India for 151-7 before the one-time winners chased it down with ten wickets and 13 balls to spare. Recently, in conversation with Geo Super, Shaheen revealed he had a chat with Shahid Afridi to get some tips ahead of the marquee clash versus India. "When we had that match against India in the T20 World Cup, I requested Lala to have a word with me. Because before that I played just one match against India, that too in Asia Cup, which was in One-Day format. And this was a T20 game and we never won a World Cup game against India," Shaheen said. "So I thought that this was a big opportunity for me. So I called Lala for some tips and asked him, 'What different do I do today?'. He gave me very good advice and told, 'Do something so that the entire stadium notices only Shaheen' and give your 100 percent in bowling and fielding. I just did that and we got the results,” he added. ALSO READ | 'If one comes your way....' - Former coach Ravi Shastri reveals how Team India tackled Australia's sledging Shahid Afridi has had some memorable performances versus India during his playing days for Pakistan. Thus, his words surely encouraged a young Shaheen, who was highly impressive versus India and led the Men in Green to a stunning ten-wicket win at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai. Babar-led Pakistan, however, couldn't reach the tournament final in last year's edition, losing to eventual winners Australia in the semi-finals.

Shaheen Afridi recalls chat with Shahid Afridi before match-winning spell against India in T20 World Cup

Team India have a hectic schedule in the calendar year. Soon after the completion of IPL 2022, the Indian senior men's team will soon gear up for a home series versus South Africa. Temba Bavuma-led Proteas will arrive in India for five T20Is, from June 09-June 19, as the bilateral series will be a preparation for both sides for the 2022 T20 World Cup.

As per reports, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is keen on doing away with bio-bubbles and also getting rid of hard quarantine for the South Africa home series. As per the board's senior official, bio-bubbles are taking a hard toll on cricketers and, hence, it is likely that the players will benefit with more freedom given to them this time around.

For the unversed,&nbsp;the bilateral series for India, prior to the ongoing IPL season, have all been played under bio-bubbles. In fact, even IPL 2022 is being conducted within the bio-bubble environment. Thus, this will be a welcome change for players if a change is implemented by the BCCI.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-ms-dhoni-told-umran-malik-he-is-the-future-of-indian-cricket-reveals-srh-speedsters-father-473906">Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni told Umran Malik he is the future of Indian cricket, reveals SRH speedster's father</a>

"If all goes well and things remain in control like it is right now, there will be no bio-bubbles and hard quarantine during the home series against South Africa," a senior BCCI official told the&nbsp;Press Trust of India

The official also indicated that some senior players are set to be rested for the SA series. "Then we are going to Ireland and England and there won't be any bio-bubble in those countries too. Some players have got periodic breaks but if you look at the bigger picture, living in bio-bubble one series after another and now two months of IPL is simply exhausting for the players," he added.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/he-will-have-to-displace-pant-manjrekar-explains-why-dinesh-karthik-might-not-get-into-indias-playing-xi-473771">'He will have to displace Pant': Manjrekar explains why Dinesh Karthik might not get into India's playing XI</a>

Some multi-format players such as captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja are expected to miss the SA series. Some of them will play only a few matches whereas some will be allowed to skip the entire series.

Following the SA series, India play two T20Is versus hosts Ireland and also play&nbsp;1 Test, 3 T20Is, and 3 ODIs in England soon after. Thus, some key players are set&nbsp;to remain out of action in the SA T20Is to remain fresh with T20 World Cup in mind.

Team India have a hectic schedule in the calendar year. Soon after the completion of IPL 2022, the Indian senior men's team will soon gear up for a home series versus South Africa.

Team India have a hectic schedule in the calendar year. Soon after the completion of IPL 2022, the Indian senior men's team will soon gear up for a home series versus South Africa. Temba Bavuma-led Proteas will arrive in India for five T20Is, from June 09-June 19, as the bilateral series will be a preparation for both sides for the 2022 T20 World Cup. As per reports, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is keen on doing away with bio-bubbles and also getting rid of hard quarantine for the South Africa home series. As per the board's senior official, bio-bubbles are taking a hard toll on cricketers and, hence, it is likely that the players will benefit with more freedom given to them this time around. For the unversed, the bilateral series for India, prior to the ongoing IPL season, have all been played under bio-bubbles. In fact, even IPL 2022 is being conducted within the bio-bubble environment. Thus, this will be a welcome change for players if a change is implemented by the BCCI. ALSO READ | Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni told Umran Malik he is the future of Indian cricket, reveals SRH speedster's father "If all goes well and things remain in control like it is right now, there will be no bio-bubbles and hard quarantine during the home series against South Africa," a senior BCCI official told the Press Trust of India The official also indicated that some senior players are set to be rested for the SA series. "Then we are going to Ireland and England and there won't be any bio-bubble in those countries too. Some players have got periodic breaks but if you look at the bigger picture, living in bio-bubble one series after another and now two months of IPL is simply exhausting for the players," he added. ALSO READ | 'He will have to displace Pant': Manjrekar explains why Dinesh Karthik might not get into India's playing XI Some multi-format players such as captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja are expected to miss the SA series. Some of them will play only a few matches whereas some will be allowed to skip the entire series. Following the SA series, India play two T20Is versus hosts Ireland and also play 1 Test, 3 T20Is, and 3 ODIs in England soon after. Thus, some key players are set to remain out of action in the SA T20Is to remain fresh with T20 World Cup in mind.

India vs SA: BCCI to do away with bio-bubbles and hard quarantine, senior players to be rested - Report

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has backed Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) star Dinesh Karthik to make his comeback to the Indian team as a finisher for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022 after the veteran batter's heroics in the ongoing IPL 2022. Karthik has been brilliant so far for RCB in the finisher's role and has been enjoying great form.

Karthik, who was roped in by RCB at the IPL 2022 mega auction in February this year, played a sensational knock of unbeaten 44 runs off just 23 balls to help RCB beat Rajasthan Royals in a thrilling run chase on Tuesday. Karthik came out to bat at number seven when RCB were 87/5 in the 170-run chase.

He went after the bowlers right from the start of his innings to turn the game in his side's favour and take them over the line comfortably. Shastri, who was left impressed by Karthik's heroics in the run-chase against Rajasthan Royals, has backed the veteran wicket-keeper batter to find a spot in India's squad for T20 World Cup 2022 which will be staged in Australia later this year.

Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/not-correct-to-say-there-were-differences-between-virat-kohli-anil-kumble-says-ex-coa-chief-vinod-rai-469460">Not correct to say there were differences between Virat Kohli, Anil Kumble, says ex-CoA chief Vinod Rai</a>

"With the amount of cricket being played and with the injuries that can take place, if you have a good IPL season which I feel he is right in thinking in that fashion. He has started off really hot and if he has a crackerjack of a season, surely he will be in that mix," Shastri said on ESPN Cricinfo.

"He has got the experience, he has got all the shots...there is no Dhoni in the side now so you are looking at a finisher as well. But you also have to see how many keepers you want - there's Ishan Kishan, Rishabh Pant and now there's Karthik. And if there's an injury there, then he comes in automatically," he added.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/dinesh-karthik-ahead-of-rishabh-pant-shaun-pollock-makes-bold-claim-regarding-rcb-stars-t20-wc-chances-468903">Karthik ahead of&nbsp;Pant? Shaun Pollock makes bold claim regarding RCB star's T20 WC chances</a>

Karthik, who had taken up commentary during the T20 World Cup 2021 last year, has been sensational with the bat for RCB in IPL 2022 and has been making heads turn with his performances for the Faf du Plessis-led side. Karthik has so far notched up 90 runs in three matches for his team and has been unbeaten twice this season.

The 36-year-old last played for India in the 2019 ODI World Cup where India lost against New Zealand in the semi-final to bow out of the tournament.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has backed Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) star Dinesh Karthik to make his comeback to the Indian team as a finisher for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022 after the veteran batter's heroics in the ongoing IPL 2022.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has backed Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) star Dinesh Karthik to make his comeback to the Indian team as a finisher for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022 after the veteran batter's heroics in the ongoing IPL 2022. Karthik has been brilliant so far for RCB in the finisher's role and has been enjoying great form. Karthik, who was roped in by RCB at the IPL 2022 mega auction in February this year, played a sensational knock of unbeaten 44 runs off just 23 balls to help RCB beat Rajasthan Royals in a thrilling run chase on Tuesday. Karthik came out to bat at number seven when RCB were 87/5 in the 170-run chase. He went after the bowlers right from the start of his innings to turn the game in his side's favour and take them over the line comfortably. Shastri, who was left impressed by Karthik's heroics in the run-chase against Rajasthan Royals, has backed the veteran wicket-keeper batter to find a spot in India's squad for T20 World Cup 2022 which will be staged in Australia later this year. Also Read: Not correct to say there were differences between Virat Kohli, Anil Kumble, says ex-CoA chief Vinod Rai "With the amount of cricket being played and with the injuries that can take place, if you have a good IPL season which I feel he is right in thinking in that fashion. He has started off really hot and if he has a crackerjack of a season, surely he will be in that mix," Shastri said on ESPN Cricinfo. "He has got the experience, he has got all the shots...there is no Dhoni in the side now so you are looking at a finisher as well. But you also have to see how many keepers you want - there's Ishan Kishan, Rishabh Pant and now there's Karthik. And if there's an injury there, then he comes in automatically," he added. Also Read: Karthik ahead of Pant? Shaun Pollock makes bold claim regarding RCB star's T20 WC chances Karthik, who had taken up commentary during the T20 World Cup 2021 last year, has been sensational with the bat for RCB in IPL 2022 and has been making heads turn with his performances for the Faf du Plessis-led side. Karthik has so far notched up 90 runs in three matches for his team and has been unbeaten twice this season. The 36-year-old last played for India in the 2019 ODI World Cup where India lost against New Zealand in the semi-final to bow out of the tournament.

'There is no MS Dhoni now': Ravi Shastri backs RCB star to return as a finisher in India's T20 WC 2022 squad

The IPL 2022 edition is set to get underway on March 26. Ahead of the new season, the ardent fans are excited to see how the two new teams shape up and compete with the rest. While KL Rahul will lead the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), the Gujarat Titans (GT) will be led by local boy Hardik Pandya.

Ahead of the 15th season, all eyes are on Hardik as it remains to be seen if he will return back as an all-rounder. Since the 2021 T20 World Cup, Hardik hasn't been in the scheme of things for Team India, mainly due to the all-rounder working on his fitness to return back to bowling in full flow. In the last two IPL seasons, Hardik didn't bowl a single over for the Mumbai Indians (MI). However, ex-Team India head coach Ravi Shastri feels the 28-year-old needs to bowl to be able to return back in the playing XI for India in white-ball formats.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ms-dhoni-hands-over-csk-captaincy-to-ravindra-jadeja-ahead-of-ipl-2022-465123">MS Dhoni hands over CSK captaincy to Ravindra Jadeja ahead of IPL 2022</a>

"In the top five, there's a lot of muscle there. If anyone's occupying the position Nos. 5, 6 onwards, he'll have to bring that extra department to the game. That is why from Hardik's point of view, from India's point of view, from the Gujarat team's point of view, it's extremely important that he strings those two or three overs together because if he does and bowls with even limited success, he becomes an automatic choice in the Indian team," said Shastri to&nbsp;Espncricinfo.

"I think the all-rounder's position at No. 6 for sure. Ideally, someone in the top-five who can bowl two or three overs. That takes the pressure off the captain. It gives him then six and a half bowlers from whom he can choose. That will be one area I'll be looking at very closely. And of course the fast bowling and fielding. I'm not really worried about the batting. Batting is there," he added.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ms-dhoni-a-look-at-the-veterans-captaincy-record-for-chennai-super-kings-465141">MS Dhoni: A look at the veteran's captaincy record for Chennai Super Kings</a>

The GT franchise will open their campaign versus LSG on March 28 at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. So far, Hardik has kept mum on his bowling plans and has said that it will be a 'surprise' for fans. Let's see what he has in store for one and all in this IPL edition.

Complete squad of Gujarat Titans for IPL 2022:

Jason Roy,&nbsp;Abhinav Sadarangani, David Miller, Wriddhiman Saha, Matthew Wade, Mohammed Shami, Lockie Ferguson, Noor Ahmad, R Sai Kishore, Yash Dayal,&nbsp;Alzarri Joseph, Pradeep Sangwan, Varun Aaron, Rahul Tewatia, Dominic Drakes, Jayant Yadav, Vijay Shankar, Darshan Nalkande, Gurkeerat Singh Mann,&nbsp;Sai Sudarshan

The IPL 2022 edition is set to get underway on March 26. Ahead of the new season, the ardent fans are excited to see how the two new teams shape up and compete with the rest.

The IPL 2022 edition is set to get underway on March 26. Ahead of the new season, the ardent fans are excited to see how the two new teams shape up and compete with the rest. While KL Rahul will lead the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), the Gujarat Titans (GT) will be led by local boy Hardik Pandya. Ahead of the 15th season, all eyes are on Hardik as it remains to be seen if he will return back as an all-rounder. Since the 2021 T20 World Cup, Hardik hasn't been in the scheme of things for Team India, mainly due to the all-rounder working on his fitness to return back to bowling in full flow. In the last two IPL seasons, Hardik didn't bowl a single over for the Mumbai Indians (MI). However, ex-Team India head coach Ravi Shastri feels the 28-year-old needs to bowl to be able to return back in the playing XI for India in white-ball formats. ALSO READ | MS Dhoni hands over CSK captaincy to Ravindra Jadeja ahead of IPL 2022 "In the top five, there's a lot of muscle there. If anyone's occupying the position Nos. 5, 6 onwards, he'll have to bring that extra department to the game. That is why from Hardik's point of view, from India's point of view, from the Gujarat team's point of view, it's extremely important that he strings those two or three overs together because if he does and bowls with even limited success, he becomes an automatic choice in the Indian team," said Shastri to Espncricinfo. "I think the all-rounder's position at No. 6 for sure. Ideally, someone in the top-five who can bowl two or three overs. That takes the pressure off the captain. It gives him then six and a half bowlers from whom he can choose. That will be one area I'll be looking at very closely. And of course the fast bowling and fielding. I'm not really worried about the batting. Batting is there," he added. ALSO READ | MS Dhoni: A look at the veteran's captaincy record for Chennai Super Kings The GT franchise will open their campaign versus LSG on March 28 at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. So far, Hardik has kept mum on his bowling plans and has said that it will be a 'surprise' for fans. Let's see what he has in store for one and all in this IPL edition. Complete squad of Gujarat Titans for IPL 2022: Jason Roy, Abhinav Sadarangani, David Miller, Wriddhiman Saha, Matthew Wade, Mohammed Shami, Lockie Ferguson, Noor Ahmad, R Sai Kishore, Yash Dayal, Alzarri Joseph, Pradeep Sangwan, Varun Aaron, Rahul Tewatia, Dominic Drakes, Jayant Yadav, Vijay Shankar, Darshan Nalkande, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Sai Sudarshan

'He'll have to bring....': Shastri claims Hardik needs to bowl in IPL 2022 to make India comeback

The IPL 2022 edition is set to get underway on March 26, at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. This year's cash-rich league will be extremely crucial for Team India players as they will try to put their best foot forward&nbsp;to be added to the national side's T20 World Cup squad, with the showpiece event to be held later this year in Australia.

Among the bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah is sure to feature in the T20 WC squad (unless fitness concerns arise) but the same can't be said about Mohammed Shami. Shami has been a regular in Tests and also has good numbers in ODIs, but his T20I career isn't very impressive. For the unversed, the senior pacer has an economy rate of over 9 (9.54) in T20Is whereas he hasn't managed to contain the run-flow for various IPL franchises that he has represented over the years.&nbsp;

Thus, the forthcoming IPL season is very important for Shami. He is set to represent the Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans (GT) after being bought by the debutant franchise for INR 62.5 million (INR 6.25 crore). As per a BCCI source, IPL will be a trial run for Shami to be in the scheme of things for India in the shortest format.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/why-does-ms-dhoni-don-no-7-jersey-csk-veteran-answers-the-big-question-ahead-of-ipl-2022-463195">Why does MS Dhoni don No. 7 jersey? CSK veteran answers the big question ahead of IPL 2022</a>

“It’s difficult to sustain all-format bowlers for all conditions. Jasprit Bumrah is the only one who has excelled in all formats. This team management believes in presenting a clear picture to all the players. Shami will surely be spoken to,” a BCCI source was quoted as saying by TOI.

“His ODI career is much better placed. But this IPL will be a kind of trial for him to be considered for the T20 World Cup and he also understands it,” the source added.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/success-is-theirs-failure-is-mine-captain-hardik-pandya-shares-his-philosophy-ahead-of-ipl-2022-463170">Success is theirs, failure is mine: Captain Hardik Pandya shares his philosophy ahead of IPL 2022</a>

Shami was part of India's disastrous run in the 2021 T20 World Cup. However, he has often been rested by the selectors for T20I assignments, in order to keep him fresh for big-ticket limited-overs events or Tests. However, with a T20 WC round the corner once again, his IPL season will determine if he remains in contention to appear in India's&nbsp;WC squad.

The IPL 2022 edition is set to get underway on March 26, at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. This year's cash-rich league will be extremely crucial for Team India players as they will try to put their best foot forward to be added to the national side's T20 World Cup squad, with the showpiece event to be held later this year in Australia.

The IPL 2022 edition is set to get underway on March 26, at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. This year's cash-rich league will be extremely crucial for Team India players as they will try to put their best foot forward to be added to the national side's T20 World Cup squad, with the showpiece event to be held later this year in Australia. Among the bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah is sure to feature in the T20 WC squad (unless fitness concerns arise) but the same can't be said about Mohammed Shami. Shami has been a regular in Tests and also has good numbers in ODIs, but his T20I career isn't very impressive. For the unversed, the senior pacer has an economy rate of over 9 (9.54) in T20Is whereas he hasn't managed to contain the run-flow for various IPL franchises that he has represented over the years. Thus, the forthcoming IPL season is very important for Shami. He is set to represent the Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans (GT) after being bought by the debutant franchise for INR 62.5 million (INR 6.25 crore). As per a BCCI source, IPL will be a trial run for Shami to be in the scheme of things for India in the shortest format. ALSO READ | Why does MS Dhoni don No. 7 jersey? CSK veteran answers the big question ahead of IPL 2022 “It’s difficult to sustain all-format bowlers for all conditions. Jasprit Bumrah is the only one who has excelled in all formats. This team management believes in presenting a clear picture to all the players. Shami will surely be spoken to,” a BCCI source was quoted as saying by TOI. “His ODI career is much better placed. But this IPL will be a kind of trial for him to be considered for the T20 World Cup and he also understands it,” the source added. ALSO READ | Success is theirs, failure is mine: Captain Hardik Pandya shares his philosophy ahead of IPL 2022 Shami was part of India's disastrous run in the 2021 T20 World Cup. However, he has often been rested by the selectors for T20I assignments, in order to keep him fresh for big-ticket limited-overs events or Tests. However, with a T20 WC round the corner once again, his IPL season will determine if he remains in contention to appear in India's WC squad.

IPL 2022 to be a trial run for star Team India bowler for T20 World Cup consideration: Report

Hardik Pandya has been out of action since the 2021 T20 World Cup, held in the UAE. Since then, the 28-year-old all-rounder is out of contention and is striving hard to regain full fitness to reclaim the all-rounder's slot in Team India setup across formats.

Hardik will next be seen in action during the forthcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 edition, where he will represent the Gujarat Titans (GT). The swashbuckling all-rounder will represent his home franchise as the captain. Along with showcasing his skills as captain, Hardik will be eager to don the all-rounder's role and perform with aplomb for a comeback into the national side. For now, he was been replaced by Venkatesh Iyer in the white-ball formats. Iyer has also grown as a T20I player over the past month and is doing the right things so far to make it to the 2022 T20 WC squad.

Nonetheless, former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra feels Hardik still has the upper hand and will pip Venky Iyer for the fast-bowling all-rounder's slot, for the T20 WC, once he starts bowling and regains full fitness.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/big-blow-to-ms-dhonis-csk-as-deepak-chahar-set-to-miss-majority-of-ipl-2022-edition-reports-458194">Big blow to MS Dhoni's CSK as Deepak Chahar set to miss majority of IPL 2022 edition - Reports</a>

“It may look like Venkatesh Iyer is ahead in the race, but I won't be surprised if Hardik Pandya wins it. Ravindra Jadeja will be the spin all-rounder and Pandya will be the fast-bowling all-rounder,” Aakash said on his official YouTube channel.

“Iyer is present for now but the day Hardik starts bowling, he will pip Venkatesh Iyer for the role. It is also worth remembering that it is not a bilateral series where you can take 18-20 players at once according to your convenience. This is an ICC event where you can select only a 15-member squad," the ex-cricketer pointed out.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/icc-t20i-rankings-shreyas-iyer-achieves-huge-jump-after-sl-series-virat-kohli-rohit-sharma-out-of-top-10-458106">ICC T20I Rankings: Shreyas Iyer achieves huge jump after SL series; Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma out of top 10</a>

The former India batter further stated that the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) opener Venky Iyer will only have an outside chance if Hardik doesn't regain full fitness.

“So, when you only have 15 places, you cannot take everything with you. So, you will only have two options for the all-rounder position and for me, they would be Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya. Venkatesh Iyer may have a chance if Pandya isn't fit -- that can also happen but hopefully it doesn't,” said Aakash.

Hardik Pandya has been out of action since the 2021 T20 World Cup, held in the UAE. Since then, the 28-year-old all-rounder is out of contention and is striving hard to regain full fitness to reclaim the all-rounder's slot in Team India setup across formats.

Hardik Pandya has been out of action since the 2021 T20 World Cup, held in the UAE. Since then, the 28-year-old all-rounder is out of contention and is striving hard to regain full fitness to reclaim the all-rounder's slot in Team India setup across formats. Hardik will next be seen in action during the forthcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 edition, where he will represent the Gujarat Titans (GT). The swashbuckling all-rounder will represent his home franchise as the captain. Along with showcasing his skills as captain, Hardik will be eager to don the all-rounder's role and perform with aplomb for a comeback into the national side. For now, he was been replaced by Venkatesh Iyer in the white-ball formats. Iyer has also grown as a T20I player over the past month and is doing the right things so far to make it to the 2022 T20 WC squad. Nonetheless, former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra feels Hardik still has the upper hand and will pip Venky Iyer for the fast-bowling all-rounder's slot, for the T20 WC, once he starts bowling and regains full fitness. ALSO READ | Big blow to MS Dhoni's CSK as Deepak Chahar set to miss majority of IPL 2022 edition - Reports “It may look like Venkatesh Iyer is ahead in the race, but I won't be surprised if Hardik Pandya wins it. Ravindra Jadeja will be the spin all-rounder and Pandya will be the fast-bowling all-rounder,” Aakash said on his official YouTube channel. “Iyer is present for now but the day Hardik starts bowling, he will pip Venkatesh Iyer for the role. It is also worth remembering that it is not a bilateral series where you can take 18-20 players at once according to your convenience. This is an ICC event where you can select only a 15-member squad," the ex-cricketer pointed out. ALSO READ | ICC T20I Rankings: Shreyas Iyer achieves huge jump after SL series; Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma out of top 10 The former India batter further stated that the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) opener Venky Iyer will only have an outside chance if Hardik doesn't regain full fitness. “So, when you only have 15 places, you cannot take everything with you. So, you will only have two options for the all-rounder position and for me, they would be Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya. Venkatesh Iyer may have a chance if Pandya isn't fit -- that can also happen but hopefully it doesn't,” said Aakash.

The day Hardik starts bowling, he'll pip Iyer for the all-rounder's slot for T20 World Cup: Aakash Chopra

It wasn't quite a smooth transition in Indian cricket when Virat Kohli-Ravi Shastri-era came to an end, slowly making&nbsp;way for the Rohit Sharma-Rahul Dravid's alliance. When Kohli resigned as the T20I captain and Rohit was named his successor, the Indian cricket fans were in for a rollercoaster ride as many changed followed suit.&nbsp;

In late 2021, BCCI removed Kohli as the ODI captain, making Rohit the&nbsp;white-ball skipper. While it opened a pandora of box -- with the Kohli vs BCCI row gaining much limelight -- the dust seems to have settled down on the&nbsp;communication mishap between BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly-selection committee and the former captain. The changes in the leadership group, however, continued&nbsp;as Kohli also resigned as the Test captain in mid-January 2022.&nbsp;

At present, Rohit has&nbsp;become&nbsp;the all-format skipper with Dravid being in his shadow as the head coach. Amid the unnecessary chaos and negativity, India have been on a roll at home with a forgettable&nbsp;South Africa tour the only blip in between. However, things are now slowly starting to shape up and falling into places within the national team.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/he-would-give-me-important-overs-jasprit-bumrah-reveals-how-rohit-sharma-helped-in-his-growth-456807">He would give me important overs: Jasprit Bumrah reveals how Rohit Sharma helped in his growth</a>

After their SA annihilation, Team India has been on a roll -- although in home conditions. Rohit-led India whitewashed West Indies in the home white-ball series and the hosts have already gained an unassailable lead in the ongoing three T20Is versus Sri Lanka.&nbsp;

With the SL series also in their grasp, Rohit-Dravid is yet to lose an international game as&nbsp;captain-coach. In fact, India are currently enjoying their longest unbeaten streak in the shortest format&nbsp;(11).&nbsp;

Thus, what is the duo doing right despite much chaos in their brief partnership? (If&nbsp;the BCCI vs Kohli row is now on the backburner, out-of-favour Wriddiman Saha's revelations on his communication with Dravid, Ganguly, etc. have also made a lot of noise)&nbsp;

Role clarity, focus on flexibility and plugging small holes

In the recent past, Rohit-Dravid have spoken a lot on giving bio-bubble breaks to the players (currently enjoyed by&nbsp;Kohli, Md Shami, Rishabh Pant),&nbsp;role clarity and redeveloping a proper communication process&nbsp;(It is to be noted that despite the success enjoyed by Shastri-Kohli, their partnership highlighted communication gap between players and team management on several occasions:&nbsp;during M Vijay, Ambati Rayudu, Ajinkya Rahane's respective omissions, etc.).&nbsp;

Backing even a non-regular like Sanju Samson

Ahead of the SL T20Is, captain Rohit talked about being the team's plans of being flexible by relentlessly backing even their non-regular players&nbsp;ahead of&nbsp;the 2022 T20 World Cup. Rohit opined on Sanju Samson and told the reporters, "That guy has got talent, man. Whenever I have seen him bat in IPL and all of that, he has just produced an innings where everyone goes over the moon watching it. So he has got the skill set to succeed. That is the whole point about the sport. A lot of people have skill set, lot of people have talent but how you utilise them is the most critical par."

"His back-foot play is superb, some of the shots you must have seen during the IPL, the pick-up pull, the cut shots, standing and delivering over bowler’s head. Those kinds of shots are not easy to play and I believe when we go to Australia, you need those kind of shot-making ability and Samson does has it in him. I just hope that he utilises his potential to the maximum,” added Rohit.

(Sanju repaid the faith with a blistering 25-ball 39 in the second and penultimate encounter versus the Islanders).

Dropped but no way out of reckoning...

With Shreyas Iyer not making it to the playing XI in India's 1st T20I versus West Indies, Rohit made it clear that the batter remains a vital cog in the setup. "Someone like Shreyas Iyer&nbsp;is sitting out, very hard on him not making it to playing eleven, but we needed someone to bowl in the middle which is why we couldn't get him in. It's always nice with that kind of competition going around and a lot of the guys are missing out as well. I'm happy to have that kind of challenges rather than not having players available and not in form," he had told at the post-match presentation.

(Iyer is in rollicking form&nbsp;with two electrifying half-centuries&nbsp;in the SL T20Is).

Dravid on Saha's omission&nbsp;

Dravid welcomed the big question on Saha's Test omission -- without losing his cool&nbsp;-- and told the reporters after the WI T20Is, "I’m actually not hurt at all, because I have deep respect for Wridhhiman Saha and his achievements, his contribution to Indian cricket. My conversation with him actually came from that place. I think he deserved honesty and he deserved clarity. These are conversations I constantly have with players. I don’t expect players to always like messages or to agree with everything that I have to say about them. That’s not how it works."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/theyre-taking-team-india-in-a-fabulous-direction-dinesh-karthik-lauds-rahul-dravid-rohit-sharma-456046">They're taking Team India in a fabulous direction: Dinesh Karthik lauds Rahul Dravid-Rohit Sharma</a>

Thus, the team is now slowly plugging the gaps which were previously present in the Indian team, under Kohli-Shastri.&nbsp;

Highlighting the same, Dinesh Karthik recently&nbsp;told the ICC, "The new captain and there's a new coach, I think they are taking the team in a fabulous direction. They've plugged small holes, which were probably there previously, and that has been the beautiful part about it. And along the way, in the journey, they've managed to become No.1."

Time and again, Rohit-Dravid have not shied away from stressing that&nbsp;they are preparing the team for the 2022 T20 WC, albeit with some tinkering in team combination and roles&nbsp;(In the previous captain-coach pairing,&nbsp;one eye was on the future but never openly declared in public; showcasing a rather confused mindset).

The current Indian team is slowly picking the lying pieces and moving ahead. The Men in Blue are trying to experiment with their template (which resulted in their first-round exit in the 2021 T20 WC), trying to balance out between youth and experienced campaigners,&nbsp;identifying new leaders, tinkering roles of different individuals to not increase their options but&nbsp;to broaden the horizons of the resources available.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/they-were-standing-there-for-me-ishan-kishan-credits-rohit-dravid-for-backing-him-despite-poor-form-456502">They were standing there for me: Ishan Kishan credits Rohit, Dravid for backing him despite poor form</a>

After the WI home series, coach Dravid confirmed that the team management 'don't want to cast their net too wide'; to avoid confusion and irregularity in team selection.&nbsp;"There is no set time frame to freeze on a team. We don’t want to cast our net too wide but we also don’t want to just restrict ourselves to 15 players. By the time we get to the [T20] World Cup, we need to have a bunch of guys who have at least played 10-20 games," the former captain stated.

Surely, Dravid-Rohit pairing is off to a flier. The real test is still miles away but they are not backing out from&nbsp;acknowledging&nbsp;the past mistakes and are boldly&nbsp;setting up new ways going forward.&nbsp;Sit back and relax guys...The road will clearly have more hurdles and speed-breakers but the Rohit-Dravid&nbsp;looks more suited to handle it all with a pragmatic and practical approach.

It wasn't quite a smooth transition in Indian cricket when Virat Kohli-Ravi Shastri-era came to an end, slowly making way for the Rohit Sharma-Rahul Dravid's alliance.

It wasn't quite a smooth transition in Indian cricket when Virat Kohli-Ravi Shastri-era came to an end, slowly making way for the Rohit Sharma-Rahul Dravid's alliance. When Kohli resigned as the T20I captain and Rohit was named his successor, the Indian cricket fans were in for a rollercoaster ride as many changed followed suit. In late 2021, BCCI removed Kohli as the ODI captain, making Rohit the white-ball skipper. While it opened a pandora of box -- with the Kohli vs BCCI row gaining much limelight -- the dust seems to have settled down on the communication mishap between BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly-selection committee and the former captain. The changes in the leadership group, however, continued as Kohli also resigned as the Test captain in mid-January 2022. At present, Rohit has become the all-format skipper with Dravid being in his shadow as the head coach. Amid the unnecessary chaos and negativity, India have been on a roll at home with a forgettable South Africa tour the only blip in between. However, things are now slowly starting to shape up and falling into places within the national team. ALSO READ | He would give me important overs: Jasprit Bumrah reveals how Rohit Sharma helped in his growth After their SA annihilation, Team India has been on a roll -- although in home conditions. Rohit-led India whitewashed West Indies in the home white-ball series and the hosts have already gained an unassailable lead in the ongoing three T20Is versus Sri Lanka. With the SL series also in their grasp, Rohit-Dravid is yet to lose an international game as captain-coach. In fact, India are currently enjoying their longest unbeaten streak in the shortest format (11). Thus, what is the duo doing right despite much chaos in their brief partnership? (If the BCCI vs Kohli row is now on the backburner, out-of-favour Wriddiman Saha's revelations on his communication with Dravid, Ganguly, etc. have also made a lot of noise) Role clarity, focus on flexibility and plugging small holes In the recent past, Rohit-Dravid have spoken a lot on giving bio-bubble breaks to the players (currently enjoyed by Kohli, Md Shami, Rishabh Pant), role clarity and redeveloping a proper communication process (It is to be noted that despite the success enjoyed by Shastri-Kohli, their partnership highlighted communication gap between players and team management on several occasions: during M Vijay, Ambati Rayudu, Ajinkya Rahane's respective omissions, etc.). Backing even a non-regular like Sanju Samson Ahead of the SL T20Is, captain Rohit talked about being the team's plans of being flexible by relentlessly backing even their non-regular players ahead of the 2022 T20 World Cup. Rohit opined on Sanju Samson and told the reporters, "That guy has got talent, man. Whenever I have seen him bat in IPL and all of that, he has just produced an innings where everyone goes over the moon watching it. So he has got the skill set to succeed. That is the whole point about the sport. A lot of people have skill set, lot of people have talent but how you utilise them is the most critical par." "His back-foot play is superb, some of the shots you must have seen during the IPL, the pick-up pull, the cut shots, standing and delivering over bowler’s head. Those kinds of shots are not easy to play and I believe when we go to Australia, you need those kind of shot-making ability and Samson does has it in him. I just hope that he utilises his potential to the maximum,” added Rohit. (Sanju repaid the faith with a blistering 25-ball 39 in the second and penultimate encounter versus the Islanders). Dropped but no way out of reckoning... With Shreyas Iyer not making it to the playing XI in India's 1st T20I versus West Indies, Rohit made it clear that the batter remains a vital cog in the setup. "Someone like Shreyas Iyer is sitting out, very hard on him not making it to playing eleven, but we needed someone to bowl in the middle which is why we couldn't get him in. It's always nice with that kind of competition going around and a lot of the guys are missing out as well. I'm happy to have that kind of challenges rather than not having players available and not in form," he had told at the post-match presentation. (Iyer is in rollicking form with two electrifying half-centuries in the SL T20Is). Dravid on Saha's omission Dravid welcomed the big question on Saha's Test omission -- without losing his cool -- and told the reporters after the WI T20Is, "I’m actually not hurt at all, because I have deep respect for Wridhhiman Saha and his achievements, his contribution to Indian cricket. My conversation with him actually came from that place. I think he deserved honesty and he deserved clarity. These are conversations I constantly have with players. I don’t expect players to always like messages or to agree with everything that I have to say about them. That’s not how it works." ALSO READ | They're taking Team India in a fabulous direction: Dinesh Karthik lauds Rahul Dravid-Rohit Sharma Thus, the team is now slowly plugging the gaps which were previously present in the Indian team, under Kohli-Shastri. Highlighting the same, Dinesh Karthik recently told the ICC, "The new captain and there's a new coach, I think they are taking the team in a fabulous direction. They've plugged small holes, which were probably there previously, and that has been the beautiful part about it. And along the way, in the journey, they've managed to become No.1." Time and again, Rohit-Dravid have not shied away from stressing that they are preparing the team for the 2022 T20 WC, albeit with some tinkering in team combination and roles (In the previous captain-coach pairing, one eye was on the future but never openly declared in public; showcasing a rather confused mindset). The current Indian team is slowly picking the lying pieces and moving ahead. The Men in Blue are trying to experiment with their template (which resulted in their first-round exit in the 2021 T20 WC), trying to balance out between youth and experienced campaigners, identifying new leaders, tinkering roles of different individuals to not increase their options but to broaden the horizons of the resources available. ALSO READ | They were standing there for me: Ishan Kishan credits Rohit, Dravid for backing him despite poor form After the WI home series, coach Dravid confirmed that the team management 'don't want to cast their net too wide'; to avoid confusion and irregularity in team selection. "There is no set time frame to freeze on a team. We don’t want to cast our net too wide but we also don’t want to just restrict ourselves to 15 players. By the time we get to the [T20] World Cup, we need to have a bunch of guys who have at least played 10-20 games," the former captain stated. Surely, Dravid-Rohit pairing is off to a flier. The real test is still miles away but they are not backing out from acknowledging the past mistakes and are boldly setting up new ways going forward. Sit back and relax guys...The road will clearly have more hurdles and speed-breakers but the Rohit-Dravid looks more suited to handle it all with a pragmatic and practical approach.

Rohit Sharma-Rahul Dravid partnership: A promising alliance focused on role clarity & plugging small holes

India's pace attack had undergone a massive transformation in Tests under Virat Kohli a &nbsp;few years ago and there has been no looking back ever since. India ave always craved for away for all kinds of pacers but have lacked serious quality in the fast-bowling department. However, the days of misery are long behind as the Men in Blue now boast of some brilliant fast bowling depth across all formats of the game.

From a tearaway pacer in Jasprit Bumrah to the likes of Deepak Chahar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar,&nbsp;who can swing the ball from the word go, India have both quality and versatility in their pace department. The rise of the likes of Mohammed Siraj, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan and Prasidh Krishna is only going to make India's pace attack more deadly in the days to come.

After a disappointing show at the T20 World Cup 2021 last year, where the Indian pacers struggled massively in picking regular wickets against quality&nbsp;opposition, India have added some fresh faces to their pace arsenal, which has been firing all cylinders in limited-overs cricket.

While Bumrah has remained the spearhead with his remarkable consistency and ability to nail yorkers at will, Bhuvneshwar seems to have found his mojo back after enduring a rough patch in his international career. However, it is the new blood in the Indian team's pace department which looks set to make India a formidable bowling unit when they travel to Australian shores for the T20 World Cup next year.

Harshal Patel&nbsp;

Harshal Patel's rise has been nothing short of a fairy tale. A tall seamer with a brilliant outswinger, Harshal's entry into the Indian team came after his remarkable campaign in IPL 2021 where he finished as the highest wicket-taker. While his confidence has shot up, he has matured into a fearless bowler and has been effective in the death as well as with the new ball.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/two-bullet-shells-recovered-from-bus-ferrying-sri-lankan-cricket-team-chandigarh-police-to-investigate-457153">Two bullet shells recovered from bus ferrying Sri Lankan cricket team, Chandigarh police to investigate</a>

Deepak Chahar

A powerplay bank in a&nbsp;true sense, Deepak Chahar's value in the current Indian team can never be undermined. He might have missed out on making the cut for the T20 World Cup last year bit might be one of the first names in the squad if fit this year. Chahar's ability to swing the ball from the word go and provide crucial breakthroughs in the powerplay make him a valuable asset. He can also be very handy with the bat lower down the order.

Mohammed Siraj

Mohammed Siraj was once considered an outcast at Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and there were serious questions over his quality. In the last couple of years, the right-arm pacer has answered his critics and shut them down permanently with some memorable performances across all formats. He can swing the ball into a right-hander and has also got a great bounce up his sleeves. However, what makes Siraj stand out is his ability to bowl tirelessly and not let his pace drop throughout.

Prasidh Krishna

Another right-arm pacer, who has been around the corner for a while now. Prasidh Krishna was an unknown entity when Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) gave him a chance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and he has since developed into a world-beater. Krishna can nail yorkers and hit the lengths consistently while bowling at an impressive pace. He also has the ability to bowl bouncers at will and is all set to be groomed further.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rohit-sharma-achieves-new-milestone-as-captain-after-india-hammer-sri-lanka-in-2nd-t20i-457071">Rohit Sharma achieves new milestone as captain after India hammer Sri Lanka in 2nd T20I</a>

Avesh Khan&nbsp;

Avesh Khan is a versatile pacer, who can move the ball new ball in and away from the batter. He can also bowl brilliant yorkers and has good pace. In IPL 2021, Avesh proved why he can be one for the future with sensational performances throughout the season. While he was on the money with the new ball, Avesh also bowled exceptionally well in the death overs. He recently made his India debut and looks set to be included in the team's plans for the T20 World Cup 2022.

India's pace attack had undergone a massive transformation in Tests under Virat Kohli a few years ago and there has been no looking back ever since. India ave always craved for away for all kinds of pacers but have lacked serious quality in the fast-bowling department.

India's pace attack had undergone a massive transformation in Tests under Virat Kohli a few years ago and there has been no looking back ever since. India ave always craved for away for all kinds of pacers but have lacked serious quality in the fast-bowling department. However, the days of misery are long behind as the Men in Blue now boast of some brilliant fast bowling depth across all formats of the game. From a tearaway pacer in Jasprit Bumrah to the likes of Deepak Chahar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who can swing the ball from the word go, India have both quality and versatility in their pace department. The rise of the likes of Mohammed Siraj, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan and Prasidh Krishna is only going to make India's pace attack more deadly in the days to come. After a disappointing show at the T20 World Cup 2021 last year, where the Indian pacers struggled massively in picking regular wickets against quality opposition, India have added some fresh faces to their pace arsenal, which has been firing all cylinders in limited-overs cricket. While Bumrah has remained the spearhead with his remarkable consistency and ability to nail yorkers at will, Bhuvneshwar seems to have found his mojo back after enduring a rough patch in his international career. However, it is the new blood in the Indian team's pace department which looks set to make India a formidable bowling unit when they travel to Australian shores for the T20 World Cup next year. Harshal Patel Harshal Patel's rise has been nothing short of a fairy tale. A tall seamer with a brilliant outswinger, Harshal's entry into the Indian team came after his remarkable campaign in IPL 2021 where he finished as the highest wicket-taker. While his confidence has shot up, he has matured into a fearless bowler and has been effective in the death as well as with the new ball. Also Read: Two bullet shells recovered from bus ferrying Sri Lankan cricket team, Chandigarh police to investigate Deepak Chahar A powerplay bank in a true sense, Deepak Chahar's value in the current Indian team can never be undermined. He might have missed out on making the cut for the T20 World Cup last year bit might be one of the first names in the squad if fit this year. Chahar's ability to swing the ball from the word go and provide crucial breakthroughs in the powerplay make him a valuable asset. He can also be very handy with the bat lower down the order. Mohammed Siraj Mohammed Siraj was once considered an outcast at Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and there were serious questions over his quality. In the last couple of years, the right-arm pacer has answered his critics and shut them down permanently with some memorable performances across all formats. He can swing the ball into a right-hander and has also got a great bounce up his sleeves. However, what makes Siraj stand out is his ability to bowl tirelessly and not let his pace drop throughout. Prasidh Krishna Another right-arm pacer, who has been around the corner for a while now. Prasidh Krishna was an unknown entity when Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) gave him a chance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and he has since developed into a world-beater. Krishna can nail yorkers and hit the lengths consistently while bowling at an impressive pace. He also has the ability to bowl bouncers at will and is all set to be groomed further. Also Read: Rohit Sharma achieves new milestone as captain after India hammer Sri Lanka in 2nd T20I Avesh Khan Avesh Khan is a versatile pacer, who can move the ball new ball in and away from the batter. He can also bowl brilliant yorkers and has good pace. In IPL 2021, Avesh proved why he can be one for the future with sensational performances throughout the season. While he was on the money with the new ball, Avesh also bowled exceptionally well in the death overs. He recently made his India debut and looks set to be included in the team's plans for the T20 World Cup 2022.

With Siraj, Harshal and Avesh in the mix, India's pace attack shaping up well for T20 World Cup 2022

Team India have an action-packed calendar before the T20 World Cup, which is set to be held in Australia later this year. Before the national side gears up to face Sri Lanka in the three T20Is at home, as per a report, BCCI is planning to field more teams parallelly as more bilateral series have been added to Rohit Sharma-led India's schedule prior to the showpiece event Down Under.

After India host Sri Lanka in three T20Is and two Tests, the Indian players will take part in IPL 2022, which will be followed by five home T20Is versus South Africa, a one-off T20I versus hosts Ireland and fifth and final Test (from the incomplete 2021 series) against England, in the United Kingdom. India will then reportedly travel to West Indies and Zimbabwe. The Asia Cup will also take place during the same time, hence, the Indian cricket board might field two teams simultaneously; with a second-stringed team playing against Ireland and Zimbabwe.&nbsp;

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"The discussions on bio-bubble breaks have already started. Every player has been communicated about the busy itinerary. They have been given time to think about when they would like to take a break. It's likely a depleted side will travel to Zimbabwe. Ideally, the Asia Cup will be the right tournament to play the first team, in order to get combinations right before the T20 World Cup," a BCCI official was quoted as saying by TOI.

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During the last calendar year, Indian team had also played two sides parallelly when Virat Kohli's Test side were in England whereas Shikhar Dhawan-led Men in Blue travelled to Sri Lanka for a white-ball series, during mid-July 2021. Before that, India had fielded two teams&nbsp;at the same time during 1998 as well -- with one participating in the Commonwealth Games and the other in the Sahara Cup.

Team India have an action-packed calendar before the T20 World Cup, which is set to be held in Australia later this year. Before the national side gears up to face Sri Lanka in the three T20Is at home, as per a report, BCCI is planning to field more teams parallelly as more bilateral series have been added to Rohit Sharma-led India's schedule prior to the showpiece event Down Under.

Team India have an action-packed calendar before the T20 World Cup, which is set to be held in Australia later this year. Before the national side gears up to face Sri Lanka in the three T20Is at home, as per a report, BCCI is planning to field more teams parallelly as more bilateral series have been added to Rohit Sharma-led India's schedule prior to the showpiece event Down Under. After India host Sri Lanka in three T20Is and two Tests, the Indian players will take part in IPL 2022, which will be followed by five home T20Is versus South Africa, a one-off T20I versus hosts Ireland and fifth and final Test (from the incomplete 2021 series) against England, in the United Kingdom. India will then reportedly travel to West Indies and Zimbabwe. The Asia Cup will also take place during the same time, hence, the Indian cricket board might field two teams simultaneously; with a second-stringed team playing against Ireland and Zimbabwe. ALSO READ | He hasn't apologised or got in touch with me: Wriddhiman Saha on journalist who threatened him "The discussions on bio-bubble breaks have already started. Every player has been communicated about the busy itinerary. They have been given time to think about when they would like to take a break. It's likely a depleted side will travel to Zimbabwe. Ideally, the Asia Cup will be the right tournament to play the first team, in order to get combinations right before the T20 World Cup," a BCCI official was quoted as saying by TOI. ALSO READ | He's making a case for inclusion for T20 World Cup: Sunil Gavaskar impressed with India's star batter During the last calendar year, Indian team had also played two sides parallelly when Virat Kohli's Test side were in England whereas Shikhar Dhawan-led Men in Blue travelled to Sri Lanka for a white-ball series, during mid-July 2021. Before that, India had fielded two teams at the same time during 1998 as well -- with one participating in the Commonwealth Games and the other in the Sahara Cup.

BCCI planning to field two teams simultaneously as India to play more bilaterals before T20 WC: Report

India demolished West Indies in the three T20Is&nbsp;at home. Taking an unassailable lead heading into the final encounter, Rohit Sharma-led Indian team were asked to bat first in the&nbsp;final T20I. After being at a tricky position, at 61-3, the Men in Blue posted a daunting 184-5 courtesy of an impressive 91-run fifth-wicket stand between Suryakumar Yadav and Venkatesh Iyer.

Both SKY and Iyer came together with the score reading 93-4 in 13.5 overs. The duo's stand flourished as the rest of the innings progressed with their strokeplay, taking India to a competitive score. In reply, Nicholas Pooran's 61 and cameos from Romario Shepherd and Rovman Powell weren't enough for Kieron Pollard's West Indies; losing by 17 runs.

Following the series, SKY's stature continues to rise in Indian cricket. He has fulfilled various roles -- coming out to bat at different positions -- and looks pretty much in contention for the T20 World Cup squad, as per Little Master Sunil Gavaskar.

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Gavaskar told Star Sports, "I think he is pretty much making a case for inclusion (T20 World Cup team). In the first match, he and Venkatesh combined to take India home just when things were looking a bit difficult. Today as well. To bat like that when 4 wickets already fell that truly shows the sign that the team is making the right progress. Perfection is impossible. But to have guys who can raise their hand and step up when things are not going their way...don't forget, he is still a newcomer. So it is not like he is playing international cricket for a long time. Venkatesh too came in only a couple of months back."&nbsp;

“He can play at No.3 and help build an innings. Like what we saw in the first game and today the way he can finish it, he is an innings builder and also a finisher. What a great combination," pointed out the former opener.

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SKY ended the series with scores of 34* (18) -- striking at 188.89 -- 8 (6)&nbsp;and 65 (31). Thus, he was adjudged&nbsp;the Player-of-the-Match as well as the Player-of-the-Series (he was also the highest run-getter in the ODI leg). At the post-match presentation after the T20Is, SKY said, "Just wanted to replicate what I did in the first game. Needed someone to stay there after Rohit got out and get the team to a defendable total. We had a long chat in the team meeting as to how we are going to react under immense pressure and it came out very well. I just try to keep things simple. Being a little harsh on yourself in the nets, don't hit every ball wildly and have some quality sessions. Excited for the next series."

India demolished West Indies in the three T20Is at home. Taking an unassailable lead heading into the final encounter, Rohit Sharma-led Indian team were asked to bat first in the final T20I.

India demolished West Indies in the three T20Is at home. Taking an unassailable lead heading into the final encounter, Rohit Sharma-led Indian team were asked to bat first in the final T20I. After being at a tricky position, at 61-3, the Men in Blue posted a daunting 184-5 courtesy of an impressive 91-run fifth-wicket stand between Suryakumar Yadav and Venkatesh Iyer. Both SKY and Iyer came together with the score reading 93-4 in 13.5 overs. The duo's stand flourished as the rest of the innings progressed with their strokeplay, taking India to a competitive score. In reply, Nicholas Pooran's 61 and cameos from Romario Shepherd and Rovman Powell weren't enough for Kieron Pollard's West Indies; losing by 17 runs. Following the series, SKY's stature continues to rise in Indian cricket. He has fulfilled various roles -- coming out to bat at different positions -- and looks pretty much in contention for the T20 World Cup squad, as per Little Master Sunil Gavaskar. ALSO READ | Going to be a big challenge: Dinesh Karthik points out where captain Rohit Sharma will be tested Gavaskar told Star Sports, "I think he is pretty much making a case for inclusion (T20 World Cup team). In the first match, he and Venkatesh combined to take India home just when things were looking a bit difficult. Today as well. To bat like that when 4 wickets already fell that truly shows the sign that the team is making the right progress. Perfection is impossible. But to have guys who can raise their hand and step up when things are not going their way...don't forget, he is still a newcomer. So it is not like he is playing international cricket for a long time. Venkatesh too came in only a couple of months back." “He can play at No.3 and help build an innings. Like what we saw in the first game and today the way he can finish it, he is an innings builder and also a finisher. What a great combination," pointed out the former opener. ALSO READ | Today, there is another opportunity: Venkatesh Iyer reveals motivating words from 'likeable' Suryakumar Yadav SKY ended the series with scores of 34* (18) -- striking at 188.89 -- 8 (6) and 65 (31). Thus, he was adjudged the Player-of-the-Match as well as the Player-of-the-Series (he was also the highest run-getter in the ODI leg). At the post-match presentation after the T20Is, SKY said, "Just wanted to replicate what I did in the first game. Needed someone to stay there after Rohit got out and get the team to a defendable total. We had a long chat in the team meeting as to how we are going to react under immense pressure and it came out very well. I just try to keep things simple. Being a little harsh on yourself in the nets, don't hit every ball wildly and have some quality sessions. Excited for the next series."

He's making a case for inclusion for T20 World Cup: Sunil Gavaskar impressed with India's star batter

Rohit Sharma's Team India beat West Indies by 17 runs to win the third and final T20I and inflict a whitewash over the hapless visitors. On Sunday evening (February 20), Rohit-led Indian team posted a daunting 184-5 and defended the score by 17 runs, despite Nicholas Pooran's 61 and cameos from Rovman Powell and Romario Shepherd.&nbsp;

Speaking after Team India's 3-0 victory against the Windies in the press conference, head coach Rahul Dravid lavished huge praise on the national team. He further indicated that the team management already have a fair idea of the team combination for the 2022 T20 World Cup, in Australia. He said, "I think we have got a fair idea between Rohit and myself and the selectors and the management.&nbsp;I don’t think there’s a set formula to it. But we’re pretty clear about the balance and the combination (for the T20 World Cup)…We are just structuring a little bit of the team around it and also balancing individual workloads as well."

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He added, "We have got a pretty fair idea of the kind of skills we’re looking for in Australia, with the kind of guys who are in running. Not everything is set in stone but we want to give everyone a fair chance to stake their claim for those spots."

"You don’t want to cast your net too wide. We don’t also want to restrict ourselves to just 15 players. We want to give players opportunities, ensure that by the time we get to the World Cup, some of our guys have played at least 10-15-20 games. It gives Rohit a chance to play them, bowl them in positions that he wants to, but he also has to be balanced with the fact that we need to have a few back-ups of people in case of an injury," the coach further explained.

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After a disastrous campaign in the 2021 T20 World Cup, Dravid-Rohit's Team India have revamped in style and are going strong following the last year's mega event. Since India's T20 WC defeats versus Pakistan and New Zealand, respectively, they have a nine-match winning streak in the format and are yet to concede a game in the Dravid-Rohit era.&nbsp;

India will now lock horns with Sri Lanka in three T20Is, at home, before the action shifts to two Tests.

Rohit Sharma's Team India beat West Indies by 17 runs to win the third and final T20I and inflict a whitewash over the hapless visitors. On Sunday evening (February 20), Rohit-led Indian team posted a daunting 184-5 and defended the score by 17 runs, despite Nicholas Pooran's 61 and cameos from Rovman Powell and Romario Shepherd.

Rohit Sharma's Team India beat West Indies by 17 runs to win the third and final T20I and inflict a whitewash over the hapless visitors. On Sunday evening (February 20), Rohit-led Indian team posted a daunting 184-5 and defended the score by 17 runs, despite Nicholas Pooran's 61 and cameos from Rovman Powell and Romario Shepherd. Speaking after Team India's 3-0 victory against the Windies in the press conference, head coach Rahul Dravid lavished huge praise on the national team. He further indicated that the team management already have a fair idea of the team combination for the 2022 T20 World Cup, in Australia. He said, "I think we have got a fair idea between Rohit and myself and the selectors and the management. I don’t think there’s a set formula to it. But we’re pretty clear about the balance and the combination (for the T20 World Cup)…We are just structuring a little bit of the team around it and also balancing individual workloads as well." ALSO READ | Today, there is another opportunity: Venkatesh Iyer reveals motivating words from 'likeable' Suryakumar Yadav He added, "We have got a pretty fair idea of the kind of skills we’re looking for in Australia, with the kind of guys who are in running. Not everything is set in stone but we want to give everyone a fair chance to stake their claim for those spots." "You don’t want to cast your net too wide. We don’t also want to restrict ourselves to just 15 players. We want to give players opportunities, ensure that by the time we get to the World Cup, some of our guys have played at least 10-15-20 games. It gives Rohit a chance to play them, bowl them in positions that he wants to, but he also has to be balanced with the fact that we need to have a few back-ups of people in case of an injury," the coach further explained. ALSO READ | Rohit Sharma creates new captaincy record as India complete 3-0 whitewash aganst West Indies in T20Is After a disastrous campaign in the 2021 T20 World Cup, Dravid-Rohit's Team India have revamped in style and are going strong following the last year's mega event. Since India's T20 WC defeats versus Pakistan and New Zealand, respectively, they have a nine-match winning streak in the format and are yet to concede a game in the Dravid-Rohit era. India will now lock horns with Sri Lanka in three T20Is, at home, before the action shifts to two Tests.

Have a fair idea of team combination for T20 World Cup, says Rahul Dravid after WI series

India and Pakistan's senior men's cricket team is set to meet each other in the 2022 T20 World Cup, to be held in Australia later this year. The Rohit Sharma-led Indian team and Babar Azam's Pakistan are once again placed in the same group (as was the case in the 2021 edition), i.e. Pool 2, and are set to lock horns with each other at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (MCG) on October 23.

Ahead of the Indo-Pak clash, which has already generated a lot of excitement and buzz among the ardent cricket fans, the tickets for the marquee encounter has already been 'exhausted'.&nbsp;

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Announcing the opening of the&nbsp;ticket sales, an ICC release said, "Tickets may still be available through the Official Hospitality and ICC Travel and Tours Programmes. Alternatively, you can join the Waitlist for this match and receive email updates with details of any ticket releases for a specific match."

For the unversed, the match tickets went on sale at 6:30am IST on Monday (February 7). By 11:30 am, a statement on the&nbsp;ICC website read, 'public ticket allocation' for India Vs Pakistan has been exhausted.'

Thus, the buzz for the India-Pakistan clash remains at an all-time high as the tickets have already been sold out; more than eight months in advance.

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Talking about the last two both sides met in the T20 WC, in the last year's edition, Virat Kohli-led India's unbeaten run&nbsp;versus the Men in Green&nbsp;in World Cup history came to an end. India's famed batting line-up was restricted for a moderate 151-7 after being asked to bat first at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on October 24.&nbsp;

In reply, Babar-led Pakistan finished the run-chase with ten wickets and 13 balls to spare.

India and Pakistan's senior men's cricket team is set to meet each other in the 2022 T20 World Cup, to be held in Australia later this year. The Rohit Sharma-led Indian team and Babar Azam's Pakistan are once again placed in the same group (as was the case in the 2021 edition), i.

India and Pakistan's senior men's cricket team is set to meet each other in the 2022 T20 World Cup, to be held in Australia later this year. The Rohit Sharma-led Indian team and Babar Azam's Pakistan are once again placed in the same group (as was the case in the 2021 edition), i.e. Pool 2, and are set to lock horns with each other at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (MCG) on October 23. Ahead of the Indo-Pak clash, which has already generated a lot of excitement and buzz among the ardent cricket fans, the tickets for the marquee encounter has already been 'exhausted'. ALSO READ | ICC reveals full schedule for 2022 T20 World Cup, Rohit Sharma's Team India to begin campaign vs Pakistan Announcing the opening of the ticket sales, an ICC release said, "Tickets may still be available through the Official Hospitality and ICC Travel and Tours Programmes. Alternatively, you can join the Waitlist for this match and receive email updates with details of any ticket releases for a specific match." For the unversed, the match tickets went on sale at 6:30am IST on Monday (February 7). By 11:30 am, a statement on the ICC website read, 'public ticket allocation' for India Vs Pakistan has been exhausted.' Thus, the buzz for the India-Pakistan clash remains at an all-time high as the tickets have already been sold out; more than eight months in advance. ALSO READ | 'He's their batting's backbone': Shaheen Afridi lauds Virat Kohli, reflects on magical T20 WC spell vs India Talking about the last two both sides met in the T20 WC, in the last year's edition, Virat Kohli-led India's unbeaten run versus the Men in Green in World Cup history came to an end. India's famed batting line-up was restricted for a moderate 151-7 after being asked to bat first at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on October 24. In reply, Babar-led Pakistan finished the run-chase with ten wickets and 13 balls to spare.

T20 World Cup 2022: Tickets for India-Pakistan clash, at the MCG, SOLD OUT in a flash

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar feels Babar Azam-led Men in Green will be able to beat Team India in this year's Men's T20 World Cup, set to be held in Australia. On January 21, the International Cricket Council (ICC) revealed the full schedule for the mega event, which will begin on October 16 with the main draw commencing on October 22.

In the main draw of the showpiece event, India and Pakistan are once again placed in the same group (i.e. Pool 2). The two sides will face each other in their respective tournament-openers, on October 23, at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Melbourne. After Men in Green defeated Virat Kohli-led India in the 2021 T20 WC, in Dubai, Akhtar feels Babar &amp; Co. will be able to make it two World Cup wins in a row over their arch-rivals.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/icc-reveals-full-schedule-for-2022-t20-world-cup-rohit-sharmas-team-india-to-begin-campaign-vs-pakistan-446363">ICC reveals full schedule for 2022 T20 World Cup, Rohit Sharma's Team India to begin campaign vs Pakistan</a>

"We will beat India again in Melbourne. Pakistan is a better side than India in T20 cricket. It's the Indian media that make unnecessary pressure on their team whenever we have the clash of both countries in cricket, it's normal for India to lose," Akhtar told news agency&nbsp;ANI.&nbsp;

During the 2021 T20 WC, Babar-led Pakistan hammered India by 10 wickets to win their first-ever game versus their neighbours in World Cup history. Opting to bowl first, Shaheen Afridi's three-fer had restricted India to 151-7. In reply, fifties from both Babar and Md Rizwan ensured a massive win for Team Pakistan.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rahul-dravid-has-a-big-task-ahead-has-to-prove-he-is-not-an-overrated-coach-shoaib-akhtar-446926">Rahul Dravid has a big task ahead, has to prove he is not an overrated coach: Shoaib Akhtar</a>

Talking about India, Pakistan-starrer Pool 2, it also comprises Bangladesh, South Africa whereas two more teams will join from the qualifiers. Pool 1 comprises Australia, New Zealand, Afghanistan and England. They will also see two more sides joining form the qualifying round.

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar feels Babar Azam-led Men in Green will be able to beat Team India in this year's Men's T20 World Cup, set to be held in Australia.

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar feels Babar Azam-led Men in Green will be able to beat Team India in this year's Men's T20 World Cup, set to be held in Australia. On January 21, the International Cricket Council (ICC) revealed the full schedule for the mega event, which will begin on October 16 with the main draw commencing on October 22. In the main draw of the showpiece event, India and Pakistan are once again placed in the same group (i.e. Pool 2). The two sides will face each other in their respective tournament-openers, on October 23, at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Melbourne. After Men in Green defeated Virat Kohli-led India in the 2021 T20 WC, in Dubai, Akhtar feels Babar & Co. will be able to make it two World Cup wins in a row over their arch-rivals. ALSO READ | ICC reveals full schedule for 2022 T20 World Cup, Rohit Sharma's Team India to begin campaign vs Pakistan "We will beat India again in Melbourne. Pakistan is a better side than India in T20 cricket. It's the Indian media that make unnecessary pressure on their team whenever we have the clash of both countries in cricket, it's normal for India to lose," Akhtar told news agency ANI. During the 2021 T20 WC, Babar-led Pakistan hammered India by 10 wickets to win their first-ever game versus their neighbours in World Cup history. Opting to bowl first, Shaheen Afridi's three-fer had restricted India to 151-7. In reply, fifties from both Babar and Md Rizwan ensured a massive win for Team Pakistan. ALSO READ | Rahul Dravid has a big task ahead, has to prove he is not an overrated coach: Shoaib Akhtar Talking about India, Pakistan-starrer Pool 2, it also comprises Bangladesh, South Africa whereas two more teams will join from the qualifiers. Pool 1 comprises Australia, New Zealand, Afghanistan and England. They will also see two more sides joining form the qualifying round.

PAK better than India: Akhtar makes bold claim, predicts Men in Green to win 2022 T20 WC face-off

The International Cricket Council (ICC), on Friday (January 21), revealed the full schedule for this year's Men's T20 World Cup, to be held in Australia. The defending champions and hosts Aaron Finch-led Australia will kick off the Super 12 round by locking horns with the last edition's runners-up Kane Williamson's New Zealand, at the Sydney Cricket Ground, SCG.

Team India, who endured a disappointing run in the 2021 T20 WC, will begin their campaign versus Babar Azam-led Pakistan. The Men in Green will also play their first game versus their arch-rivals, at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, MCG on October 23.&nbsp;

The likes of Australia, New Zealand, England, Afghanistan and in Pool 1&nbsp;whereas India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and South Africa are placed in Pool 2. Two teams each will join both the groups from the qualifiers, which was also the case in the 2021 edition.

The qualifying round (comprising eight teams) will begin on October 16 whereas the main draw of the showpiece event is set to start on October 22.&nbsp;For the unversed, one-time winners Sri Lanka and two-time champions&nbsp;West Indies will play the qualifiers as the top four sides will join the main draw (two each in both groups).

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Here's the full schedule of the T20 World Cup set to be held Down Under:

<img alt="Full schedule for 2022 T20 WC" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="46c92a6a-417a-443c-bd00-da99d309e2a0" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Full-Fixture-T20%20WC.jpg" />

On the other hand, the Indian cricket fans can also save the dates for the Men in Blue's&nbsp;Super 12 face-offs:

<img alt="Team India's fixtures for 2022 T20 WC" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2bb4fce8-f212-4e89-93c5-75a866e0d9db" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/india_fixtures.jpg" />

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/we-were-timid-it-showed-in-our-game-ravi-shastri-decodes-team-indias-2021-t20-world-cup-debacle-441565">We were timid, it showed in our game: Ravi Shastri decodes Team India's 2021 T20 World Cup debacle</a>

The two semi-finals will be held on November 9 and 10, to be held at the SCG and Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, respectively. The final will take place on November 13 at the MCG.

Rohit Sharma-led India will be eager to make it to the top four after a disappointing run in the last edition, where Virat Kohli &amp; Co. failed to enter the knockouts. Rohit-Rahul Dravid-led Indian team will also be eager to break their ICC-title drought, having last won a major tournament in 2013. In addition, India have not tasted success in the T20 WC following their memorable triumph in the inaugural edition, held in South Africa.

The International Cricket Council (ICC), on Friday (January 21), revealed the full schedule for this year's Men's T20 World Cup, to be held in Australia. The defending champions and hosts Aaron Finch-led Australia will kick off the Super 12 round by locking horns with the last edition's runners-up Kane Williamson's New Zealand, at the Sydney Cricket Ground, SCG.

The International Cricket Council (ICC), on Friday (January 21), revealed the full schedule for this year's Men's T20 World Cup, to be held in Australia. The defending champions and hosts Aaron Finch-led Australia will kick off the Super 12 round by locking horns with the last edition's runners-up Kane Williamson's New Zealand, at the Sydney Cricket Ground, SCG. Team India, who endured a disappointing run in the 2021 T20 WC, will begin their campaign versus Babar Azam-led Pakistan. The Men in Green will also play their first game versus their arch-rivals, at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, MCG on October 23. The likes of Australia, New Zealand, England, Afghanistan and in Pool 1 whereas India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and South Africa are placed in Pool 2. Two teams each will join both the groups from the qualifiers, which was also the case in the 2021 edition. The qualifying round (comprising eight teams) will begin on October 16 whereas the main draw of the showpiece event is set to start on October 22. For the unversed, one-time winners Sri Lanka and two-time champions West Indies will play the qualifiers as the top four sides will join the main draw (two each in both groups). ALSO READ | BCCI President Ganguly wanted to issue showcause notice to Kohli following his explosive presser - Report Here's the full schedule of the T20 World Cup set to be held Down Under: On the other hand, the Indian cricket fans can also save the dates for the Men in Blue's Super 12 face-offs: ALSO READ | We were timid, it showed in our game: Ravi Shastri decodes Team India's 2021 T20 World Cup debacle The two semi-finals will be held on November 9 and 10, to be held at the SCG and Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, respectively. The final will take place on November 13 at the MCG. Rohit Sharma-led India will be eager to make it to the top four after a disappointing run in the last edition, where Virat Kohli & Co. failed to enter the knockouts. Rohit-Rahul Dravid-led Indian team will also be eager to break their ICC-title drought, having last won a major tournament in 2013. In addition, India have not tasted success in the T20 WC following their memorable triumph in the inaugural edition, held in South Africa.

ICC reveals full schedule for 2022 T20 World Cup, Rohit Sharma's Team India to begin campaign vs Pakistan

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