Bumrah, Harshal Returns As India Names Team For T20 World Cup, T20I Series Against Australia & South Africa

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India on Monday announced their 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022, with fit-again Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel, making their comeback.

India's squad for the World Cup in Australia is largely along expected lines and have only few changes from the fifteen, who took part in the recently concluded Asia Cup 2022.

Both Bumrah and Harshal had missed the multi-nation tournament in the UAE due to respective injuries and their return for the marquee event will bolster the team's fast bowling ranks. Arshdeep Singh and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are the other two pacers in the squad, along with the all-rounder Hardik Pandya.

However, the squad led by Rohit Sharma will miss the services of all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who sustained a right knee injury during the Asia Cup and recently underwent a surgery. Left-hander Axar Patel will step in as a like-for-like replacement for Jadeja. Apart from Axar, R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal and Axar Patel are the other two specialist spinners.

From the Asia Cup squad, the likes of Ravi Bishnoi and Avesh Khan have made way for Bumrah and Harshal while Deepak Hooda holds on to his spot.

Avesh, conceded at an economy of 12 runs per over in the two games that he played before being ruled out with an illness. On the other hand, wrist-spinner Ravi Bishnoi played a solitary game against Pakistan but was dropped for the next game despite doing well.

The batting unit is identical to the one that played the Asia Cup with captain Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik all included. Mohammed Shami, the pacer, has been named as a standby player, along with fellow pacer Deepak Chahar, Ravi Bishnoi and batter Shreyas Iyer.

Along with the T20 World Cup, the All-India Senior Selection Committee also picked India's squads for the upcoming home T20I series against Australia and South Africa at home.

World Cup standbys Mohammed Shami and Deepak Chahar have been picked in the squads that will play Australia and South Africa in the build-up to the marquee event. While Shami hasn't played T20Is since last year's World Cup, Chahar made his international T20I comeback against Afghanistan in India's last Asia Cup game.

The duo will come in for Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Hardik Pandya, who will report to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for conditioning-related work at different times during the course of these two home series.

While Arshdeep will miss the series against Australia, Bhuvneshwar and Hardik will sit out the following assignment against South Africa.

"Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh and Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be reporting to the NCA for conditioning-related work during the course of the home series against Australia and South Africa," the BCCI said in a statement.

Australia will play their three T20Is at Mohali (September 20), Nagpur (September 23) and Hyderabad (September 25) while South Africa will start their tour with T20Is at Thiruvananthapuram (September 28), Guwahati (October 2) and Indore (October 4).

India will also play the Proteas in a three-match ODI series just before the World Cup, the squad for which will be announced in due course.

India squad for ICC T20 World Cup: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, R Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh.

Standby players - Mohd Shami, Shreyas Iyer, Ravi Bishnoi, Deepak Chahar.

India Squad for Australia T20Is: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, R. Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohd. Shami, Harshal Patel, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah.

India squad for South Africa T20Is: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), R Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Mohd Shami, Harshal Patel, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah.