The T20 World Cup will be held in October-November in Australia and after a group stage exit for India in the last T20 World Cup, they will be keen to get things right in the upcoming one. Rohit Sharma who is the new captain of the Indian team has started things on the right note as India whitewashed New Zealand and West Indies in the respective T20I series.
There seems to be a slight change in approach as the Indian openers are looking to score quickly in the powerplay. Apart from that, many bowlers have been tried out and a few young players have been given chances in the run-up to the T20 WC in Australia. Despite trying so many players we could see surprise call-ups for the T20 WC 2022 because there is a whole IPL to happen. So, let us have a look at five Indian players who could get a surprise call-up for the T20 WC 2022.
5. Avesh Khan
Avesh Khan recently made his T20I debut for India in the third T20I against West Indies. He didn’t have a great game but you can’t judge a bowler by just one game, especially if it is a high-scoring one. The right-arm fast bowler from Madhya Pradesh was the second-highest wicket-taker in IPL 2021 as he picked up 24 wickets in just 16 matches.
He was brilliant at the death, as he executed his Yorkers to perfection. He can extract good pace and bounce from the wicket and the Australian pitches will suit his bowling style, so he could get a surprise call up for the T20 WC 2022.
4. Sanju Samson
Sanju Samson who has an immense amount of talent seems to have fallen behind in the race for a spot in the Indian team. He has been picked in the Sri Lanka series as many first-choice players are either injured or rested.
Samson was brilliant in the last season as he scored 484 runs at an average of 40.33. He has a good cut and a pull shot which could be handy in Australian conditions. He can also keep wickets if required. With so many batsmen standing in the line, the chances are slim but you can’t rule out a surprise call-up for T20 WC 2022.
3. Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya seems to be gone out of the scheme of things since he has got injured. He has found it difficult to bowl which is creating a problem of team balance in the Indian team. With the rise of Venkatesh Iyer, Pandya will find it difficult to get back in the team.
Pandya has a full season of the IPL to prove himself and if he starts bowling even a couple of overs in each game then he could make a comeback in the Indian team for the T20 WC 2022.
2. Prithvi Shaw
Prithvi Shaw is probably the quickest starter among all the openers in the Indian team. Shaw was on fire in the last IPL season as he scored 479 runs at an average of 31.93 at a strike rate of 159.14. His quickfire starts in the powerplay make him stand out from the rest.
There is a lot of competition for the opening spot and so it would be difficult for the young man to get into the Indian team. But if he has another blockbuster IPL season then a surprise call up for the T20 WC 2022 might not be far away.
1. Shahrukh Khan
Shahrukh Khan who got picked for 9 CR in the recently concluded Auction is a fearsome finisher and has been brilliant over the last 18 months. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he scored 253 runs at a strike rate of 186.03.
Even in the IPL, he has finished a few games for his franchise and he famously hit the last ball for a six in the Final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy when Tamil Nadu needed five off the last ball to win. If India is looking for a finisher, then Shahrukh Khan might receive a call-up for the T20 WC 2022.
