India's spin arsenal: Who would make it to the World T20 squad?

With the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 just a couple of months away, every team would be buckling up to do the best they can in the prestigious tournament.

Since the tournament is set to take place in Oman and UAE, any team that fails to incorporate spinners in its squad could have devastating effects on not just their bowling but on their overall tenure of the tournament. The UAE pitches will be turning, with Sharjah being the only one that could be called a batsman's pitch, while the bowlers, specifically spinners likely to rule on them.

However, not any spinner could do the job as it's not a domestic league but the T20 World Cup with the best of batsmen out there to boast their batting capabilities.

So today, Cricwizz presents to you 10 spinners who could play a pivotal role in India's squad for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

The 10 spinners will be divided into three categories, the first being the players who are most likely to make it to the squad, players who are farther from them to get an entry, and the third, the players who only have an outside chance to become a member of India's squad.

Players most likely to feature in the World Cup

Ravindra Jadeja

A year or two ago, if you would've asked whether Jadeja's future in the Indian squad in any format is certain, the answer would've been a no.

However, since the 2019 World Cup, Jadeja has managed to stay in his top gears and has been incessant when it comes to piling up performances in all departments and formats of the game. He has gone from being a doubt in every format to almost an inevitable selection in all of them.

He is in the best phase of his career and this time as a typical all-rounder, making him a must in India's T20 squad.

Let's have a look at his T20 numbers.

Yuzvendra Chahal 

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Chahal had a rough patch in his career lately as he was dropped from the ODIs and also the Test squad. However, his exclusion from the T20I squad didn't last long as he contrived to get his wicket-taking instincts back.

Chahal performed well in Australia in the T20 series and had a decent IPL too. He's a partnership breaker who has a knack for picking wickets frequently. His presence for the World Cup feels imminent as well.

Let's have a look at his numbers.

Varun Chakravarthy 

Another player who seems to be the last from the list of the must-picks, Varun Chakravarthy could be India's trump card in the T20 World Cup. Having impressed everyone in the IPL, he hasn't played much international cricket and would be a fresh option against the best batsmen from the opposition side.

Let's have a look at his numbers.

**Note: For any player who has played less than 10 T20I matches, the IPL stats can also come into play. Even during the actual squad selection, performances in the IPL would have good credit.

Probable picks

Rahul Chahar

Rahul Chahar has risen among the ranks in recent years and his performances in the IPL has played a huge role that earned him his debut in International cricket. He is one of the players who are in between the must-picks and the players in contention.

A good IPL season could see him getting picked over Varun Chakravarthy or even Chahal if their performance is not as good as Chahar's. Let's have a look at his numbers.

Washington Sundar 

Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the remainder of the IPL.

Akash Deep, a state cricketer from Bengal and net bowler with the franchise has been named as replacement. pic.twitter.com/VM2fmALyy2

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) August 30, 2021

It was recently revealed that Sundar is ruled out of the second phase of the IPL due to a finger injury and this is one reason why he belongs to this list. A bowler who could play worthy cameos with the bat, Sundar's selection was hanging over his IPL performance as well. Now it remains unsure whether he will be considered or not for the World Cup.

Krunal Pandya 

Krunal Pandya also belongs to the list and could be the first name if we see Jadeja getting ruled out for the World Cup. He matches Jadeja in his style but it is Jadeja's quality that gets him higher in the pecking order.

However, Krunal will have to show his skills in the IPL as well to ensure that he is at least considered. 

Axar Patel

Similar situation with Patel as well. Like mentioned before, Jadeja's injury could see him being compared with Krunal Pandya and then a decision may be taken. However, Axar was picked as a direct replacement of Jadeja in the Test series against England in India earlier this year, and Axar did an exceptional job in that role.

He'll have to redeem himself in the IPL and make things difficult for Pandya and the selectors.

Axar's numbers

Players with the slightest of chances

Ravichandran Ashwin 

India's best spinner in Tests currently and also one of India's greatest spin bowlers, Ashwin has lost his place in the limited-overs squad of India for a while now.

With so many options in every position, Ashwin's performances in white-ball cricket haven't been convincing enough. However, he can surely make a comeback with some stellar performances in the IPL.

Kuldeep Yadav

There was a time when Kuldeep Yadav was an integral part of India's squad in white-ball cricket but a rough patch has taken him aback and the player seems to have lost his rhythm and confidence.

However, we all are aware of his potential and it will be interesting to see how Yadav turns up for the IPL.

His numbers show that he just needs to return to his basics and he'll again be one of the lethal Indian bowlers as he once was.

Rahul Tewatia

Tewatia is a decent bowler but it's his batting that can earn him a call up in the Indian squad. However, with so many players ahead of him, with experience, Tewatia will have to do something miraculous to get into India's T20 squad for the World Cup.

Tewatia is yet to make his International debut.

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