Fast bowler Shardul Thakur has replaced left-arm spinner Axar Patel in Team India’s 15-man main squad for the T20 World Cup to be held in the UAE and Oman from October 17.
The 29-year-old Thakur has impressed the selectors with his 18 wickets in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) for Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
“The All-India Senior Selection Committee after a discussion with the team management has added Shardul Thakur to the main squad. All-rounder Axar Patel, who was part of the 15-member squad will now be on the list of stand-by players,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah said in the official statement.
However, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal could not find a place in the final 15 despite an impressive show in IPL 2021 with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). He picked up 18 wickets at an average of 20.77 in 15 matches.
India will begin their campaign on October 24 against Pakistan.
Updated 15-member squad: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma (vc), KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Rahul Chahar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami
BCCI also disclosed the list of eight players – Avesh Khan, Umran Malik, Harshal Patel, Lukman Meriwala, Venkatesh Iyer, Karn Sharma, Shahbaz Ahmed and Krishnappa Gowtham – who will join the bubble in Dubai and assist the main team in their preparations for the mega event.
