T20 World Cup 2024 Highlights: Gill, Jadeja, Ruturaj in action; Rohit No.1, Kohli 13th on our India T20 WC Squad rankings

• No. 7 - Shubman Gill
• No. 11 - Ravindra Jadeja
• No. 16 - Ruturaj Gaikwad
• No. 18 - Shivam Dube
• No. 25 - Shardul Thakur
• No. 31 - Deepak Chahar

 Arshdeep Singh (PBKS) - Ranked 6

Failed to close out the match for Punjab with the ball. Conceded 40 runs in 3.2 overs while going wicketless in PBKS' defeat.

Jitesh Sharma (PBKS) - Ranked 10

27 off 20 deliveries batting at number six in a losing cause. 

Virat Kohli (RCB) - Ranked 13

Match-winning 77 off 49 deliveries while braving a top-order collapse in a 177-run chase. Completed his 100th T20 fifty-plus score in the process and was adjudged Player of the Match.

Mohammed Siraj (RCB) - Ranked 14

Incisive four-over spell conceding 26 runs. Picked up two crucial wickets in a match-winning cause.

Sanju Samson gets one over KL Rahul in battle of keeper-batsmen

Rohit Sharma (MI) v GT (Ranked No. 1) 

Scored a 29-ball 43 for MI in a 169-run chase, albeit in a losing cause.

Jasprit Bumrah (MI) v GT (Ranked No. 2)

Exceptional figures of 3/14 in four overs in IPL comeback game.

Yashasvi Jaiswal (RR) v LSG - Rank No. 3

Scored a 12-ball 24 opening the batting in an eventual win for the Royals.

Shubman Gill (GT) v MI - Rank No. 7

Scored 31 off 22 opening the batting on captaincy debut.

Hardik Pandya (MI) v GT - Rank No. 15

Conceded 30 runs in three overs without a wicket. Failed to finish the match for MI, scoring 11 off four balls batting at number 7.

Tilak Varma (MI) v GT - Rank No. 17

Scored 25 off 19 deliveries in a losing cause. Picked two catches.

Sanju Samson (RR) v LSG - Rank No. 19

Scored a match-winning unbeaten 82 off 52 deliveries with sixes sixes and three fours.

KL Rahul (LSG) v RR - Rank No. 21

Scored a sluggish 58 from 44 balls chasing a 194-run target. Failed to close out the game for LSG.

Yuzvendra Chahal (RR) v LSG - Rank No. 22

Figures of 1/25 in three overs in a winning cause.

Dhruv Jurel (RR) v LSG - Rank No. 24

Unbeaten 20 from 12 balls batting at number six.

R Ashwin (RR) v LSG - Rank No. 28

Figures of 1/35 in four overs, including a crucial 18th over conceding only four runs with a scalp.

Avesh Khan (RR) v LSG - Rank No. 29

None for 21 in three overs, including a brilliant final over for RR.

Ishan Kishan (MI) v GT - Rank No. 30

Four-ball duck opening the batting in a 169-run chase.

• Rohit Sharma (MI) v GT - Rank No. 1
• Jasprit Bumrah (MI) v GT - Rank No. 2
• Yashasvi Jaiswal (RR) v LSG - Rank No. 3
• Shubman Gill (GT) v MI - Rank No. 7
• Hardik Pandya (MI) v GT - Rank No. 15
• Tilak Varma (MI) v GT - Rank No. 17
• Sanju Samson (RR) v LSG - Rank No. 19
• KL Rahul (LSG) v RR - Rank No. 21
• Yuzvendra Chahal (RR) v LSG - Rank No. 22
• Dhruv Jurel (RR) v LSG - Rank No. 24
• R Ashwin (RR) v LSG - Rank No. 28
• Avesh Khan (RR) v LSG - Rank No. 29
• Ishan Kishan (MI) v GT - Rank No. 30

Kuldeep Yadav (DC) v PBKS - (Ranked No. 4)

Figures of 2/20 in four overs in a losing cause. Most economical four-over bowler in the match. Dismissed run out for one.

Rinku Singh (KKR) v SRH - (Ranked No. 5)

Two catches and a 15-ball 23 in a winning cause.

Arshdeep Singh (PBKS) v DC - (Ranked No. 6)

Two for 28 in four overs with the ball. Conceded only three runs in the 19th over while picking up a wicket.

Axar Patel (DC) v PBKS - (Ranked No. 8)

13-ball 21 cameo with the bat. Went wicketless but bowled economically in a losing cause - 0/25 in four overs.

Jitesh Sharma (PBKS) v DC - (Ranked No. 10)

Dismissed for nine off nine deliveries batting at no. 5. Picked three catches as wicketkeeper.

Washington Sundar (SRH) v KKR - (Ranked No. 20) - Did not play

Rishabh Pant (DC) v PBKS - (Ranked No. 23)

13-ball 18 in comeback match. Effected a stumping and a catch in a losing cause.

Mukesh Kumar (DC) v PBKS - Rank No. 26 - Did not play

Shreyas Iyer (KKR) v SRH - (Ranked No. 27)

Dismissed for a two-ball duck in a high-scoring match.

Rahul Chahar (PBKS) v DC - (Ranked No. 32)

Picked up a wicket conceding 33 runs in four overs in a winning cause. Took one catch.

It wasn’t a fairy-tale return to cricket with the bat or as captain for Rishabh Pant. But Pant against Punjab Kings batted as if he wanted to entertain the crowd with every ball, wrote Sriram Veera in his piece. Itching to run down the track to the spinners, trying to slam the seamers, it was some sight.

There was a one-handed swipe off the bowling of Harpreet Brar. There was a walloping swat on the on-side off leg spinner Rahul Chahar. And there was a dreamy cover drive off Harshal Patel. Pant’s comeback to the crease after more than a year on the sidelines ended in just 13 balls. The Delhi Capitals captain perished while trying to attempt a ramp shot against Harshal Patel. The pace of the ball from Patel deceived him and Pant ended up offering an easy catch at backward point. 

“Personally, I was pretty nervous but you have to go through this when you enter the field. This isn’t the first time being nervous, but happy about my return overall," he later admitted.

On field, as a wicketkeeping captain, he was his usual busy self. 

Pant was instrumental in sending back Punjab Kings’ Jitesh Sharma for just nine runs with an incredible stumping. In the 12th over, spinner Kuldeep Yadav sent a length ball down legside which Jitesh tried to reverse sweep and missed. But Pant didn't! Pant capitalised on the opportunity, collecting the ball low with a stretching squat and then noticing that Jitesh had strayed outside the crease, whipping off the bails.

Rishabh Pant is currently 23rd on The Indian Express' T20 World Cup ladder for India's squad selection

Ruturaj Gaikwad, who officially replaced the legendary MS Dhoni as CSK’s captain on the eve of the match, was lauded by India batting legend Sunil Gavaskar for his temperamant and tactics during the win against RCB on Friday.

READ what Gavaskar had to say about Gaikwad HERE 

Ruturaj is currently 16th on the Indian Express T20 World Cup ladder for India's squad selection

• Kuldeep Yadav (DC) v PBKS - Rank No. 4
• Rinku Singh (KKR) v SRH - Rank No. 5
• Arshdeep Singh (PBKS) v DC - Rank No. 6
• Axar Patel (DC) v PBKS - Rank No. 8
• Jitesh Sharma (PBKS) v DC - Rank No. 10
• Washington Sundar (SRH) v KKR - Rank No. 20
• Rishabh Pant (DC) v PBKS - Rank No. 23
• Mukesh Kumar (DC) v PBKS - Rank No. 26
• Shreyas Iyer (KKR) v SRH - Rank No. 27
• Rahul Chahar (PBKS) v DC - Rank No. 32

Ravindra Jadeja (Ranked 11)

(Unbeaten 25 off 17 balls in a winning cause | Went wicketless, but stifled the RCB batting with just 21 runs off his four overs)  

Virat Kohli (Ranked 13)

(Managed 21 runs off 20 balls as RCB slumped to defeat at their bogey venue) 

Ruturaj Gaikwad (Ranked 16)

(Scored 15 runs off 15 | Started off CSK captaincy stint with a win)

Shivam Dube (Ranked 18)

(Subbed in by CSK as an Impact Player for Mustafizur Rahman, had an impact with unbeaten 28-ball 34 to drag CSK over the line) 

Deepak Chahar (Ranked 31)

(Scored 37/1 versus RCB. Claimed the big wicket of RCB powerhitter Glenn Maxwell)

Before the match began, you'd have given a penny and then some for Ravindra Jadeja's thoughts. With all the talk about smooth transition the second time around, the implied messaging regarding CSK's captaincy change was that they messed up last time with how the attempted transition went with Jadeja. 

But the allrounder, effective as he almost always been for CSK in Chennai, picked up from where he left off last season. After hitting the winning runs and famously sprinting to MS Dhoni in the dugout to celebrate their title, Jadeja started off the 2024 edition with a match-winning all-round show. With the ball in hand, he darted a few 100kph-plus deliveries in, finished overs before the batter could breathe, and had figures of 0/21 in 4 overs. With the bat, he played a smart hand to remain unbeaten on 25*. He might not be the leader, but he remains central to CSK.

(By Vinayakk Mohanarangan)

21 KL Rahul

22 Yuzvendra Chahal

23 Rishabh Pant

24 Dhruv Jurel

25 Shardul Thakur

26 Mukesh Kumar

27 Shreyas Iyer

28 R Ashwin

29 Avesh Khan

30 Ishan Kishan

31 Deepak Chahar

32 Rahul Chahar

Washington Sundar’s returns in his last 11 outings have been nominal, but with the World Cup heading to spin-friendly conditions, Sundar has a spot on the fringes among the all-round options.  

(By Lalith Kalidas)

With the wicketkeepers’ tussle brewing intensely, Sanju Samson, for once, finds himself ahead of his more established international wicketkeepers in KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan and the returning Rishabh Pant. Inconsistencies have marred his T20I career, but Samson may have a little bit of time on his hands to script a turnaround. 

(By Lalith Kalidas)

A T20I career that found a revival after three years following a brilliant IPL season with Chennai Super Kings last year, Shivam Dube brings in a unique dimension of six-hitting in the middle-overs besides utility as a medium pacer. Dube, currently injured, will have his chance to shine with CSK again.

(By Lalith Kalidas)

While he may not have set the T20I stage ablaze as he has in the IPL, the left-handed Tilak Varma will be in contention for a middle-order spot. There are stronger contenders now, but Tilak will have a shot to make a case during the IPL season with Mumbai Indians.

(By Lalith Kalidas)

Ruturaj Gaikwad will be vying for an opener’s slot with three firm contenders ahead of him. Having set the IPL stage on fire and cracked a T20I century against Australia last November, Gaikwad will not be ruled out from a spot just yet.

(By Lalith Kalidas)

A player that is key for India to attain their balance between bat and ball, Hardik Pandya starts at 15 following a three-month injury layoff. Can the Mumbai Indians skipper seal the deal as the all-rounder in the IPL 2024 season? 

(By Lalith Kalidas)

Another bowler who has not featured in a host of T20Is India have played over the previous season, Mohammed Siraj will be in the scheme of things with Mohammad Shami’s injury moving him further up on the ladder. 

(By Lalith Kalidas)

Will he? Won’t he? Question marks have suddenly appeared over T20I cricket’s leading run-scorer. Virat Kohli has not been a regular since the last T20 World Cup, but the stalwart will feature all along in the discussions until India complete their squad selection process.

(By Lalith Kalidas)

He is the world’s number one in the format with the bat, but with a sports hernia hampering his path to the World Cup, Suryakumar starts at 12 with a chance to move into the top three later in the IPL season.

(By Lalith Kalidas)

Ravindra Jadeja missed the last World Cup in Australia and has only played two T20Is since. He may also have a like-for-like Axar ahead of him, but Jadeja cannot be ignored for his sheer presence on the field (see IPL 2023 final). He starts the season at number 11.

(By Lalith Kalidas)

With injuries and inconsistencies affecting his wicketkeeping peers, Jitesh has moved up the order as India’s leading gloveman. However, things could swiftly sway the other way if Jitesh fails to light up the first half of the IPL 2024 season.

(By Lalith Kalidas)

Wicketkeepers’ race for T20 World Cup: Jitesh has promise as a finisher, Samson’s best spot is at No.3, Pant needs to up strike rate

With a bagful of wickets over the last 14 months, leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi stands with a solid chance to seal his ticket to the World Cup. However, with Kuldeep and other all-round spinners around him, Bishnoi will remain cautious to have a sound IPL season.

(By Lalith Kalidas)

Having made his presence known across departments in T20Is over the last year, Axar will head into the IPL as India’s leading spin all-rounder for the World Cup. While he was surprisingly dropped from India’s tour to South Africa, Axar will hold onto his spot at eight ahead of all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar.

(By Lalith Kalidas)

Shubman Gill may have fallen a rung down in the pecking order, but there is no doubt that he will continue to play an important role in the lead-up to the World Cup. With Rohit firming up his position, Gill will be in an informal tussle with Jaiswal to seal the other opener’s slot.

(By Lalith Kalidas)

Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh currently stands second on the pace bowlers’ queue behind Bumrah. In the absence of his senior India bowler, Arshdeep topped the wicket-takers charts for the team in the previous World Cup in Australia. With the ability to resonate Bumrah with the new ball and death overs, Arshdeep will aim to consolidate his position during the IPL.

(By Lalith Kalidas)

Have India unearthed their next finisher? Rinku Singh is seemingly answering those calls with his T20I exploits, racking up 356 runs in 11 innings since his debut in August 2023. Rinku has only been dismissed once for a single-digit score while remaining unbeaten on seven occasions. His current strike rate reads 176.23, and that perhaps best sums up what the left-hander brings to the table.

(By Lalith Kalidas)

Returning to the peak of his powers with a renewed set of tricks, Kuldeep Yadav is closing in on his maiden T20 World Cup ticket. The left-arm wrist-spinner currently stands as India’s lead specialist tweaker in the lead-up to the tournament, with his recent form citing 15 wickets in the last 10 appearances.

(By Lalith Kalidas)

READ: Kuldeep Yadav interview: ‘The stuff Rohit says on the field, no one minds. Humare liye pyaar hai unka’

He has yet to play a one-dayer for India, but Yashasvi Jaiswal has already emerged as a batting lynchpin in the other two formats. Making his T20I debut in August 2023, Jaiswal has stacked up 502 runs in 17 T20Is with a century to his name. Upon Rohit’s return, Jaiswal was retained in the opening slot ahead of Shubman Gill, making him a hot favourite for the T20 World Cup.

(By Lalith Kalidas)

READ: Yashasvi Jaiswal exclusive interview: ‘Nothing misses Rohit Sharma’s eyes, alag level hai’

There aren’t two ways about Jasprit Bumrah’s vitality to India’s fortunes across formats. Having regained fitness, Bumrah will undoubtedly form the team’s bowling axis. Bumrah missed out on the previous T20 World Cup and the IPL, but the 30-year-old has time left to polish his armoury.

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— Jasprit Bumrah (@Jaspritbumrah93) March 22, 2024

Speculations of a transition were rife when Rohit Sharma went 14 months without playing a T20I since the last World Cup. The scrutiny expanded when he registered two successive ducks against Afghanistan, earlier in January. But the India skipper put the detractions to rest with a cracking fifth T20I century in his last appearance in Bengaluru, making it clear that he is still a potent opener in the game. As captain and with his latest knock, Rohit starts the ladder as no. 1.

READ: Rohit Sharma & The Heart of Captaincy: Talk, listen and never lose sense of humour