Now that IPL 2024 is over, here’s a look at how the 15 cricketers chosen in India’s T20 World Cup squad did in the competition.
M: 14 | Inns: 14 | Runs: 417 | Avg: 32.07 | SR 150 | HS 105*
Rohit’s 417 runs are the most he’s scored in a single IPL since 2016, and his strike- rate of 150 is the best in a season for the former Mumbai Indians captain. He began well to help Mumbai make some strong starts inside the Poweroplay during their floundering campaign, which included his second IPL century and first since 2012, but then Rohit endured a slump of six failures. He ended with a solid half-century, but concerns remain about his ability to bat fluently past the 10-over mark where his fitness has clearly been an issue. A visibly slowing Rohit as captain of India at the T20 World Cup might be a bigger problem than many are ready to accept.
M: 16 | Inns: 15 | Runs: 435 | Avg: 31.07| SR 155.91 | HS 104*
These are solid numbers for an opener in IPL 2023, but by the standards set by himself in the 2023 edition, Jaiswal’s current season was a downer. After a terrific 12 months, during which he broke into the Indian team after scoring 625 runs for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2023 to break the record for most runs in a season by an uncapped player, followed by a century on Test debut and most recently 712 runs in five matches against England, the 22-year-old opener took a long time to get going this season.
When he finally made it past the Powerplay, Jaiswal scored a match-winning unbeaten century. But sadly, that was just a mirage. He only crossed 50 once more in 15 innings, and a weakness against short-pitched bowling leaves Jaiswal on shaky ground heading into his first World Cup.
M: 15 | Inns: 15 | Runs: 741 | Avg: 61.75 | SR 154.69 | HS 113*
Another bumper season for Kohli the batsman, who took home the Orange Cap for most runs this season. Kohli came in for criticism of his strike-rate inside the Powerplay and during the middle overs, and to his credit he improved both to finish Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s campaign with an overall strike-rate of almost 155. That is definitely an improvement, even if it pales in comparison to the near-200 strike-rates that the four openers of the two teams in the IPL final – Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Sunil Narine and Phil Salt – managed on most occasions this season.
Two big questions: one, can Kohli maintain this batting form in the USA and the West Indies, and two, will be open like he did for RCB?
M: 11 | Inns: 11 | Runs: 345 | Avg: 34.50 | SR 167.47 | HS 102*
After missing three matches, Suryakumar Yadav slotted back into MI’s lineup and managed three fifties and a century. There were also three ducks, which just goes to show how unfulfilling a season this was for the world’s top-ranked T20I batsman. His range of shots was often on view, but maybe bowlers across international teams took notice of how in this IPL, rather often, changes of pace from seam bowlers had SKY caught in odd angles and not cashing in on all his starts.
M: 16 | Inns: 15 | Runs: 531 | Avg: 48.27 | SR: 153.46 | HS 86
Samson’s best IPL season to date, and the first time he made it to 500 runs in a season. Unlike past editions, Samson started well and maintained that form for a long time, instead of trailing off after two or three innings. This helped him get into India’s T20 World Cup squad, but it is highly unlikely he will get a game given that he batted all IPL season at No 3 for Rajasthan. Also, his batting failures in the most important phase of the tournament, when RR had just managed to make the playoffs, did him no favours.
M: 13 | Inns: 13 | Runs: 446 | Avg: 40.52 | SR: 155.40 | HS 88*
With 446 runs at a strike-rate of 155 this IPL season, it has been a fantastic return to cricket for Rishabh Pant. And, some might say, to get Delhi Capitals to fifth on the points table is some achievement for the 26-year-old.
Less than 15 months from that fateful night in December 2022 when he suffered an accident behind the wheel on a highway from Delhi to Roorkee, Pant was back on the cricket field leading DC. This, after Pant had undergone plastic surgery after being left with facial injuries following the collision, which in his own words left him wondering if he would ever walk, forget playing cricket.
When IPL 2024 began, many cricket fans just wanted to see how Pant would cope on the cricket field. And the result is that his return to cricket has been nothing short of uplifting and hands down the most emotional story of the tournament. Pant played 13 of DC’s 14 matches and proved his fitness and agility both in front and behind the stumps, top-scoring for his franchise and ending as the joint most successful wicketkeeper.
M: 14 | Inns: 13 | Runs: 216 | Avg: 18 | SR: 143.04 | HS 46
Overs: 36 | Wkts: 11 | Avg: 35.18 | Econ: 10.75 | BB: 3/31
Putting aside the booing from fans home and away, Hardik Pandya the allrounder grossly underwhelmed in his return to Mumbai. Just eleven wickets an economy of nearly 11 indicate his bowling form, and the fact thar Pandya bowled his full quota of four overs just five times in 14 matches was also puzzling. When he took the new ball, at times ahead of Jasprit Bumrah, Pandya had the fourth worst economy of all bowlers before the playoffs. With the bat, Pandya’s constantly shuffling of himself in the MI lineup added to the image of confused leader.
M: 14 | Inns: 14 | Runs: 396 | Avg: 36 | SR: 162.29 | HS 66*
Before he was called up to India’s World Cup squad, Dube was in imperious six-hitting form in the middle order for CSK. He’d hit 26 sixes and was striking at just over 200 for the season, but since his name was added to India’s squad, Dube’s graph took a dramatic downturn. Two ducks, followed by scores of 21, 18 and 7 and just two sixes. This sudden loss of form means that Dube is not a likely starter at the World Cup anymore.
M: 14 | Inns: 11 | Runs: 267 | Avg: 44.50 | SR: 142.78 | HS 57*
Overs: 47 | Wkts: 8 | Avg: 46.12 | Econ: 7.85 | BB: 3/18
An underwhelming season for India’s premier allrounder, given his status and the team’s dependency on him. While his batting was utility for CSK, Jadeja’s bowling returns are where Indian cricket fans should be worried heading into the World Cup. He managed just eight wickets and did not always get a fourth over, going wicketless in 10 of his 14 games.
M: 14 | Inns: 12 | Runs: 235 | Avg: 29.37 | SR: 131.28 | HS 66
Overs: 44 | Wkts: 11 | Avg: 30.63 | Econ: 7.65 | BB: 2/25
Fifth-highest run-getter, fourth-highest wicket-taker. That about sums up Axar Patel’s season with Delhi. His economy of 7.65 puts him as one of the most miserly spinners of IPL 2024, and his batting numbers indicate how vital he was. Except that DC still can’t seem to figure out where best to bat Axar. He would have liked to have more wickets to his name heading to the T20 World Cup, where he will probably not play many games, but as a spin-bowling allrounder Axar did enough to stay relevant looking at the bigger picture.
Overs: 43 | Wkts: 16 | Avg: 23.25 | Econ: 8.65 | BB: 4/55
Statistically, this was Kuldeep Yadav’s third best IPL season as a bowler, but 16 wickets for India’s premier white-ball spinner does not do justice to his talent. Kuldeep’s game-changing delivery to bowl Nicholas Pooran will linger in the memory, and the over that shifted the momentum from RR at the death in a home game was simply terrific. He bowls with heart, flights the ball liberally and does not cower when batsmen start to attack – such as what happened at in Delhi when SRH’s openers tore into the bowling – and these are skills that India will seriously value at the T20 World Cup.
M: 13 | Overs: 51.5 | Wkts: 20 | Avg: 16.80 | Econ: 6.48 | BB: 5/21
Back in the IPL after missing the 2023 season, Bumrah returned as most would have expected: fit, quick, accurate and successful. His 20 wickets were seven clear of Mumbai’s next best and an economy of 6.48 put Bumrah at the top of the pile for all frontline bowlers. His performances, whenever Pandya tossed him the ball, were overall clinical and being a constant source of wickets underlined what Bumrah brings to any T20 team. When he was at his best, Bumrah was mesmerizing to watch, and even on days he wasn’t, such as when opponents racked up 200-plus totals, Bumrah was always the toughest MI bowler to hit.
M: 14 | Overs: 54 | Wkts: 15 | Avg: 33.06 | Econ: 9.18 | BB: 3/43
Not a very good season for Siraj, who might struggle to make India’s first 11 at the World Cup. It was not just about being expensive or erratic; it was the overall lethargy with which he bowled for most of RCB’s campaign that was glaring. There were some very good moments, such as when he blew away Gujarat Titans with a terrific new-ball spell and then helped set up a win over Punjab Kings – both times in Bengaluru – but overall Siraj lacked the desired cut-throat skill needed for a bowler selected ahead of far more in-form pacers for the World Cup.
M: 14 | Overs: 50.2 | Wkts: 19 | Avg: 26.57 | Econ: 10.03 | BB: 4/29
In any other year, 19 wickets from Arshdeep Singh – his personal best in six IPL seasons – would have been viewed as a success. But scratch the surface and you will see that India’s only left-arm seamer at the T20 World Cup – while a constant source of wickets – was often erratic in his lines, down in pace and easy to take for runs in the backend of innings.
That is not to suggest that Arshdeep didn’t bowl well. He took four wickets to keep a batting powerhouse like SRH to 182/9 when the two teams first met, and then in the second encounter he cleaned up Travis Head for a golden duck with a lovely delivery. In between, there were also key dismissals of big hitters as well as set batsmen via well-directed short balls. But going for over ten runs an over was a downer for Arshdeep, given his experience and T20 reputation.
M: 15 | Overs: 58 | Wkts: 18 | Avg: 30.33 | Econ: 9/41 | BB: 3/11
Without a BCCI contract, and not having been part of India’s most recent T20I squads, Chahal was recalled for the World Cup after a good first month of the IPL. His form for RR had seen him flummox batsmen with guile and good dip, and thus the BCCI selectors opted for Chahal as one of four spinning options for the World Cup. However, immediately after being picked, Chahal conceded 62 runs from four wicketless overs against SRH and then took five wickets six matches at an economy of 10 per over. Crucially, he struggled for fluency during Royals’ two playoff games.
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