5 players who could stake a claim for the T20 World Cup through IPL

The T20 World Cup 2020 will be played in Australia.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 will be watched through a microscopic lens given its importance in context with the ICC T20 World Cup 2020 in Australia.

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The IPL 2020 is expected to throw up some surprises in the form of new players and some of the old ones trying to grab their spot in the team back with brilliant performances. The tournament is highly anticipated for both established and young players looking to make a mark and impressing the selectors.

Therefore, Team COC looks at five players who could claim a place in the Indian team for the T20 World Cup via their IPL performances.

Here are the five players who could stake a claim for T20 WC through IPL 2020

NITISH RANA

Delhi’s Nitish Rana has impressed a lot in the IPL previously playing for Kolkata Knight Riders and in the last season for the Mumbai Indians. Rana has been a revelation in the middle order, playing a brilliant role with the bat and finishing matches.

Rana has also developed into a good all-rounder as he has become a partnership breaker with his off-break bowling. He also boasts of an impressive record of 2110 runs in 96 T20 matches with the best score of 97 and a strike rate of 135.43 and 14 fifties. He has also picked 26 wickets as well.

Indian team requires a good player in the middle order that can roll his arms over and pick up wickets whenever needed and Rana is someone that can stake a claim for that spot if he can perform well in the upcoming IPL 2020.

PRASIDH KRISHNA

M Prasidh Krishna impressed with his pace and ability to rattle batsmen for the Kolkata Knight Riders. The Karnataka lad was a surprise pick by the KKR in the IPL 2018 season when Kamlesh Nagarkoti got injured. The tall bowler was given the new ball and he managed to get some much-needed wickets at the top.

India requires a bowler with extremely pace and Krishna clocks easily at over 145 kph every time he lets the ball go. He was the leading wicket-taker for Karnataka in the 2018–19 Vijay Hazare Trophy, with thirteen dismissals in seven matches.

Though he has a tendency to give away runs due to his misfiring radar; given that he is just 23-years-old, Krishna will learn with time as he will be sharing the dressing room with Pat Cummins and Lockie Ferguson, two world-renowned express pacers.   

KRUNAL PANDYA

Krunal Pandya had become a valuable member of the Indian team before being dropped after going wicketless for five straight T20I matches. Pandya, who became a household name for winning the 2017 IPL trophy for Mumbai Indians with his exemplary performance with both bat and ball.

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Since then, Krunal has become a mainstay for the MI and Baroda team in the format. He has the ability to knock runs in traditional form and can also go bang-bang if needed. His left-arm spin is more darting the ball and trying to move it away from the right-handed batsmen, and if needed he can also bat at the top of the order as well.

PRITHVI SHAW

Prithvi Shaw has been a revelation ever since he made his senior cricket debut. Even in his first IPL season in 2018, he showed how devastating he can be at the top. The 20-year-old will be looking forward to making a mark for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2020 as well, with a spot vacant at the top for an opener.

Shaw has 972 runs in 38 T20 matches with a strike rate of 149.07 and 8 half-centuries. He recently showed what he is capable of white-ball cricket against New Zealand and with a spot in the T20 World Cup 2020 in Australia on the line, Shaw will look to take advantage of all the opportunities he gets for the DC franchise.

SHUBMAN GILL

Shubman Gill was asked to bat in the middle order for KKR when he made his debut in the IPL 2018, and despite batting out of his natural position as an opener, Gill managed to impress with his wit and ability to score at a high strike rate of 146.04 and playing risk-free cricket.

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He was asked to open in IPL 2019 and showed how good he was when batting in his favored position and responded with 296 runs in 14 matches with four half-centuries and a best score of 76 at a strike rate of 124.36. He is a brilliant batsman who can bat anywhere needed and a gun fielder as well.

He will be looking forward to playing in IPL this season and impress enough to get a ticket to Australia for the ICC T20 World Cup.