T20 World Cup 2021: 5 players who might make a comeback based on IPL 2021 form

4. Shardul Thakur

Going into the T20 World Cup 2021, India picked up a spin-heavy squad. They picked five spinners and only three ‘fit’ pacers. There is speculation that the wickets in the UAE will be good for spinners by the time the T20 World Cup starts. If that remains the case, India should stick to their plans, but throwing in a handy fast bowling all-rounder won’t be a bad suggestion. 

To Shardul Thakur’s credit, he has stood up to every task he has been given by Virat Kohli so far this year and performed in every format for the national team. His form in the IPL 2021 second leg has also been good. He has picked up six wickets in four matches, bowling with an impressive economy of 7.2. 

Thakur has been named in the reserves and can easily slide into the final 15. India does have a fast-bowling all-rounder in Hardik Pandya, but how much will he be able to do the two jobs properly is something of a concern. So, Thakur can be a good backup option or even try to fill a few holes keeping both of them in the XI. Either way, Thakur’s selection might just benefit the Indian team.