The upcoming T20 World Cup 2024, set to take place on June 29 in Barbados, promises to be an extraordinary event with 20 teams competing for cricket’s top honor. This tournament will bring together cricket talents from around the world, highlighting the sport’s diversity and passion on a grand stage.
One of the most interesting aspects of the event is the possible matchups between Indian-origin players representing other countries and the Indian cricket team.
India, one of the favorites to win the T20 World Cup, is in Group A with teams like Ireland, host USA, Canada, and their rivals Pakistan. While there are no Indian-origin players in the Ireland or Pakistan squads, several play for the USA and Canada.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the key Indian-origin players who could challenge Team India in the upcoming T20 World Cup.
5. Saurabh Netravalkar (USA)
Saurabh Netravalkar was part of India’s Under-19 cricket team in 2010, along with players like KL Rahul and Jaydev Unadkat. He played for Mumbai in tournaments such as the Ranji Trophy. Despite his success in domestic cricket, he never made it to India’s senior team.
He later decided to play for the USA and debuted for their team in 2018. Since then, Netravalkar has played 27 T20 matches for the USA, taking 27 wickets with his bowling.
As an important player for the USA in the upcoming T20 World Cup, the left-arm fast bowler is someone to watch from the perspective of the Indian team.
Monank Patel was born in Gujarat, India, and started playing cricket for Gujarat’s U-16 and U-18 teams. In 2016, he moved to the United States and settled in New Jersey. Since then, he has become an important player for the U.S. cricket team and is now their captain.
3. Harmeet Singh (USA)
Harmeet Singh, who was part of India’s winning U-19 World Cup team, played domestic cricket for Mumbai and Tripura. In 2021, he moved to Seattle to play in the USA’s Minor League.
He started playing for the USA’s international team in March 2024 in a series against Canada before the T20 World Cup. Recently, Harmeet had an outstanding game against Bangladesh, helping the USA achieve a big win.
In addition to his strong batting skills, Harmeet is also a useful left-arm spin bowler, especially good in the middle overs.
2. Dilpreet Bajwa (Canada)
Dilpreet Bajwa’s family moved to Canada in 2020 after he wasn’t picked for the state team. In 2023, he played in the Global T20 Canada for the Montreal Tigers, which led to his international debut against Bermuda later that year.
In his four T20 International (T20I) matches, Bajwa scored 92 runs with an average of 30.66, and his highest score was 52. His performances, including a half-century, indicate he could be an important player in the match against India.
Ravinderpal Singh moved to Canada with his family early in his career and played his first T20 International match in 2019 against the Cayman Islands.
In 29 T20I matches, the right-handed batter has scored 589 runs. His highest score is 101, and he has a good batting average of 28.04 and an impressive strike rate of 147.25.
These numbers show that he is very effective in T20 cricket and can be a tough opponent for Indian bowlers.