3 IPL players to stay back for India’s T20 World Cup prep.

Umran Malik, Venkatesh Iyer and Avesh Khan will join the Indian cricket team as net bowlers during the T20 World Cup. None of these cricketers are part of India’s travelling reserves. The reserves currently consist of Shreyas Iyer, Shardul Thakur and Deepak Chahar. All teams have time till October 15 to make changes to their final squad.

Venkatesh Iyer has impressed one and all with his KKR stint in IPL 2021. The Madhya Pradesh all-rounder made his List A and T20 debuts in the year 2015 but had to wait 3 more years to make his first-class debut (2018). In his current IPL stint, Iyer scored 265 runs in 8 innings at an average of 37.85 powered by a strike rate of 123.25. He also picked 3 wickets for KKR in 7.3 overs at an average of 21.33, conceding 8.53 runs per over.

Avesh Khan had a break through season in IPL 2021 – he picked 23 wickets in 15 matches. He averages 18.60 with the ball and has conceded runs at 7.50 runs per over which is a brilliant stat for a bowler who mainly bowls in the powerplay and death overs. Avesh travelled with Indian cricket team to England earlier this year after a brilliant display for Delhi Capitals in IPL first leg. The pacer had to return home after sustaining a thumb injury in a tour match. He is currently the second highest wicket taker of IPL 2021.

Umran Malik is the other pacer who will serve the Indian team as a net bowler during the T20 World Cup. The Kashmir pacer grabbed all the attention when he bowled at speeds of over 150 kmph. The 21-year-old pacer bowled the fastest delivery of the tournament when he pitched one at 152.95 kmph against RCB. Malik has delivered 7 deliveries of over 150 kmph in the 3 matches he played. Anrich Nortje and Lockie Ferguson are the only other bowlers in IPL 2021 to bowl at over 150 kmph in the current edition of Indian Premier League.

India kick start their World Cup campaign on October 24 when they take on Pakistan. Team India is scheduled to play 2 warm-up matches against Australia (18^th October) and South Africa (20^th October) ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup.