MS Dhoni joins India team as mentor for T20 WC, R Ashwin returns to squad

Former India skipper MS Dhoni is to join the national team as mentor for the T20 World Cup to be held in UAE and Oman in October-November. He will work with India team head coach Ravi Shastri and coac

"See, R Ashwin is playing IPL regularly. He has been performing well. We will need an off-spinner in the T20 World Cup. As everyone is aware that when the IPL's second half takes place in UAE [prior to the World Cup], the wickets might be low and slow and will help spinners. So an off-spinner is required in the team. Washington Sundar is in the list of the injured players," said Sharma to the media in a virtual interaction.

"And Ashwin has found space in the team due to his performance in the team." Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has lost his place and in the team. Rahul Chahar and Varun Chakravarthy are the wrist spinners in the squad.

"We discussed Chahal. The selectors wanted someone who was quicker through the air. We was Rahul Chahar recently, the speed at which he is delivering was impressive," added Sharma.

The chief selector, a former India cricketer, also said that Virat Kohli is unlikely to play as opener. The selectors have earmarked Rohit Sharma, K.L. Rahul and Ishan Kishan.

"We have three openers. We have Rohit Sharma, K.L. Rahul and then we have got Ishan Kishan, who can bat as an opener and he can fit into middle-order any time. Kishan is giving us option for opening and middle-order. If the need of the hour is that Kohli should open, then they can go with it. As of now, though, there are three openers," said Sharma further.

"If Virat plays in the middle, the others play around him. If we see in T20 cricket, Virat has a brilliant record in the middle-order." The World Cup will be held from October 17 to November 14. India will open their campaign against Pakistan from October 24.

India squad: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), K.L. Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Ishan Kishan, Rahul Chahar and Varun Chakravarthy.

Standbyes: Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur.