India's T20 Squad

The BCCI announced India's squad of 15 for the T20 World Cup after a meeting on Friday.

MS Dhoni, Captain: On his first full-fledged assignment as captain in 2007, Mahendra Singh Dhoni had guided the Indian team to the inaugural World T20 title win and that was just the start of his successful stint.

While he failed to defend the title last year, Captain Cool is all set to repeat the success with his comrades when the tournament begins in the West Indies from April 30.

Virender Sehwag, Vice Captain: The aggressive right-handed opening batsman and occasional right-arm off-spin bowler was missed last year when India sought to defend its 2007 Cup and failed. Last year, Viru sat out with a shoulder injury, but in this IPL he has already struck form and is among the highest run getters.

Gautam Gambhir: The prolific run-scorer for Team India for the last one and a half year, Gambhir has been picked to take the Caribbean by storm, even though he's currently nursing a hamstring injury.

Yuvraj Singh: The flamboyant left-hander from Punjab had hogged the headlines in 2007 after hitting England's Stuart Broad for six Sixes in an over. He had played a vital role in India's title win.

In the last edition also, he was India's highest run-getter. Even though injuries and inconsistent form has been troubling the dashing batsman, Yuvraj is capable of turning the tide in his team's favour with his all-round abilities.

Suresh Raina: With his hard-hitting batting skills and all-round potential, Suresh Raina has cemented a place for himself in the Indian team. An agile fielder, who is always charging at the batsman, tightens India's fielding in the inner circle.

Raina's also has the ability to break partnerships with his occasional off-spin.

Yusuf Pathan: He is power personified. Yusuf makes every ground look small with his powerful lofty shots. His excellent show with the bat and the ball in the domestic circuit as well as in the Indian Premier League only validate his utility as player.

Ravindra Jadeja: This Saurashtra bowling all-rounder was a part of U-19 World Cup winning team and was picked by the Rajasthan Royals. His consistent performance earned him a place in the Indian squad and he did not let anybody down. More effective with the ball than the bat, Jadeja got a blow when he was banned by the IPL this year. However, he's got a chance in the World T20 to prove his detractors wrong.

Harbhajan Singh: One of the most senior members of the Indian team, Harbhajan Singh will take care of the spin department. He has the ability to not only restrict the run-flow but also strike at crucial junctures. In the inaugural T20 World Cup, Bhajji's contribution was an important one.

Zaheer Khan: Pace spearhead of the Indian team in all formats of the game, Zaheer Khan is undoubtedly one of the best among the contemporary bowlers. India will depend heavily on the left-arm pacer to provide the breakthroughs, who is known for his ability to swing the ball both ways.

Dinesh Karthik: Wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik, who is currently leading the Delhi Daredevils in the IPL in the absence of Gautam Gambhir, has been picked as the second wicketkeeper.

The Tamil Nadu keeper/batsman had made his international debut in 2004 and since then has been in and out of the side, mainly because of the presence of captain MS Dhoni as a regular keeper.

However, on recent occasions, Karthik has played as specialist batsman in the Indian side and justified his selection with good performance.

Ashish Nehra: Along with Zaheer, leading Team India's bowling attack in the T20 World Cup will be left-arm medium fast pacer Ashish Nehra. These two speedsters had spelt success for India in the 2003 World Cup and can really be destructive when bowl in tandem.

Praveen Kumar: Right-arm medium pace bowler, Praveen Kumar, who relies on his ability to swing the ball both ways along with line and length over speed, is a part of the Indian squad as well.

He is most effective with the new ball.

Kumar is also considered as a pinch hitter with the bat.

Rohit Sharma: Pegged by many analysts to be a permanent fixture on the Indian cricket team in the next decade, Rohit Sharma is a part of the squad.

Sharma is a right-handed middle-order batsman and occasional right-arm offbreak bowler. His athletic fielding and cool temperament compliments his graceful strokeplay.

Vinay Kumar: Vinay Kumar has been rewarded for his performance in domestic cricket and the recent IPL in which he is playing for the Bangalore Royal Challengers team. He is the new addition to the Indian squad.

Vinay is a right-arm medium fast bowler and a hard hitter.

Piyush Chawla: Along with Vinay Kumar, the leg-spinning all-rounder Piyush Chawla is the new addition to the squad.

Virat Kohli and Pragyan Ohja have been left out. Ishant Sharma, Irfan Pathan and RP Singh have also failed to make it to the squad.