T20 World Cup 2024: Three players who will be key to England's title defence

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T20 World Cup 2024: England had a forgettable ODI World Cup 2023 campaign as the defending champions. It's time for them to defend their T20I crown, and would be looking to turn the tables this time.

England have the perfect T20I team to win the T20 World Cup 2024. They bat deep, have excellent all-rounders, world-class spinners, and tearaway pacers in Mark Wood, Jofra Archer and others.

However, Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone and Adil Rashid are the three players in Jos Buttler-led 15-member England squad, who will be crucial to England's campaign in the ninth edition of the ICC showpiece event.

Phil Salt: The England opener has been in top form recently. In the fourth and last T20I match against Pakistan on May 30, he blasted 45 runs off just 24 balls. The innings consisted of six fours and two sixes.

The 27-year-old right-hand batter also played a crucial role in KKR's title triumph in the IPL 2024. He scored 435 runs in 12 matches at an average of 39.54 and a strike rate of 182. Salt did not feature in the playoffs but his form travelled with him to England, and he would be now hoping to take it with him to the USA and the West Indies.

He has scored 687 runs in 23 T20Is at an average of 34.85 and a strike rate of 166.74. The youngster already has two T20I hundreds to his name.

Liam Livingstone: Spin-bowling all-rounders like Liam Livingstone are expected to come very handy in the West Indies conditions. The hard-hitting England batter has scored 619 runs in 40 matches at an average of 24.76 and a strike rate of 149.15. He has also hit a T20I hundred.

With his off-spin bowling Livingstone has also picked 21 wickets at an average of 27.38. Eyes will be on him throughout England's run in the tournament which is kicking off on June 1.

Adil Rashid: The number one ranked T20I bowler in the world picked two wickets for 27 runs in the fourth T20I against Pakistan on May 30. He clean bowled Mohammad Rizwan and Shadab Khan, and was also adjudged Man of the Match.

The extremely experienced leg-spinner has featured in 106 T20I matches and picked 110 wickets at an average of 25 and a strike rate of 20.31. Rashid is also England's fourth-highest wicket-taker in T20 World Cup history. He has picked 21 wickets in 22 matches at an economy of 6.99.