Heard about the ambidextrous spinner, the Yorkshireman who plays for Australia or the Scotland international with a 41-ball Twenty20 hundred?

BBC Sport picks out the men to watch during what promises to be a thrilling tournament, including England’s wildcard, India’s returning spinner and the player known as ‘The Spiceman’.

The ambidextrous bowler – Kamindu Mendis

With Sri Lanka widely expected to struggle without star names of the past, their most eye-catching player may well be 23-year-old all-rounder Kamindu Mendis.

Although primarily a left-handed middle-order batter, Mendis is notable for being an ambidextrous bowler, who switches between right-arm off-spin and left-arm orthodox spin.

His record is modest – he has not taken a wicket in five T20s for Sri Lanka – but he could be one of the most intriguing players to watch at the tournament.

Did you know? Kamindu made his Sri Lanka T20 debut against England in Colombo in 2018, hitting 24 off 14 balls.

The Yorkshireman turned Aussie – Josh Inglis

Saturday 30 October is a date for your diary – the day England and Australia meet in Dubai. It will be a particularly interesting day for uncapped Australia wicketkeeper Josh Inglis.

Born in Leeds, Inglis lived in the UK until the age of 14, when his family emigrated to Australia.

He played junior cricket for Yorkshire, turned out in a second XI game alongside England and Yorkshire spinner Adil Rashid and admitted as recently as 2017 that he supported England.

Now 26, Inglis could play against Rashid’s side for their biggest rivals in a World Cup.

Did you know? Inglis was the top run-scorer in this year’s T20 Blast with 531 runs at a strike-rate of 175.82 for Leicestershire.

Scotland’s big hitter – George Munsey

Asked to name the England-born batter with the fastest men’s T20 international hundred, you might get through quite a few names – Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone, Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow perhaps? – before finding the right answer.

In fact, Oxford-born Scotland international George Munsey holds that record after hitting a 41-ball century against the Netherlands in 2019.

The opener, 28, ended on 127 not out from 56 balls, an innings that included 14 sixes – the joint-second highest in a T20 innings.

Did you know? Munsey, who played county cricket for Kent this summer, also hit a 25-ball hundred in an unofficial T20 match for Gloucestershire second XI.

England’s form man – Liam Livingstone

At the start of 2021 Liam Livingstone’s place in England’s T20 squad was far from certain. By the end of the summer the 28-year-old had made himself a definite in the XI.

He goes into the competition as one of the world’s form players.

Livingstone hit a thrilling 42-ball century against Pakistan in the first T20 in July, smashed a six straight out of Headingley two days later and was then top scorer in the inaugural men’s Hundred with 348 runs at an average of 58.

The grounds in the UAE are small. Will they be big enough for Livingstone?

Did you know? Livingstone’s hundred against Pakistan was the fastest for England in T20 cricket.

The man of 2021 – Mohammad Rizwan

As good as Livingstone has been, he still trails the highest run-scorer in T20 matches this year, Mohammad Rizwan.

The Pakistan wicketkeeper has scored 1,445 runs in 32 innings in 2021 at an average of 57.80. In T20 internationals this year Rizwan averages 94.

The slight 29-year-old was not seen as a T20 player until this devastating form but, alongside captain Babar Azam, he will spearhead Pakistan’s bid for a second T20 World Cup title.

Did you know? Rizwan and Babar are the two leading run-scorers in T20 cricket this year.

India’s odd one out – Ravichandran Ashwin

After a summer where he curiously carried drinks throughout the Test series in England, Ravichandran Ashwin was recalled for a World Cup in a format he has not played internationally for more than four years.

It was a surprise selection from one of the tournament favourites, especially after a fallout with captain Virat Kohli was suggested as a reason the world’s number two-ranked bowler sat out four consecutive Tests in England.

Ashwin, 35, had a quiet time with the ball in the Indian Premier League but once again managed to find the headlines.

He had heated a row with England captain Eoin Morgan when he chose to run an overthrow single after a throw had deflected off the non-striker’s bat, surely adding further spice to match between India and England should they meet in the the latter stages.

Did you know? It is 1,567 days since 35-year-old Ashwin last played a white-ball match for India.

‘The Spiceman’ – Andre Fletcher

West Indies possess a fearsome batting line-up featuring some of the most destructive batters in the game.

Alongside Chris Gayle, Andre Russell and Kieron Pollard, one of the lesser names is Andre Fletcher – or ‘The Spiceman’ as he is known.

The flamboyant 33-year-old is a hard-hitting top-order batter with a love for cooking and baking. During the Big Bash he filmed cooking tutorials and blind spice-tasting tests, while he also posted pictures of banana bread and tarts during lockdown.

Did you know? Fletcher scored 84 not out – his highest T20 international score – in the 2016 World Twenty20 against Sri Lanka.

England’s wildcard – Tymal Mills

After four years away, left-arm pace bowler Tymal Mills has fought off injury troubles and found form to regain his place in the England squad.

It’s also a welcome return for England, who have lost premier fast bowler Jofra Archer and left-arm seamer and all-rounder Sam Curran to injury.

Mills, 29, has spent recent years away from the international scene honing his skills in various domestic leagues.

He has become a formidable T20 performer, mixing 90mph deliveries with deceptive slower balls, and has the best economy rate in the T20 death overs of any pace bowler in the world.

Did you know? Mills, who has a congenital back condition, was in a back brace as recently as February because of a stress fracture.