When Indian selectors will meet later in April to finalize the 15-man squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, they are expected to have a discussion over five spots, as 10 players are nearly guaranteed to secure their places in the squad.
Deciding who fills the remaining five slots will heavily depend on performances in the ongoing IPL 2024. However, it won’t be a straightforward task for the selection committee, headed by Ajit Agarkar. The challenge lies in the abundance of contenders vying for these limited spots, with as many as four candidates eyeing the position of the second wicketkeeper alone.
10 Players Have Been Confirmed For India’s T20 World Cup 2024 Squad
As per a report by PTI, besides captain Rohit Sharma, the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav have a confirmed berth.
However, a fierce competition is underway among numerous top IPL performers, particularly for the role of the second wicketkeeper. Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul, Jitesh Sharma, and Dhruv Jurel are some of the contenders vying to serve as Pant’s backup.
Shubman Gill vs Yashasvi Jaiswal:
With reports suggesting that the Indian selectors could pair Rohit and Kohli as opening batsmen in the World Cup, a battle is brewing between the young duo of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill for the backup opener’s position.
Though Yashasvi Jaiswal has failed to leave a mark with his performance in the ongoing 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League, however, his past record is impressive. On the other hand, Shubman Gill has been in an amazing form in IPL 2024 but he needs to maintain his consistency in order to stay ahead of Jaiswal in this race.
Will Yuzvendra Chahal Make A Comeback?
With Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja likely being the first-choice spinners, there’s a three-way tussle for the reserve spin bowling spot between Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Ravi Bishnoi.
Axar Patel holds a slight advantage over his competitors due to his batting and fielding abilities. However, Chahal is considered the superior bowler among the three. Despite this, Chahal’s past performances might work against him, potentially leaving him out of contention once again.
