According to a report from PTI on Wednesday, April 17, the BCCI selection committee will not be experimenting with the India squad selection for the upcoming 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
The 2024 T20 World Cup will take place from June 1 to June 29 in the United States of America (USA) and the Caribbean.
Per the reports, the selectors are unlikely to fast-track any inexperienced or uncapped players into the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup, prioritising those who have performed well for India in T20Is in the recent past and those who perform well in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
In light of ICC’s mandate that the provisional 15-man squad be announced by May 1st, Ajit Agarkar and those around him will need to make some simple decisions based on how well those in contention have performed and how their fitness is holding up.
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“There would not be any experimentation or left-field selections. All those who have played for India and have done well consistently in T20 Internationals and the IPL will be rewarded,” a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal are both considered strong contenders, but only one of the top two finishers — Rinku Singh and Shivam Dube — will book a spot in the team if both of these contenders are chosen for the last 15.
Rohit Sharma is set to lead the team; the inclusions of Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh are all but confirmed to be in the final 15-man squad provided they are fit.
Rishabh Pant has made a solid comeback from a long-term injury, performing well in IPL 2024. He is expected to be the first-choice wicketkeeper, leaving the battle of the backup wicketkeepers to be fought between KL Rahul, Jitesh Sharma, Sanju Samson, and Ishan Kishan.
Axar Patel could be selected for the final 15, too, considering that his left-arm spin could be handy on sluggish West Indies and USA wickets, not to mention his handy ball-hitting ability, too.
That leaves the backup spinner and backup pacer slots to be filled. Rajasthan Royals’ duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Avesh Khan are enjoying great individual season and are among the top wicket-takers this season. Ravi Bishnoi, who reached the No.1 ranking in T20Is for bowlers in late 2023, is said to be in contention, too.
The likes of Riyan Parag and Mayank Yadav, who have had phenomenal seasons with the bat and ball, respectively, will not be selected as the selectors do not want to risk experimenting with inexperienced cricketers.
MORE: Who will make the India squad for 2024 T20 World Cup?
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Based on PTI’s report, here are the 20 players (15-man final squad + 5 reserves) who are most likely to be selected for the 2024 T20 World Cup:
Batsmen: Rohit Sharma (C), Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku Singh
Wicketkeepers: Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, KL Rahul
All-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube
Spinners: Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi
Pacers: Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan
MORE: Will Hardik Pandya be dropped from India’s T20 World Cup squad?
According to The Sporting News, here’s what India’s most likely XI at the 2024 T20 World Cup would look like:
Bench: Sanju Samson, Shubman Gill, Mohammed Siraj, Ravi Bishnoi
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Parshva is a Content Producer for The Sporting News’ India edition.
