India’s T20 World Cup squad announcement highlighted Hardik Pandya’s retention as vice-captain despite recent form concerns, which were revealed by BCCI source.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced India’s provisional squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup on Tuesday. Much debated Hardik Pandya along with Sanju Samson and Yuzvendra Chahal earned their spots with impressive performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL), while some in-form players like Shubman Gill and Rinku Singh missed out as reserves.
The squad, led by Rohit Sharma, was selected after a meeting between BCCI secretary Jay Shah and chief selector Ajit Agarkar. Rohit Sharma and Agarkar are expected to address the media on May 2nd in Mumbai.
Hardik Pandya retained his position as vice-captain despite his recent dip in form while leading the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. Hard-hitting batter Shivam Dube also found a place in the squad thanks to his strong showing for the Chennai Super Kings.
“There was a lot of debate over Hardik’s place in the squad while Samson was not debated much. Rinku was just unlucky. It was a toss-up between (Dube and Rinku with Hardik also in the squad),” a BCCI source told PTI, as quoted by NDTV.
Samson, who has excelled as both a batter and captain for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, was chosen as the second wicketkeeper-batter behind Rishabh Pant. This selection comes ahead of established names like KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan.
Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who last played for India in August 2023, joins Kuldeep Yadav as the second wrist spinner in the squad.
However, Shubman Gill, the in-form captain of the Gujarat Titans in the IPL, was named among the standby players, alongside Kolkata Knight Riders’ big-hitter Rinku Singh.
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The selectors opted for faith in Yashasvi Jaiswal, who started the IPL slowly but found his rhythm with a recent swashbuckling century for the Rajasthan Royals. The experienced Virat Kohli, who displayed strong batting form in the IPL, completes India’s top order.
The T20 World Cup kicks off in June across the USA and the Caribbean. India’s campaign begins on June 5th against Ireland.
Last Updated on April 30, 2024
