Team India selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar explained how the decision to pick Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson as the wicketkeeping options ahead of KL Rahul in the squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup was made. Rahul, despite not playing a single T20I since India’s exit from the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, was in the race after a promising 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign.
He returned from injury in time to lead the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), and he is currently in the Orange Cap race, having scored 406 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 142.96 as well. Agarkar also clarified that the team needed options in the middle order, and with Samson and Pant doing well as compared to KL Rahul’s opening role as well.
“KL is a terrific player, we all know that. The thing we were obviously looking at is guys who are batting in the middle. At the moment, KL is batting at the top. We feel Sanju has the ability to come down the order, if need be. Rishabh is batting at No.5 for Delhi, so that was more the thinking. It was not whether KL is better or these guys are better, it is about the slots that we needed and these two are better equipped at this point,” Agarkar said during a press-conference in Mumbai on Thursday.
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“Generally, as a selector, you want a leader, and Rohit has been a terrific leader. There are hardly six months between the T20 World Cup and the ODI World Cup, I know Hardik led a few series before, but Rohit’s form in the World Cup, coupled with how much time we have, you want to try and start planning. Rohit’s a great player, it is not like it is forced upon us to choose him,” Agarkar said about Rohit Sharma.
However, there was a lot of speculation regarding who would lead Team India at the T20 World Cup, as Rohit Sharma had not played any T20Is last year at all. However, all of those rumours took a step back as he was named captain.
“I think we have had our conversations for the last few months anyway, so you have a fair idea of what you are looking for. Of course there are some great performances in the IPL that you keep track of, then there is fitness levels of players. But, if you start getting swayed by three or four weeks of cricket, then there is something wrong in your thinking. We were pretty clear with what we wanted to do,” Ajit Agarkar stated.
However, the IPL has been a huge parameter for selection in the past, and Agarkar said that the majority of the squad was locked in well
before the IPL through discussions with Rohit Sharma as well. Although there were some breakthrough stars in the IPL, including the
likes of Riyan Parag, Mayank Yadav etc., the selection committee have backed the players who have played before in the Indian setup.
Notably, Shivam Dube is one of the candidates in the squad that earned his place through the IPL. Although he was in sublime form in national colours as well as in IPL campaign in the middle overs, Team India might need him as an all-rounder as well.
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“I think he has come after a longish layoff, the good part that we have looked at is – he has got through all of the games so far for MI. As long as he stays fit, we know what he brings, how much balance he gives the team. I don’t think there is a replacement for the things he can do as a cricketer at the moment,” Agarkar said.”Specially, when it comes to the way he bowls. Really gives balance to the side. I think he will give Rohit options to play different combinations. So, his fitness for us is critical and so far, fortunately, he has gone okay in the IPL.”
“Unfortunately, Shivam has not bowled a single over in the IPL, but he is a seasoned cricketer, who bowls a lot of overs in red-ball cricket. So, he knows how to bowl, it’s just that when he plays the T20 format, it is just a little bit of skills coming into the picture. If we need Shivam to bowl a few overs, he will be bowling a few overs,” Rohit Sharma concluded.
