The national selection committee is unlikely to call up any rookie IPL performers for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the Americas, but a couple of tried-and-true faces may have to brace themselves for disappointment when the squad is finalised by the end of the month.
With the ICC mandating that the provisional 15-member squad be announced by the May 1 cut-off date, Ajit Agarkar and his colleagues face some simple decisions if every team member is fit.
“There would be no experimentation or unexpected choices. “All those who have played for India and consistently performed well in T20 Internationals and the IPL will be rewarded,” a BCCI source told PTI on condition of anonymity.
It is understood that one of Shubman Gill or Yashasvi Jaiswal may be left out, but if both proven performers are selected in the final 15, only one of the top two finishers — Kolkata Knight Riders’ Rinku Singh or Chennai Super Kings’ Shivam Dube — will be chosen.
The other close call could be for the second wicketkeeper position, where Sanju Samson faces competition from Jitesh Sharma, KL Rahul, and Ishan Kishan.
Rahul and Kishan bat at the top of the order, and they have yet to bat in the middle order in this IPL season, making it difficult for the selectors to assess their impact down the order.
Although Hardik Pandya’s bowling fitness is a concern, he will still likely be selected. Virat Kohli’s inclusion, like his own, is a formality.
The other automatic selections are skipper Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, pacer Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, and Kuldeep Yadav. These ten names, if fit, will undoubtedly be on the flight across the Atlantic.
It is understood that Siraj is being rested by RCB because he has been playing constantly and requires workload management.
In the choice between Gill and Jaiswal, the former has scored more runs, but Jaiswal, who has been a big find for Indian cricket, the selection committee may not give up on him just because of a few poor IPL scores.
Also, being the only left-hander in the top four is unusual, especially in a largely unidimensional top order.
However, if Gill scores enough runs, the selectors will face a difficult decision unless they accommodate both and drop one of Shivam and Rinku from the 15.
Axar Patel, a handy batter in addition to being an accurate left-arm spinner, Yuzvendra Chahal, who has yet to play a single T20 World Cup match in his nine-year international career, and Ravi Bishnoi, who plays for Lucknow Super Giants, could all compete for the reserve spinner position.
While Chahal is head and shoulders above the other two in terms of bowling ability, his repeated exclusion from important squads raises serious concerns about his inclusion in the showpiece in June.
The impact Player rule is hurting team selection
A former international player who is now a broadcaster provided an interesting perspective. “The ‘Impact Player’ rule, which is essentially a glorified ’12-a-side’ cricket match, has been beneficial for IPL viewership but detrimental to Indian cricket. It has killed the concept of an all-rounder, so even a half-fit Hardik Pandya has premium value because he can bowl,” he said.
“Think about it: if there was no Impact Player rule, could MS Dhoni (not Ruturaj Gaikwad) as CSK’s’skipper’ afford not to bowl Dube?” Selectors are unaware of Dube’s bowling form.
“Similarly, Rahul Tewatia is no longer in contention despite being a good finisher and a useful leg-break bowler. He doesn’t bowl anymore because he is an ‘Impact Player’. Who is it hurting? “The national team,” he explained.
A new crop of T20 players
Riyan Parag, Mayank Yadav, Abhishek Sharma, and Harshit Rana have all performed well, but it is understood that the selection committee would prefer to ease them into the team through bilateral cricket rather than putting them to the test in a high-stakes World T20 game.
There are two white-ball series against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, and these young men will be making their India debuts at that time. Nitish Reddy, a seam bowling all-rounder who was a member of India’s Emerging team that toured Sri Lanka last year, could also take the same route.
It will be interesting to see if the BCCI makes arrangements for players like Mayank Yadav, Harshit Rana, and Akash Madhwal to be assigned as net bowlers, which would provide them with valuable experience.
The probable 20 (15+5 stand-bys) in contention:
Specialist Batters (6): Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku Singh
All-Rounders (4): Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel.
Specialist Spinners (3): Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi.
Wicketkeeper-batter (3): Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul and Sanju Samson.
Pacers(4): Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh and Avesh Khan.
