The Indian Premier League (IPL) is in full swing, and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is gearing up to announce the squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup later this month. According to reports, India captain Rohit Sharma will meet with the chairman of the selection committee, Ajit Agarkar, and other office bearers to discuss the 15-man probables. The meeting is expected to take place on April 27 or 28 in Delhi.
Rohit Sharma will be in the national capital during that time for the IPL 2024 match between Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians, which will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Saturday, April 27. Agarkar is currently on vacation in Spain but will return in time for the meeting in Delhi.
The deadline to submit the 15-man squad list to the ICC is May 1. Players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Ravindra Jadeja, and Mohammed Siraj are all expected to make the cut for the squad.
However, star all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s place in the team is not certain. His selection will depend on his performance in IPL 2024. Pandya, who is currently leading Mumbai Indians, hasn’t been bowling in full tilt this season, while his batting has also been average.
The selectors are also monitoring the situation between Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal for the openers slot. Gill currently has the edge over Jaiswal, who has struggled in the first seven games for Rajasthan Royals. However, his performances in the past might force the selectors to think otherwise.
One of either Rinku Singh or Shivam Dube could be left out of the squad. As far as India’s second wicketkeeper is concerned, the selectors are keeping a close eye on the likes of Sanju Samson, KL Rahul, and Ishan Kishan, who is currently out of a central contract.
Yuzvendra Chahal is in contention for a place in the squad, but the likes of Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi are also in the race. Chahal hasn’t played a T20 World Cup yet, but his experience and IPL performances might give him the edge.