Irfan Pathan includes Virat Kohli in his India squad for T20 World Cup

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan took on the difficult task of becoming an unofficial selector by picking India’s squad for the T20 World Cup that follows the Indian Premier League (IPL). Pathan spoke about players who had done enough for India and in the ongoing IPL to warrant a place while there were others who had yet to impress.

The T20 World Cup, to be played in USA and West Indies, will be an opportunity for India to end their ICC trophy drought that goes back to 2014 Champions Trophy. The T20 World Cup will get underway less than a week after the IPL concludes .

Pathan emphasised Kohli had hit the ground running after staying out of action for two months. Kohli had missed India’s five-match Test series against England . But he’s up and running with 181 runs from three matches in the IPL for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Many had questioned Kohli’s inclusion in the big ticket tournament, stressing on his strike rate.

To further stress Kohli’s importance at big events, Pathan reminded everyone of the star batter’s stupendous knock against Pakistan in the 2022 T20 World Cup .

“People are talking about Virat Kohli so I would like to say that his strike rate in international cricket (T20Is) is as good as Chris Gayle or even better than Gayle’s. His strike rate as far as the Indian power hitters are concerned Hardik Pandya: 139 and Virat Kohli: 137 - there isn’t much of a difference. Rohit Sharma is about 139, Kohli’s at 137.

“Always remember the 82* against Pakistan at the 2022 T20 World Cup. Whenever this question arises in your mind, always remember he is a big-stage player, a match winner and knows how to chase. He will excel under pressure. So there is no point in questioning,” Pathan was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

Pathan’s 15-member squad is uncertain on the wicketkeepers. It is three way race between Rishabh Pant, Jitesh Sharma and KL Rahul. Pant, on the mend after a car accident in December 2022, is showcasing his skills in the IPL where he scored a fifty against CSK.

On the other hand, Jitesh Sharma has shown promising talent but lacks serious experience at the international level.

Then there’s KL Rahul who presents versatility of being able to bat in various positions as per team requirements. But it comes with a caveat that he’s injury prone.

Pathan believes Pant and Sharma are the frontrunners to pick two of three keeper positions in the squad.

Irfan Pathan’s India squad for T20 World Cup

Batters: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku Singh

All-Rounders: Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja

Wicketkeepers: Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Jitesh Sharma (any two of them)

Spinners: Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi

Pacers: Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Mohsin Khan/Arshdeep Singh