T20 World Cup: Selectors to meet in Ahmedabad today to mull India squad

India’s national selectors, led by Ajit Agarkar, will meet BCCI secretary Jay Shah in Ahmedabad on Tuesday to finalise the 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup in USA and West Indies. However, the official announcement might happen a day later (1 May).

The BCCI secretary, convenor of the senior selection committee, is busy with political commitments which is why the meeting will be held in Ahmedabad.

Read | Gaps that Team India will be looking to fill

The two big talking points for the meeting are the second wicketkeeper’s slot and all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s place in the side.

It is understood that it is between KL Rahul (IPL strike rate of 144 and 378 runs so far) and Sanju Samson (385 runs at a strike rate of 161) are in contention for the second wicketkeeper’s slot with Rishabh Pant bagging the top spot.

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Rajasthan Royals captain Samson has been a consistent performer for his IPL side but his No. 3 batting slot is hard to get him a place in the India team. Another school of thought, though, is that someone like Samson, who has played 25 T20Is, should not be considered based on just one good IPL season.

Read: Who are the wicket-keepers in contention?

In case of KL Rahul, members of the coaching staff might push for his inclusion but many believe that his approach in T20 cricket remains archaic. However, he is still considered a better bet than Samson at No. 5 or 6 on slowish Caribbean tracks.

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The other option, Jitesh Sharma, is in very poor form for Punjab Kings, while Dhruv Jurel hasn’t got a chance to keep wickets. During the last game in Lucknow, he scored a fifty.

Left-handed batter Tilak Varma, who is also a handy off-spinner, remains an option along with pacer Sandeep Sharma, the Punjab veteran whose slower variations at the death have played a big role in Rajasthan Royals’ surge to the top of the IPL table.