Sanju, Pant and 38-year-old veteran; battle aggravates for World Cup wicket-keeper spot

MUMBAI: Team India will have to fly to the Caribbean’s right after IPL sees curtains this year; to take part in the T20 World Cup tournament. India will head off to the States in high hopes of settling all debt for the heartbreak received in the World Cup Final 2023 at Ahmedabad.

With the IPL season halfway through, the discussions about the World Cup squad have already gone rife in the camp. Captain Rohit Sharma, coach Rahul Dravid and chief selector Ajit Agarkar are said to have conducted a covert meeting to discuss the matter.

Considering the present situation, there is no dearth of talent and a tug-of-war to adorn the priceless national colours on one of ICCs biggest stages is already in full swing. As per the latest reports, captain Rohit Sharma has already apprised the coach and selection committee about his preferred squad list. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will be India's openers in the World Cup. Youngsters Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal will be considered as backup openers.

Suryakumar Yadav has secured his position at number three. According to reports, young player Riyan Parag is being considered for the number four spot, which will see him doing a coup and taking over the spot of Shreyas Iyer. Parag has been in dazzling form in the domestic season as well as in IPL. Although Hardik Pandya is being considered as an all-rounder, Rohit Sharma has suggested Pandya be given his place only if his bowling improves in the ongoing IPL season.

Neither Rohit Sharma nor Rahul Dravid have glittering words of praise for Pandya's batting. It is only to bolster bowling that Pandya’s name is kept under consideration. Rinku Singh and Shivam Dubey have already emerged as a better alternative to Pandya. However, the biggest headache for Rohit will be in the selection process of wicketkeepers for the team.

It is simply not like the older days when wicketkeepers were a rare find. As of now, six players are vying for the squad which also includes Malayali player Sanju Samson. Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant is back in peak form right after returning from a major accident scare.

Sanju Samson has already scored three half-centuries in this season. Under his captaincy, Rajasthan Royals is thriving this season and considering all these factors, the Malayali is on the top of the list to be included in the squad this time. Delhi, on the other hand, is reeling from consecutive defeats but surprisingly enough, Rishab Pant continues to impress.

While Pant and Sanju challenge each other with their performances, 38-year-old Dinesh Karthik has also emerged as a favourite for his terrific performance for RCB this season.

In Mumbai Indians, Rohit's fellow opener Ishan Kishan is also in brilliant form. Apart from them, Jitesh Sharma and KL Rahul are also waiting for the opportunity.