Indian team for T20 World Cup: Who will keep wickets, can Dube pip Hardik, Kuldeep or Chahal?

As Dinesh Karthik kept clearing the fence in an Indian Premier League (IPL) fixture against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium, his old friend and the captain of the Indian team, Rohit Sharma, walked up to him, applauded, and said in jest, “ World Cup ke selection ke liye push karna hai isko, shabash! Dimaag mein chal raha hai iska World Cup…(He’s pushing for World Cup selection. He has the World Cup selection in his mind).”

On the face of it, that seemed like banter between two colleagues who have known each other since their formative years, but not quite. Rohit’s words were significant, with the T20 World Cup just a few days away and the national selection committee set to decide on the 15-member squad soon. But what about Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson? They are strong candidates for the job.

By the time the ICC tournament gets underway in the USA and the West Indies, Karthik will have turned 39. But his phenomenal form in this edition of the IPL as a finisher certainly makes him a contender. Featuring for a star-studded yet struggling Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Karthik has so far amassed 262 runs, with a couple of fifties at a strike rate of 195.52. And his record of guiding India home in tricky situations — a la the Nidahas Trophy back in 2018 — certainly adds gloss to his glorious resume.

However, the four-member selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, will find it challenging. Focusing on breaking India’s title jinx in an ICC tournament since 2013, the selectors, like the team management, will have to answer a fundamental question before they sit down to pick the final 15 — should the side be constructed based on the current trend or should it go by reputation and opt for big names?

According to former national selector Bhupinder Singh, the factor that will play a significant role is the playing conditions. “We are playing in New York, and there is little idea about the pitches. The boundary’s size and the playing surface’s character will count a lot. As for the team, I think it is more or less settled — six batters, two all-rounders, three fast bowlers, and two spinners,” said Bhupinder.

Selection is always a tricky start, but going by tradition, it is unlikely that the selection committee would allow room for experiments. It would like to proceed with the players who have been part of the set-up over the years. However, the only position that could see three-way battle is the wicketkeeper’s. Going by the current form, Karthik has tough competition from Samson and the comeback man Pant.

However, former India wicketkeeper-batter and national selector Syed Saba Karim puts his money on Pant. “You need to pick players who have done it for you,” Karim says. “The way Rishabh has come back, he has carved his script here, and he is an absolute match-winner and can play those impact innings.”

Pant has had a fairytale comeback to professional cricket 15 months after a horrific car crash. As the captain of Delhi Capitals, Pant has been exceptional both with the bat and behind the stumps. Karim is impressed with the youngster and has no intention of looking for a replacement. “He is someone who can fare well against any top-quality bowler. Most international teams have five top-quality bowlers plus a sixth bowling option.”

Before the IPL started, there were debates over the future of Virat Kohli in white-ball cricket. However, the former India captain has ensured that he strikes form in the tournament (430 runs in nine matches at a strike rate of 145.76) and assures himself of a ticket to the USA.

In the previous editions of the T20 World Cup — in 2021 and 2022 — India failed to cross the line despite some of the biggest names in the ranks. That led to questions on whether it was a fair call to pick a half-fit Hardik Pandya, who could not even bowl in the UAE, or leave out the seasoned leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal.

These are some aspects that need to be considered this time. Karim has an interesting suggestion: “Since the conditions are new and the grounds are untested, it would have been nice if someone from the coaching staff or the Board could visit those venues, do a bit of recce, and update the selectors, based on which they can make an informed decision.”

While that may be wishful thinking, the former selector believes it is essential for Agarkar and his team to ‘look at players who can be match-winners’. “It’s not about scoring 50s or 100s; it’s about delivering those knocks when it matters the most,” Karim says, and for that to happen, there isn’t a need for too much tweaking.

In a format that’s fast and demanding, stability is the key. While the former selectors believe that India’s core team looks solid, the majority is in favour of picking Pandya as a middle-order batter and a fourth fast-bowling option, despite him being at the receiving end of the Mumbai Indians fans.

“International cricket is a different ball game altogether,” says Surendra Bhave, one of the selectors who picked India’s ODI World Cup-winning team in 2011.

Bhave believes that tournaments like the T20 World Cup deserve that sincerity, and it’s essential to go with seniority rather than experimentation.

“Let’s be honest. There’s a huge difference between the IPL and international cricket, and we need to keep that in mind when picking a team,” Bhave says. While he firmly believes that there’s no alternative to big-match temperament — Virat and Rohit bring that to the table — Bhave hopes to see Shivam Dube and his ward Ruturaj Gaikwad in the ranks. Dube has been in excellent form since India’s T20 series against Afghanistan, while Ruturaj has made his presence felt for both the Indian team and Chennai Super Kings.

“Dube moved up quite a bit last year, and the selectors should look at him,” Bhave says, adding, “Ruturaj, on the other hand, operates at a sublime level.

If you have to get cracking against quality bowling, he is an exceptional player and looks solid against any bowling.”

But will there be enough space to fit all the ‘deserving’ candidates?