As the deadline for the announcement of the provisional squad for the T20 World Cup squad nears, the top contenders for the Indian team seem to have stepped up their game in IPL 2024. While Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been in sublime form right from the start of this edition, many of the contenders are making a late push to seal a spot in the final 15.
The selection committee, comprising the chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar, captain Rohit Sharma, and head coach Rahul Dravid, will have a tough time when they convene sometime next week. The squad is expected to be announced on May 1 or the next day. Until then, the hopefuls will present their best case for selection, and while we can think that most of the squad picks themselves, there are quite a few candidates for each of the first 11 spots.
Let’s try to decode which contenders are leading this race and which seem to have lost steam. Before that, here’s our prediction of the best possible Indian squad the selectors could pick.
1. Rohit Sharma (C), 2. Virat Kohli, 3. Suryakumar Yadav, 4. Rishabh Pant (WK), 5. Hardik Pandya, 6. Shivam Dube, 7. Ravindra Jadeja, 8. Kuldeep Yadav. 9. Arshdeep Singh, 10. Jasprit Bumrah, 11. Yuzvendra Chahal, 12. Shubman Gill, 13. Sanju Samson (WK), 14. Rinku Singh 15. Khaleel Ahmed
Virat Kohli is the leading run-getter in the IPL 2024 and has topped the Orange Cap List for IPL 2024 from the first week. Going purely by numbers (379 runs in eight matches, striking at 150.39), Kohli has to be India’s first-choice opener, but things have a very different way of working, and we do not know what the selectors might be thinking. By virtue of being the skipper of the team, Rohit Sharma should be the other opener. Going by his form, he has been alright, too. With 303 runs in eight matches, he is 10th on the Orange Cap list. However, the significant factors for both players are their strike rates – 150.39 and 162.90, respectively.
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Then comes the leading contenders, and even though Yashasvi Jaiswal had a very underwhelming start to his IPL 2024, his century against Mumbai Indians has pushed him into contention – also the fact that he is earmarked as the brightest prospect of India. Shubman Gill, the crown prince, is raking up the numbers consistently and has 304 runs in nine matches, striking at 146.15. One of these two will likely be the backup opener in the squad of 15.
Then there is Ruturaj Gaikwad. Once again, a century last week has propelled him to the second spot in the Orange Cap list in IPL 2024 with 349 runs in eight matches with a strike rate of 142.44. He has two fifties to go with his one century. KL Rahul, too, has been in good touch at the top of the order for Lucknow Super Giants with 302 runs in seven matches, striking at 141.12. With his stellar strike rate of 215.96, Abhishek Sharma has impressed inside the powerplay overs and should be part of the discussion. Ishan Kishan, however, seems to have conceded his spot with inconsistent returns for Mumbai Indians. He has 192 runs in eight matches, striking at 168.42, and has only one fifty-plus score this season.
No.3 – Suryakumar Yadav/Virat Kohli/Sanju Samson/Tilak Varma
Suryakumar Yadav, by default, should be India’s first-choice No.3. Coming off a lengthy injury layoff, SKY has shown that it has not affected his batting in any way. He has 140 runs in five matches, and even though he has two ducks to his name, he has also managed two quick-fire fifties. His strike rate stands at an impressive 166.66.
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Another intriguing name here is Kohli, who has, for most of his career in T20Is, batted at No.3. however, he is trying to push his case as an opener. But, the Indian team management could go back to Kohli at No.3, meaning SKY will have to drop down to No.4. That will not be an ideal scenario for team India, but who knows? The leading contenders for the backup role at No.3 are Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma. Samson has made a strong case for being in the final 15 with 314 runs in eight matches, striking at 152.42 and is seventh on the Orange Cap list. Another name is Varma, who has played handy cameos for Mumbai Indians and is a left-hander. Varma has 273 runs in eight matches, striking at 151.66.
No.4 – Rishabh Pant/Suryakumar Yadav/Sanju Samson/Tilak Varma
Rishabh Pant has set the IPL 2024 stage on fire, and considering he was away from the game for 14 months after the horrific car accident, it is incredible that the explosive left-hander has not missed a beat. He should be the designated wicketkeeper-batter and first choice at No.4. With his blistering 88 not out against Gujarat Titans the other day, Pant has raced to the 2nd spot in the Orange Cap List with 342 runs in nine matches, striking at 161.32.
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The contenders here would be SKY only if India goes ahead and slots Kohli at #3 and has either Jaiswal or Gill at the opening slot alongside Rohit. Samson can bat anywhere in the middle order, and the same holds true for Varma. Samson has the advantage of doubling up as the backup wicketkeeping option.
No.5 – Hardik Pandya/Riyan Parag/Shivam Dube
By being the vice-captain, you have to slot in Hardik Pandya at No.5 because, frankly, there is no other ideal slot for him in the playing XI. He has not had the greatest of times with the bat in IPL 2024, but because he is your premium fast-bowling allrounder, he has to be in the XI to lend balance. Going purely by the numbers, some would feel he does not merit a place in the XI itself, but as mentioned earlier, his value as a bowler will help him earn a spot in the playing XI.
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Who are the contenders for the No.5 spot then? Shivam Dube is the first name that comes to mind. He has owned this IPL with his brutal power-hitting, and while No.6 should be his ideal spot, he can be bumped up to No.5 as per the match situation. Batting at No.5 or below, Dube has racked up an impressive 311 runs in eight matches at a strike rate of 169.94. Rajasthan Royals’ Riyan Parag could stand an outside chance to be picked in the 15. He is having a windfall season with the bat, scoring 318 runs in eight matches, striking at 161.42. Like Dube, he is also one of the contenders for the No.6 spot.
No.6 – Shivam Dube/Rinku Singh/Riyan Parag/Dinesh Karthik
The finisher’s role in the playing XI has to go to Dube. There should not be any doubt about that. But in terms of contenders, you have Kolkata Knight Riders Rinku Singh. He has not had much of a hit with the bat this season, but in his limited opportunities, he has provided that late-order impetus, striking at 159.70. Parag again features here with an outside chance. Another exciting name is the ‘World Cup Cycle’ specialist Dinesh Karthik. The veteran could be in the discussion for a spot as he is mauling the bowlers in the death overs. His strike rate is the most impressive and currently stands at 196.09 after eight matches.
No.7 Ravindra Jadeja/Axar Patel
Assuming India will go with a spin-bowling allrounder at No.7 – the best here is Ravindra Jadeja. He had missed the 2022 T20 World Cup owing to an injury, and even though his returns have been meagre both with the bat and the ball this season, part of it is down to how well Dube has played and, more often than not, CSK have bumped Dube, and in some matches, even Dhoni ahead of the southpaw. As a bowler, he only has four wickets to show in the eight games he has played, but his economy of 7.85 – when most bowlers this season have gone over nine RPO – would come in handy when India looks for a holding option with the ball in the middle overs.
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Axar Patel, Jadeja’s mirror image, is the ideal backup for the Saurashtra cricketer. Axar has managed to do better than Jadeja both with the bat and the ball in IPL 2024 so far.
No.8 – Kuldeep Yadav/Yuzvendra Chahal
Again, going by the assumption that India would pick their specialist spinner at this position, the frontrunner is, of course, DC’s Kuldeep Yadav. He is currently fourth on the wicket-takers List – the Purple Cap List – this IPL with 12 wickets at an average of 15.25. And his economy is not bad either – 7.62. But Yuzvendra Chahal has put in a solid performance this IPL season with the ball and is currently second on the Purple Cap list with 13 wickets; however, he has a higher economy (8.83) than that of Kuldeep. Chahal, the leading wicket-taker for India in T20I, was not selected for the 2020 T20 World Cup and did not feature in any of the 2022 T20 World Cup matches. It’s time for Chahal to get his due and make a World Cup appearance. It would be great if India could include both the leg spinners in the XI.
No.9, No.10 – Arshdeep Singh/Avesh Khan/Khaleel Ahmed/Mohammad Siraj/Harshit Rana/Harshal Patel/Yuzvendra Chahal/Sandeep Sharma/Mayank Yadav
Now, on to the bowlers, and frankly, bowlers this IPL season have had a torrid time unless you are Jasprit Bumrah. So, it is a matter of picking the best support cast for Bumrah. Arshdeep has been in India’s T20I scheme for a while, so his name would come up when the Indian think tank sits and discusses the No.9 and 10 slots. He has ten wickets to his name in eight matches at an average of 25.70 and economy of 9.40 and is a left-armer. Speaking of left-armers, DC’s Khaleel Ahmed also makes a case and has a slightly better economy than Arshdeep – 10 wickets in 9 matches at 30.60, going at 9.27. Avesh Khan also puts his name among this lot, but again, he, like others, is also not a standout option. He has eight wickets at 36.50 in eight matches and an economy of 9.41.
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KKR’s Harshit Rana stands an outside chance purely because the franchise has put faith in this young bowler to bowl the tricky overs, and he has delivered. He has nine wickets in six matches at an average of 20.55 and an economy of 9.25. Another interesting name on this list is the veteran Harshal Patel, who is second on the Purple Cap list with 13 wickets at 21.38 and an economy of 9.58. Patel had booked a ticket to the 2022 T20 World Cup on the back of a stellar back-to-back IPL season then, but had proved to be a royal bust come the World Cup. It is doubtful the management will go back to the Haryana pacer.
In the absence of Mohammad Shami (who is out with injury), Mohammad Siraj is India’s most experienced international bowler. Still, he could not have had a worse IPL season. In seven matches, he has managed only five wickets at an average of 53.80, and his economy rate of 10.34 also needs to make for a better reading. RCB were even forced to drop him for one of their games. Among bowlers to have bowled over 20 overs in IPL 2024, his average is better than only Bhuvneshwar Kumar and R Ashwin’s.
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As mentioned earlier, if India is thinking of going with three spinners, then they will have to sacrifice one of the pacers’ slots, rely on Bumrah and Pandya to bowl their quota of overs, and pack the playing XI with the spin of Jadeja, Kuldeep, and Chahal.
Two other names currently doing the rounds are Sandeep Sharma, who has six wickets in just three matches at an average of 12.66 and an economy of 6.90 – but it needs to be a more significant sample size to get him into the reckoning. The other is the young pace sensation, Mayank Yadav, who walked away with two back-to-back Player of the Match awards but played only one more match before breaking down. Would India risk taking a fragile commodity like him to the USA and the West Indies? The blunt answer would be a resounding NO.
No.11 – Jasprit Bumrah
This IPL season, there is Jasprit Bumrah, daylight, and the rest of the bowlers. He has an economy of 6.37, which is the best by a country mile for bowlers who have bowled a minimum of 20 overs. He is the leading wicket-taker this season with 13 wickets and averages 15.69 with the ball. There is no contender, even for the sake of it, for Bumrah at this position and in India’s playing XI.
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