Which WK Will Be Part Of India Squad 2024 T20 WC: The ongoing 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League is the arena for auditions for national team prospects ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Players who have even the slightest chance of making it to the tournament, which will kick off on June 1 in the West Indies and the US, will be showcasing why it is them who should make the squad.
This audition is not more packed and difficult for anyone than for the wicketkeepers. With several of those who stand behind the stumps vying for two, maybe three spots is a squad of at least 15.
Today, we will look at the keepers who are staking the biggest claim on the wicketkeeper slots for India in the 2024 T20 World Cup –
Let’s get some names out of the way. These players have an outside chance of being a part of the squad, but their performance in the IPL has not made enough of an impact. First of these is Jitesh Sharma. The Punjab Kings vice-captain has been decent with the gloves but has disappointed with the bat this season. In the six matches he has played this season, he has scored only 106 runs with an average of 17.67 and a strike rate of just over 130. However, he does have the most dismissals for a wicketkeeper in the tournament so far with 9.
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Another name that should be in the honorable mentions would be Dhruv Jurel. While he did impress in his Test debut against England earlier this year, he has not had enough chances in the IPL to stake his claim on the WK spots in the T20 squad.
The likes of KS Bharat and Wriddhiman Saha have been a part of the Indian setup for some time now, but have never been looked upon as a T20 option for the national side. Now here are the actual options the selectors would have their keen eyes on –
Which WK Will Be Part Of India Squad 2024 T20 WC?
1) Rishabh Pant
The regular keeper for India across all formats before his horrific car crash in 2022, Rishabh Pant is back on the cricketing pitch and is looking like he never left.
The Delhi Capitals wicketkeeper might not be able to pull his team from the trenches of the league table, but on a personal level, the 26-year-old has been nothing but stellar.
In the six innings he has played so far, Pant has scored 194 runs with an average of over 32 and a strike rate of over 157. He has been the rock in the DC batting that has often stopped the side from collapsing. He has also scored two 50s so far. He is also one of the few left-handed batting options in the country
As for his wicketkeeping, he has almost returned to his best. The way he can throw himself at a ball to stop a boundary or take a catch is awesome to watch. If the Indian team is interested in getting the old Rishabh Pant back, they can now pick him for the T20 World Cup.
Check Out: Which WK Will Be Part Of India Squad 2024 T20 WC?
2) KL Rahul
KL Rahul has been playing the tried-and-tested role of an anchor in the Lucknow Super Giants batting order as the team’s captain in IPL 2024. Having scored 204 runs in six matches with an average of 34 and strike rate of ver 138, he is the second-highest run scorer for the side this season.
Having emerged as a solid wicketkeeper during India’s 2023 CWC campaign last season, Rahul might not be the best behind the stumps, but he is certainly more than competent.
The biggest complaint against him this season has been his shockingly low strike rate, which quite often given his side a steady yet slow start. With an abundance of players who could play an anchor role in the Indian side, will adding another one for the T20 World Cup be the best idea?
Check Out: Which Wicketkeeper Will Make The T20 WC Squad?
3) Sanju Samson
The man who is putting his best foot forward in front of the selectors right now, Sanju Samson might currently be leading the race for a spot in the T20 World Cup. The Kerela-based wicketkeeper is currently third in the Orange Cap race with 264 runs in six matches with an average of 66 and a strike rate of over 155.
Under his captaincy, Rajasthan Royals is currently on top of the league table and has looked like the best team in the tournament so far.
As for wicketkeeping, he might have looked the best one in the tournament too. Solid catches and stylish run-outs might just be what the doctor ordered for the national side in a big tournament like the World Cup. He can also bat in the middle order, not huddling into an already crowded top order.
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4) Ishan Kishan
Having been removed from the national team, which caused controversy ahead of IPL 2024, everyone knows that Ishan Kishan needs to make himself undeniable if he wants a place in the Indian side back. Has he done so in IPL 2024 so far? Judge for yourself.
He is currently 15th in the Orange Cap list and fourth in the list of runs for Indian wicketkeepers with 184 runs in six matches. While his average has been just over 30, he has scored those runs with a blistering run rate of 178.
While keeping, he has not made any major blunders behind the stumps and has looked just about par. The major issue with Kishan in the squad will be that he is an opener, and the line to be in the squad in that position is long as is.
5) Dinesh Karthik
After seemingly retiring from international cricket following the 2022 T20 World Cup, Dinesh Karthik is making a late bid into the conversation for the 2024 T20 World Cup.
At 38 years of age, Karthik is the oldest man in contention for a keeper spot in the upcoming tournament. He was also a part of India’s triumphant campaign in the first-ever T20 WC (then called the World T20) back in 2007.
As for his performances in IPL 2024, he is yet to flourish in an otherwise dismal RCB squad as a finisher. Whenever he gets the chance, he finishes the innings off in style. He has scored 143 runs in five innings so far with an average of 71.5 and a strike rate of over 190. He is one of the few solid finishers in India at the moment.
While he might not be donning the gloves behind the stumps this season for RCB, he looks fit enough to be a keeper for the national side. If not, he can be taken to the World Cup as a finisher.
More than one of these men will not make the squad for the T20 World Cup. But it is a good headache for the national team selectors to have so many fantastic options for what would ultimately be just a couple of spots in the team.
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