T20 WC: Selectors sweat over stable wicket-keeping option

NEW DELHI: India’s T20I team has rarely looked settled in the last half a decade. As India’s selectors look to put the final pieces together before the

T20 World Cup

, this IPL will be crucial to figure out the premier wicketkeeping option.
According to sources, the selectors have not zeroed down on any wicketkeeper while the rest of the squad is more or less settled. The T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and US starts on June 2 and the deadline for announcing the team is May 2. Changes to the team could be made a week before the first game of the tournament.
TOI has learnt that the selectors and the team management are eager to have

Rishabh Pant

back as quickly as possible, despite an injury layoff of more than a year. But he will be in competition with

Jitesh Sharma

,

Dhruv Jurel

,

Sanju Samson

and

KL Rahul

.
The problem for the selectors is there are so many uncertainties over each option. While Pant needs to establish enough form and prove his fitness, Jurel, Samson and Rahul’s role in their IPL teams are not clearly defined as yet.

Jitesh, who made his T20I debut during the Asian Games last October, is the only one who goes into the tournament with absolute clarity.
“Selectors are keeping their fingers crossed over the fitness of Pant, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya. Pant will always be the first choice if he is fit and in decent form. Jitesh has been keeping for India in T20Is in most of the games after the ODI World Cup. But there is uncertainty about how Samson, Jurel and Rahul shape up,” a

BCCI

source said.
“The major issue will be whether Jurel gets enough game time because he plays for Rajasthan Royals which is captained by Samson. Jurel was largely used as an impact player by Samson last season. Samson is running out of opportunities when it comes to Team India, while the recent quad injury could take a toll on Rahul if he keeps wickets. The moot point is selectors can’t dictate to the franchises,” the source added.
The call to pick a wicketkeeper will largely depend on the composition of the middle order. TOI has learnt that the team management is more or less convinced about the opening options where captain Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill are the frontrunners. That means the vying wicketkeepers need to prove their credentials in the middle/lower-middle order.
Ishan, Iyer chances bleak
It has been learnt that it will take a superlative IPL season for Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer to stake a claim for the T20 World Cup. Both were denied BCCI central contracts for their reluctance to play domestic matches.
“As of now, the board hopes Ishan is in a good mind space since he had cited mental fatigue when he pulled out of the South Africa tour in Dec. As for Iyer, he is battling fitness but hasn’t managed to visit a doctor from BCCI’s panel. He seems to be playing through pain. He needs to sort it out during the IPL,” the source said.
Selectors to travel for IPL matches
Contrary to tradition, the national selectors will travel to watch IPL matches. This will help them communicate with players on a personal level and get an Understanding of where they stand.