Agarkar-led selection panel has a tough job to do
NEW DELHI: With the deadline to announce the teams for the upcoming
T20 World Cup
fast approaching, the selection committee and the team management have been working overtime to strike the right combination.
By no means, this is going to be a straightforward selection for the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee.
He was in the Capital on Saturday to watch the match between Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians. It is speculated that Agarkar had an informal meeting with
Rohit Sharma
about the team.
According to sources, there are three major contentious issues that need to be resolved before BCCI secretary Jay Shah convenes the meeting to formally announce the 15-member team. The team is slated to leave for the World Cup on May 21 with the players who will be out of the IPL by then.
Third opener and second wicketkeeper
TOI understands that the selectors are torn between
Sanju Samson
and
KL Rahul
for the second wicketkeeper-batsman slot with
Rishabh Pant
having done enough to prove his fitness and form to be the first choice for this position.
Rahul's intent at the top of the order has always been debatable. However, as the ongoing IPL season has progressed, the picture has changed with two young openers - Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill - looking off the boil. Both Rahul and Samson's international records are not great. But Gill, with his struggling form in the IPL, doesn't command automatic selection yet.
This is where Rahul could pip Samson in the race even though Samson has been having a dream season while leading Rajasthan Royals. Rahul's experience at the top of the order and his willingness to bat in the middle order gives him a chance.
Sticking with tried and tested seam attack
With
Mohammed Shami
injured, the Indian seam attack suddenly looks shaky. The IPL has been particularly cruel on the bowlers with team totals touching unprecedented highs. Sources told TOI that the team management wants to stick with the lot which has been part of the setup for the last two-three years even though. Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj have gone for around nine runs per over so far in the IPL.
"The team management wants to trust the players it has groomed. There are concerns about Siraj and Arshdeep going for so many runs but one has to look at the context. In these matches, you have to think about defending the target set by your team-even if you do it by 10 runs.
Jasprit Bumrah
is different class. The others should not be compared with him. There won't be 'impact player' rule in the World Cup. Axar Patel, for example, has been exemplary with his economy rate," the source told TOI.
Bowlers who could give them competition are Avesh Khan and Mukesh Kumar who have been growing into the role of bowling the tough overs. The selectors will have to decide if they want to go in with an extra spinner Ravi Bishnoi or the extra pacer because Hardik Pandya's seam bowling can't be ignored. Bishnoi is seen as someone who can bowl at any stage of an innings.
Power game in the middle
The biggest challenge will be to have the power hitters in the middle order. Rohit and
Virat Kohli
have been steady run-getters but the onus to post humongous scores will fall on power-hitters in the middle and late middle-order. The striking abilities of Hardik and Ravindra Jadeja have not been very inspiring.
The team management had groomed Rinku Singh for that role. Shivam Dube has also emerged as an option. But him not bowling enough may pull him down a bit. Sources say the selection committee isn't keen on getting swayed by IPL performances but someone like Tilak Varma can't be ruled out.
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