India T20 World Cup squad Live Updates: BCCI expected to announce 15-man team

There are a number of selection headaches for the committee to resolve, chief of which would be whether struggling all-rounder Hardik Pandya can be included in the squad and defining Virat Kohli’s role amid veteran cricketers and experts wanting the former captain to open for India. This is would subsequently leave the selectors to pick one between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill for the backup role.

Another major talking point is who among Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson and KL Rahul takes up the role of the wicketkeeper. Even veteran Dinesh Karthik has emerged as an outside contender for the spot. They would also have to resolve who will be trusted with the finisher’s role and whether Pandya can still remain in the lower order considering his rather disastrous bowling form in the 2024 IPL. While Pandya has shown flashes of his big-hitting prowess this season, his bowling has taken a hit and he has only bowled 19 overs out of a possible 36 in nine games for Mumbai Indians. As a designated finisher, he has hit only 10 sixes in these games, which is below par by every measure. The free-flowing bat-swing is completely missing in the 196 odd runs that he has scored in the tournament so far at a strike-rate of 142. What favours Pandya is the lack of a like-for-like replacement alternative for the selectors as Shivam Dube, who is also expected to board the New York-bound flight, hasn’t bowled for CSK at all this year. Pandya is also a far superior bowler than Dube. However, the latter’s current batting form (22 sixes in eight games) can’t be ignored either. The selectors will also be scratching their head over picking the bowling lineup, especially the pace attack to support Jasprit Bumrah.