T20 World Cup 2024: KL Rahul, Sanju Samson snubbed, uncapped RCB Pacer selected in India's WC squad picked by Zaheer Khan

Former India cricketer Zaheer Khan has finalized the Men in Blue's 15-member squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024, set to take place in the West Indies and the USA in June. Zaheer Khan omitted Sanju Samson and KL Rahul from the squad for the prestigious tournament.

Rishabh Pant returned to competitive cricket after a 15-month hiatus. The left-handed batter showcased his prowess for the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. He scored an unbeaten 88 off 43 balls against the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the previous match.

Rishabh Pant Is Only My Wicket-Keeper - Zaheer Khan

In a conversation with JioCinema, Zaheer Khan shed light on the debate regarding the backup wicketkeeper position for India's T20 World Cup squad. He picked Rishabh Pant as his sole choice and included an extra pacer in the squad.

“Rishabh Pant is my only wicket-keeper. I have given more importance to bringing four pace bowlers. You don’t want to sacrifice a fast bowler for another wicketkeeper. You have options like KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, and many want to see Dinesh Karthik. At this point, we can consider Mahendra Singh Dhoni as well because of his strike rate! I think they’ll focus on current players like Samson, KL Rahul, and maybe even Jitesh Sharma. If you’re building a team for a month-long tournament, your travelling reserve can be your wicketkeeper," Zaheer said.

Sanju Samson has amassed 314 runs with an impressive average of 62.80 and a strike rate of 152, placing him in the 9th position on the list of leading run scorers. Meanwhile, KL Rahul has scored 302 runs in eight games at an average of 37.75 and a strike rate of 141.12.

Jitesh Sharma had significant exposure in the preparation for the T20 World Cup following the 2023 ODI World Cup. The Punjab Kings (PBKS) batter was the frontrunner for the wicketkeeping role for the World Cup. However, Jitesh is currently way down the pecking order.

Zaheer Khan Picks Yash Dayal In His Squad

Zaheer Khan picked Royal Challengers Bengaluru bowler Yash Dayal in his squad in the absence of Mohammed Shami. Dayal, who is yet to debut for India, was awarded a fast-bowling contract by the BCCI and caught Zaheer's eye.

"When I talk about Yash Dayal, it’s a floating spot when the 15 are announced because Mohammed Shami will not be available for the tournament. He’s one bowler that if you need someone to bowl up, you have Yash Dayal. If you want a back-end bowler and if Siraj’s form is spotty, he can be used there as well," Zaheer added.

As the deadline nears for announcing the World Cup squad, reports indicate that BCCI selector Ajit Agarkar plans to meet Indian captain Rohit Sharma in Delhi after his IPL match against the Delhi Capitals. The discussion aims to finalize the probable squad for the upcoming tournament.

Zaheer Khan’s India Squad For T20 World Cup 2024: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill/Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Yash Dayal, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal

Also read: T20 World Cup 2024: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yuzvendra Chahal kicked out of India's WC squad picked by ex-chief selector