T20 World Cup 2024: 'Sanju Samson, Rishabh Pant are better...' - Ajit Agarkar reveals reason behind KL Rahul's World Cup snub

Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of the national selection panel, has explained the reason behind KL Rahul's absence from the 15-member India squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

While the selectors did not spring too many surprises in the squad, their decision to leave out KL Rahul has raised a number of eyebrows. The right-handed batsman was a part of the team for the 2021 and 2022 editions of the World Cup. In both the editions, he had opened the innings with current captain Rohit Sharma.

KL Rahul did fell down the pecking order in T20Is after the 2022 T20 World Cup but many backed him to find a place in the World Cup squad after his impressive display as both wicketkeeper and batsman in last year's ODI World Cup.

Batting in the middle-order, he scored an impressive 452 runs in 11 games with the help of one century and two half-centuries. He was India's fourth-highest run-scorer in the competition and played a key role in the team's stunning march to the final. Even in the final, he top-scored for India although it came in a losing cause.

Agarkar explains KL Rahul's absence:

After his brilliant displays in the ODI World Cup, KL Rahul was backed by many to make it to the T20 World Cup squad as well. However, the Ajit Agarkar-led panel decided otherwise. They have picked Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson as the two wicketkeepers in the 15-member squad.

Two days after the squad was announced, Agarkar, on Thursday (May 2), explained the reason behind the selector's decision. The former India pacer stated that the selectors were looking for wicketkeepers who could bat in the middle-order.

Since KL Rahul is batting as an opener in the ongoing IPL, the selectors and the team management decided to go with Pant and Samson. Agarkar said that the selectors decided to pick according to the team's needs.

"KL Rahul is a terrific player, the thing we were looking at is guys who bat in the middle. At the moment, KL is batting at the Top. We feel Sanju Samson has the ability to come down the order if need be, Rishabh Pant is batting at No.5 for DC. That was more the thinking. It wasn't whether KL is better or these guys better. It is about the slots that we needed & we feel these two are better at this moment," said Agarkar.