Rishabh Pant, Shivam Dube among 3 players likely to find a place in India T20 World Cup squad, BCCI sources reveal

India captain Rohit Sharma and chief selector Ajit Agarkar are likely to hold an unofficial T20 World Cup selection meeting in Delhi, with the 15-member squad for the marquee event likely to be announced on May 1, the deadline set by the ICC.

Ahead of the official announcement of the World Cup squad by the BCCI, a recent report by news agency ANI, citing sources within the cricket board, suggests that three key IPL performers are likely to find a place in the 15-member squad, including Rishabh Pant, Shivam Dube and KL Rahul.

The ANI report while citing BCCI selection committee source stated, “Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul are likely to get selected for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 squad as wicketkeepers. Shivam Dube is also likely to get picked in the squad,”

No place for Sanju Samson in T20 World Cup squad? 

If the report proves to be true, it would mean that the in-form Sanju Samson would once again be snubbed for an ICC event. The RR skipper has been in exceptional form this IPL season, scoring 385 runs at an average of 77 and a strike rate of 161. The 29-year-old also helped his side to a comfortable 7-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday. Moreover, Shivam Dube's selection could mean that MI skipper Hardik Pandya may also be left out of the 15-man squad.

Consistency getting rewarded: 

LSG captain KL Rahul has been one of the most consistent batsmen in the IPL in recent years, scoring over 400 runs almost every year. His possible selection would send a message that the selectors value long-term consistency over a flavour-of-the-season approach. Similarly, Shivam Dube's performances in recent seasons, especially since joining CSK, have almost forced the selectors to go for the powerful left-hander.

DC skipper Rishabh Pant, however, could be a controversial choice as the opener returns to professional cricket after a gap of almost 1 ½ years and is yet to be tested in the blue jersey. Pant has scored 371 runs in 10 matches this season at a strike rate of just over 160 and an average of. 46.38