Pant, Dube, Samson, Chahal make in India’s T20 WC squad; Gill named in reserves

New Delhi, April 30 (IANS) Rishabh Pant, Shivam Dube, Sanju Samson, and Yuzvendra Chahal have been picked in the 15-member squad that will represent India in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and USA, scheduled from June 1 to 29.

Rohit Sharma will lead the squad, while all-rounder Hardik Pandya will be his deputy in the showpiece event.

In the squad, Samson and Pant are the two wicketkeeping options. Chahal added to the trio consisting of Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav, forming a quartet of spin bowlers.

Pant returned to competitive cricket in the ongoing IPL season after a car accident in late December 2022 that sidelined him for a year and a half. He has amassed 251 runs in 11 games, boasting an impressive strike rate of 158.57 in the IPL 2024.

Samson, who is the captain of the Rajasthan Royals, earned a spot back in the national team thanks to a string of consistently brisk scoring performances in the IPL. Chahal also made it to the World Cup squad on the back of his performance in the ongoing tournament, where he has picked 13 wickets in nine innings.

Similarly, Dube’s impressive tally of 350 runs at a remarkable strike rate of 172.41 in nine innings in the IPL 2024 has caught the attention of selectors, elevating him to the 15-man squad for the mega event.

The selectors opted for three frontline pace bowlers in the form of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Arshdeep Singh.

Shubman Gill and Rinku Singh have been named among the four reserve players, along with Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan.

India will begin their World Cup campaign against Ireland on June 5 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, followed by the marquee clash against Pakistan on June 9 at the same venue.

India will then play USA and Canada on June 12 and 15 respectively.

India Squad for T20 WC: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Hardik Pandya (Vice Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj.

Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan