Former Indian fast bowler S Sreesanth has offered an early forecast for India’s squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup. His predicted team closely resembled the lineup from the 2023 ODI World Cup, retaining key players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
Notably, Rohit and Kohli have been absent from most of India’s recent T20I series, with all-rounder Hardik Pandya taking charge as captain during their absence. These senior batsmen are also not part of the squad for the upcoming T20I series against Australia, as Hardik himself is sidelined due to injury.
“Whether Rohit Sharma will play or not is a significant question. He might lead the team because of his successful IPL stints. The captaincy might fall to either Rohit Sharma or Hardik Pandya, depending on the circumstances and environment,” Sreesanth shared in an exclusive conversation with Sportskeeda’s YouTube channel.
While outlining his 2024 T20 World Cup squad, Sreesanth introduced Yashasvi Jaiswal as the lone new batting addition from the 2023 ODI World Cup team. Interestingly, he omitted Shubman Gill from this lineup. The Kerala-based former pacer included Rishabh Pant in his roster, expressing uncertainty about whether Pant would assume the primary wicketkeeper’s role.
“Rishabh Pant, if fit, should be included as the third keeper as he might need time to readjust to the setup. We require a match-winner, not just a player who occupies the crease. What we need is someone prepared to play and win games. As of now, he might be the second or first wicketkeeper based on his form,” added Sreesanth.
Pant has been absent from the team since December 2022 following a serious car accident. His return is anticipated for the IPL 2024 season. Sreesanth’s tentative 2024 T20 World Cup squad includes players such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Mohammed Shami, Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, and Mohammed Siraj.
Furthermore, Sreesanth expressed his desire for selectors to consider young talents based on their performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and IPL. He emphasized the challenging task awaiting selectors due to the abundance of talent displayed in domestic competitions.
“In the upcoming IPL, I expect to see more emerging talents. Selecting the T20 squad will be an arduous task due to the presence of such talented youngsters. You won’t believe the caliber of young players currently showcasing their skills,” remarked Sreesanth.
He singled out Vishnu Vinod from Kerala and Prabhsimran Singh and Siddharth Kaul from Punjab as individuals to watch out for in the forthcoming IPL auction.