Pant is ready, but how will the rest of India’s team be?

As the May 1 deadline to name national teams for the T20 World Cup approaches, there is an uproar over the composition of the final 15 players of the Men in Blue, who will play for the USA and West Indies. About to take off. It’s a topic that assumes the proportions of a national crisis before every major ICC tournament – and this time it’s no different.

Till recently, the joke was that IPL 2024 could become a six-way contest to decide on two wicketkeepers for this important event. With uncertainty over the fitness and form of returning player Rishabh Pant, several other names have also come forward for his place: KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, veteran Dinesh Karthik and outsider Jitesh Sharma.

The doubts over the first-choice keeper have now been put to rest with Pant coming in for Delhi Capitals in the middle stage of the league. The word vintage may almost be cliché, but his unbeaten 88 off 43 balls against Gujarat Titans on Wednesday was exactly that – taking him to third in the Orange Cap race with 342 runs from nine matches .

The position he got himself into to hit those impossible sixes, the tough singles coupled with his work behind the stumps showed that Pant is once again ready for battle – at least in the T20 format where he has to face a maximum of 120 balls. Have to squat till. one day. There has to be a backup for him, and this is where the selectors will have to make a tough decision between two experienced campaigners – KL Rahul and Sanju Samson.

There is little to choose between them on the basis of IPL form, with the Rajasthan Royals skipper placed eighth in the top-scorers’ list (314 runs at a strike rate of 152.42) and the classy Rahul placed 11th (at 302). 141.12). Samson’s ability to accelerate even in challenging conditions makes him a crowd pleaser, but then again, the Indian team management has repeatedly drawn on Rahul’s experience on the big stage and his adaptability to bat at any position as per the team’s requirement. Has moved away.