IPL 2024: The Indian Premier League 2024 presents a great audition stage for the players to showcase their talent and make their case for the elusive spots in the Indian Cricket Team's squad for T20 World Cup 2024 in June. The batters and bowlers have their primary and indispensable options but its' the wicket-keepers column that needs a certain lock.
As per the experts, Sanju Samson and Risahabh Pant are the front runners for the spot, and when asked to choose between the two, West Indies legend Brain Lara had an interesting take:
"I believe both players should be included. They have displayed outstanding batting performances thus far. Sanju Samson is a remarkable player, known for his exceptional timing. Rishabh Pant has been a consistent performer for India over the years. Despite his recovery from the incident, he has exhibited excellent form. In my opinion, these two individuals are unquestionably the frontrunners for the position," said Brain Lara, during an on-air show on Star Sports Network.
List Of Possible Options Of Wicket Keepers For Team India At T20 World Cup 2024
The Indian team can well and truly go for KL Rahul if the batsman is being considered a full-time wicket keeping option alongside his batting. With Ishan Kishan out of contention due to his removal from central contract list of BCCI, the left-handed batsman isn't an option. The other possible options alongside KL Rahul are as follows:
- Sanju Samson
- Jitesh Sharma
- Rishabh Pant
- Dinesh Karthik
Now, if we summarise the most likely option out of the following four, it would certainly be Dinesh Karthik, given that the RCB player is a veteran of the game and a highly experienced campaigner. People are making a case for Sanju Samson but the RR skipper has a below-par record in the Caribbean region.
Also, Rishabh Pant has fared out well but on the tracks where the pace and bounce is so lively and if not fit enough, the DC captain will endure immense difficulty in the tough conditions of the Island nation.
Jitesh Sharma is a very good option if it comes down to range hitting and power hitting, as the PBKS batter has shown immense potential with high-class innings and stroke-playing. The right-handed wicket-keeper batsman can be an excellent back-up option.
In conditions where extra bounce is a genuine factor, Sanju Samson can find it extremely difficult to sustain and tackle the bounce and with all of the above contenders being deeply analysed, one must remeber that they should be seen as a backup to KL Rahul if the LSG captain opts to 'keep' alongside batting, as no candidate in the above-mentioned list has the potential to replace the mighty and 'KLassy' KL Rahul!