KL Rahul, a seasoned Indian batsman, was a notable absentee from the recently announced T20 World Cup squad. The 19-member contingent, which includes four reserves, left many fans surprised by Rahul’s exclusion.
Addressing this decision at a press conference, BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar shed light on the thought process behind it. Agarkar acknowledged Rahul’s talent but emphasized the team’s preference for wicket-keepers who can excel in the middle order.
“KL is a terrific player. -Agarkar ”
“The thing we were looking at is someone who can bat in the middle.” He pointed to Rishabh Pant, who bats at number 5 for his IPL team, Delhi Capitals, as an example of this strategy.
Agarkar explained that the selectors viewed Pant and Sanju Samson, another wicket-keeper batsman, as better suited for this role compared to Rahul. “It wasn’t whether KL Rahul is better or Rishabh Pant or Sanju Samson better,” Agarkar clarified. “It was about the batting slots (hence Pant and Samson were picked).”
This decision comes despite Rahul’s impressive form in the ongoing IPL season. He has amassed a commendable 406 runs at an average of 40.60 and a blistering strike rate of 142.96.
However, all of these runs have come while opening the batting, a position already well-filled by Rohit Sharma and likely Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Here’s a look at India’s full squad for the T20 World Cup 2024:
Main Squad for the T20 World Cup (15):
Rohit Sharma (Captain), Hardik Pandya (Vice-Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah
Travelling Reserves (4):
Rinku Singh, Shubman Gill, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan
