File photo of Indian captain Rohit Sharma with chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar.
| Photo Credit: AP

KL Rahul is believed to be slightly ahead of Sanju Samson in the race for second wicketkeeper’s slot even as Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya’s indifferent batting form remains a worry for the national selection panel which is expected to announce the 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup in Americas by the end of this month.

The other bone of contention in drafting the final squad could be the choice of an extra bowler.

It remains to be seen whether an extra pace bowler in Avesh Khan will be accommodated or whether the choice would be between Lucknow Super Giants leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi and Delhi Capitals all-rounder Axar Patel considering the low and slow tracks in the West Indies.

It is understood that skipper Rohit Sharma is likely to have a meeting with chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar to discuss the outline of the team.

With the ICC setting a May 1 deadline for the announcement of 15-member squads, the BCCI is expected to reveal the names anytime between the end of this week or the beginning of next week.

Pandya has so far bowled 17 overs out of a possible 32 in eight games for MI.

As a designated finisher, he has hit only seven sixes in these games, which is below par by every measure. The free-flowing bat-swing is completely missing in the 150 odd runs that he has scored in the tournament so far at a strike-rate of 142.

However, Pandya can be called a ‘TINA’ option (There Is No Alternative) for the selectors as Shivam Dube, who is also expected to board the New York bound flight, isn’t bowling either.

Also in terms of skill and pace, Dube the bowler isn’t anywhere close to Pandya but his current batting form (22 sixes in eight games) can’t be ignored either.

Rahul vs Sanju

It can be safely concluded that Rishabh Pant, who is now third among the top run-getters in the competition with 342 at a strike rate of 161, has sealed his place as the team’s No. 1 keeper-batter and also as a designated finisher.

The fight is pretty intense for the second keeper’s slot and despite KL Rahul (302 at 141 SR) not batting in the middle-order, his range of strokes might just help him pip Samson (314 at SR 152).

Samson might again have to be content with being a stand-by inclusion like last year’s 50 over World Cup.

Bishnoi vs Avesh vs Axar

The five bowlers, who have all but sealed their places are Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav.

However save Bumrah and Kuldeep, the other Indian bowlers haven’t been in great form during IPL and hence the choice of an extra bowler becomes very important.

It will be a three-way fight between Rajasthan Royals’ pacer Avesh, Delhi Capitals left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Axar and Lucknow Super Giants leg-spinner Bishnoi.

Avesh, who has improved a lot as far as his death bowling is concerned, has eight wickets from as many matches with an economy rate of 9.41 while Bishnoi has only taken five wickets but on flat tracks, his economy of 8.47 can be considered impressive.

Axar, who has seven scalps from nine games but is bowling at an rate of just above 7, would be a brilliant choice too taking the conditions into consideration.

Add to it, his batting prowess, scoring runs at a strike of 132, and also the fact that he is a very good all-round fielder.

File photo shows Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer during a practice session.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

Former England pacer Stuart Broad has backed talismanic all-rounder Ben Stokes’ decision to opt out of this year’s T20 World Cup due to fitness reasons but expressed concerns about fast bowler Jofra Archer’s never-ending injury woes.

Supporting Stokes’ pullout from the upcoming T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA, Broad said the defending champions will miss his aura but have enough resources to replace him as a player.

“Whatever Ben decides to do for the well-being of himself is the right decision. Ben Stokes has made some incredible decisions in his career that have paid off for him,” Broad, a member of the Star Sports Incredible Star Cast, told PTI in an exclusive interaction at their studio here.

“He wants to get back to (being) the all-rounder that he was and he feels like getting some workload through the knee in a controlled environment, without the help of a scale to pressurise the nature of a T20 World Cup, is the best choice,” he said.

Broad hopes to see Archer in World Cup

While Archer has found it difficult to cope with the elbow injury to his bowling arm, getting an England contract for two years is a sign that the management believes the ace pacer would be back to his best soon. Broad said he is hoping to see him back in the World Cup.

“Yeah, it’s a concern. First of all, (he is) a friend of mine, a teammate of mine, an amazing talent for world cricket. He has got genuine pace, he moves the ball. He’s a match winner,” Broad said.

“We’ve not seen the best of Jofra Archer on the field now, for coming on, nearly four years. He’s played bits and bobs, but he’s had awful injury problems which is very difficult for him to cope with.

“I think there’s positivity from him and the England camp that there’s a chance we might see him in the T20 World Cup, which would be a great lift for England fans and cricket fans around the world,” he added.

Archer pulled out of this year’s IPL from the Mumbai Indians’ squad after he suffered another injury setback in November 2023, but he surprised everyone by turning up to play a match for his school team in Barbados, since they were on the verge of being relegated.

The England and Wales Cricket Board was not aware when Archer answered the SOS call and went on to play the game in December.

Archer’s injury keeps coming back

Broad said it is concerning that Archer’s injury keeps coming back but hoped that there would be an end to it eventually.

“It’s a concern that his injury keeps coming back, but he’s got some really good people around him to help lift him up and drive him forward. Ultimately, he’s signed a two-year contract with England cricket, so they must believe that he’ll come back to his best as soon as possible,” Broad said.

Talking about the T20 World Cup in June, Broad said the only aspect which England might miss about Stokes is the leadership he provides.

Stokes said his pullout from the World Cup is a sacrifice that he is making to be able to remain an all-rounder.

“England, of course, will miss a player of that aura. But England have got the quality to cover that. They’ve got the batting line-up that’s full of hitters and they’ve got some good pace bowling options and spin bowling options,” he said.

“They’ll miss the aura and the leadership skills of Ben Stokes, but they can cover him as a player,” Broad added.

Having recently retired, Broad said he wants to explore all opportunities to remain associated with the game and remains open to taking up coaching gigs as well.

“I’m interested in everything. I think having only retired from the playing side in August, I wanted to see… I didn’t want to sort of dive into anything really specifically straight away. I wanted to see loads of different career paths, to see what I really enjoy,” he said.

“Ultimately, cricket is my greatest hobby. I love talking about the game. I love being a part of the game. Whether that’s being a pundit, commentary, coaching, just being part of the sport is incredible.

“I love the game of cricket. I love watching it. I love playing it and I will always be a part of it,” he added.