Tom Moody, the former Australia cricketer, thinks Rishabh Pant is ahead of other candidates in the race for the wicketkeeper-batter slots in India’s squad for the Men’s T20 World Cup.

The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee is expected to select India’s 15-member squad by the end of this month for the mega event, to be held in the USA and West Indies from June 1. Pant made his return to competitive cricket last month through IPL 2024 after almost 15 months due to a life-threatening car crash.

Pant has so far scored 342 runs in nine innings of IPL 2024 for Delhi Capitals at an average of 48.86 and strike rate of 161.32. He has mainly batted in the middle order and slammed three half-centuries, the latest of which was an unbeaten 88 against Gujarat Titans on Wednesday. Pant has kept wickets in all of DC’s matches, taking ten catches and effecting three stumpings.

“The way I look at it and what we have seen so far, more so from a fitness perspective, for me, Rishabh Pant has put himself right in front of the queue. It’s great that he’s back playing; is fit and feeling good, which is the most important thing.”

“It’s great that he ticked that box from what I have seen so far; he’s moving very, very well halfway through the tournament. The second part is form – behind the stumps, he’s slick and his hands are smooth. He’s been moving gracefully. With the bat in hand, he’s shown us that he’s back,” said Moody while replying to an IANS query on Star Sports Press Room Show’s ‘Ticket to World Cup’ episode.

Moody further felt that Pant’s big-match temperament will come in handy in the World Cup while adding that K.L Rahul lends more flexibility as a reserve keeper-batter ahead of Sanju Samson. While Rahul has mainly batted as an opener in IPL 2024 and amassed 302 runs in eight games, Samson has amassed 314 runs in as many games as a top-order batter.

“What I like about Pant is that historically, he gets going in big games. He’s a big game player and I like that going into the World Cup because if my side is four down for 60, I have got someone who’s historical record and a temperament who can navigate in that situation and get me a competitive score to get out of jail on a game which was sort of on the edge.”

“For me, he’s there at number one, and regarding second 'keeper, it’s a discussion between Sanju Samson and KL Rahul. I like both of them because they also back up as a reserve top-order batter. K.L. is a little bit flexible and can move both up and down the order, so he can bat anywhere from one to five. He’s shown that more so in 50-over cricket, than in T20s, but he’s shown the capabilities to play in a different way coming in at a different entry point.”

Krishnamachari Srikkanth, the former India cricketer and ex-chief selector, agreed that Pant is the front-runner as India’s wicketkeeper-batter for the T20 World Cup, and opined that Rahul should be picked as the reserve keeper ahead of Samson.

“Everybody knows the contest is between Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson and KL Rahul. Unfortunately for Sanju, who’s done very well, he hasn’t got a continuous run in T20Is and his record there is not deadly on that front, which is number one. Number two is Sanju can bat only at number three and max, number four.”

“Whereas number three and four slots are already fixed. It’s a no-brainer (Shivam) Dube has to be at number four because he can terrorise the bowlers and opposition. He started to work on countering short balls and is now playing them very well. So when Suryakumar (Yadav) is at three and Dube is at four, and surely Rishabh Pant is at number five, Sanju, unfortunately, misses out.”

“To answer if K.L Rahul should be the reserve wicketkeeper who can bat either as an opener or middle-order batter, yes and it’s for a very simple reason that he’s got a very good track record. You see his T20I record, he’s got hundreds across the globe and has a big-match temperament. So, he will be my reserve wicketkeeper-cum-reserve opener/batter.”

While addressing a pre-match press conference ahead of DC’s IPL match against Mumbai Indians on Saturday afternoon, Sourav Ganguly, the former India skipper serving as the director of cricket in the Delhi-based franchise, backed Pant and Samson to be in India’s squad for the T20 World Cup.

"I love Sanju Samson; I love Rishabh Pant. Rishabh will go (to the T20 World Cup). Sanju might also go. I'm not saying Sanju should not go. He's as good a player as anybody. He bats and keeps; he's captained Rajasthan superbly. Both can go for T20 WC if selectors feel; but Rishabh will go as he’s back fully.”

Punjab Kings’ stand-in captain Sam Curran won the toss and elected to bowl first against Kolkata Knight Riders in Match 42 of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 at the Eden Gardens on Friday.

KKR are in second place in the points table with 10 points coming in via five wins from seven matches. PBKS, on the other hand, are languishing in ninth place with four points and are on a four-match losing streak.

After winning the toss, Curran said wicketkeeper-batter Jonny Bairstow had come into the playing eleven in place of Liam Livingstone. “We had four games at home, unfortunately, lost all four, guys are ready for the away games though. We know what we need to do from here, just go out and play,” he said.

KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer said left-arm fast-bowler Mitchell Starc is out due to a cut on his finger in the last game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru and is replaced by right-arm pacer Dushmantha Chameera in the playing eleven.

“We've had different players stepping up at different times, whatever the situation under pressure, and they're giving their best, that's the thing I'm pleased about this season. Need a great start and then convert it into a big score, hoping to continue the same form and momentum.”

Playing XIs:

Kolkata Knight Riders: Philip Salt (wk), Sunil Narine, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Shreyas Iyer (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Dushmantha Chameera, Varun Chakaravarthy and Harshit Rana

Substitutes: Suyash Sharma, Anukul Roy, Manish Pandey, Vaibhav Arora and Rahmanullah Gurbaz

Punjab Kings: Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran (c), Rilee Rossouw, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shashank Singh, Ashutosh Sharma, Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar and Arshdeep Singh

Substitutes: Prabhsimran Singh, Rishi Dhawan, Vidhwath Kaverappa, Shivam Singh and Prince Choudhary

 The Lucknow Super Giants assistant coach Sridharan Sriram was hopeful of speed sensation Mayank Yadav’s participation in the match against Rajasthan Royals at Ekana Cricket Stadium after the star bowler suffered a soreness in the lower abdominal area during the match against Gujarat Titans.

“He is bowling today and looks fit, but we will have a final test ahead of the game tomorrow then only we will take a call on his participation against RR,” said Sridharan Sriram in the pre-match press conference on Friday.

“He is a terrific talent and from the place he comes, he knows very well what to do and what not to. The quality he has with his length is not inferior to others in this season's IPL and with that pace, it is very hard to play shots against him, and that is what makes him special,” said Sriram.

Yadav has so far played three IPL matches and has claimed six wickets, three each against PBKS and RCB. In a match against Gujarat Titans at the Ekana Cricket Stadium, Yadav had to walk off the field after bowling just one over, where he was down on pace and was hit for three boundaries, conceding 13 runs overall.

Lucknow Super Giants will face Rajasthan Royals at the Ekana Stadium on Saturday.

 Having suffered two defeats in their last three matches, an inconsistent Mumbai Indians have their task cut out if they are to make the Play-offs of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 when they face a confident Delhi Capitals in an afternoon game at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday.

The last time these two teams met in the tournament, Mumbai made a massive 234/5 at the Wankhede Stadium on April 7 and managed to restrict Delhi to 205/8 for securing a 29-run win, their first of the competition.

But Mumbai come into Saturday’s game on the back of suffering a nine-wicket defeat to Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur and find themselves at the eighth place. A win against Delhi will set the base for their late revival in the competition, something which is now their hallmark. On the other hand, Delhi will be playing their third straight game at their real home ground, where another run-fest would be in the offering at a stadium with short square boundaries.

The sixth-placed Delhi have a lot of confidence after surviving a late scare from Rashid Khan and David Miller to beat Gujarat Titans by four runs on Wednesday. Another win at home will keep them in contention in an intense race to enter the playoffs.

Their batting charge has been led by captain Rishabh Pant, who is making big strides with every passing game about finding his vintage best with bat and gloves, as seen from his magnificent 88 not out against Gujarat on Wednesday. DC were also helped by Axar Patel’s promotion to No.3, paying off as he made his highest IPL score of 66, apart from him and Kuldeep Yadav being economical with the ball.

Jake Fraser-McGurk and Tristan Stubbs have shone with the bat, while Prithvi Shaw and Shai Hope, coming in place of David Warner in the last game, are due to step up to give DC more batting depth. Pant will also be hoping that the fast bowlers, who have been inconsistent so far, will click to complement the spinners well to contain Mumbai’s batting line-up, which hasn’t fired in unison.

Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma have hit big knocks, but they haven’t been consistent. The likes of Tim David, Ishan Kishan and captain Hardik Pandya need to chip in and support the trio with the bat if they are to get a big total. In the bowling department, Jasprit Bumrah has undoubtedly been Mumbai's standout bowler. Bumrah is also leading the wicket-taking charts with 13 wickets at an economy rate of 6.37, with his death overs economy rate being at just 7.20, showcasing his effectiveness in a phase where batters go for big hits.

Barring Gerald Coetzee, who has 12 wickets in eight games, Mumbai’s other bowlers haven’t done anything of note. The visitors would be hoping the bowling unit gets its act together and makes merry under Delhi’s scorching heat as every game matters a lot for both teams in the race to the playoffs.

Squads:

Delhi Capitals: Rishabh Pant (c), Prithvi Shaw, David Warner, Kuldeep Yadav, Khaleel Ahmed, Axar Patel, Mukesh Kumar, Mitchell Marsh, Anrich Nortje, Pravin Dubey, Vicky Ostwal, Abishek Porel, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Lalit Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Yash Dhull, Tristan Stubbs, Ricky Bhui, Kumar Kushagra, Rasikh Dar, Jhye Richardson, Sumit Kumar, Shai Hope, Lizaad Williams, Swastik Chhikara and Gulbadin Naib.

Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (c), Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Tim David, Akash Madhwal, Romario Shepherd, Gerald Coetzee, Shreyas Gopal, Mohammad Nabi, Nehal Wadhera, Dewald Brevis, Kwena Maphaka Harvik Desai, Arjun Tendulkar, Shams Mulani, Kumar Kartikeya, Piyush Chawla, Luke Wood, Nuwan Thushara, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj and Shivalik Sharma.

Match starts at 3:30 pm on Star Sports (TV) and JioCinema (mobile).

Former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh has picked Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson as the wicketkeeper batter options for India’s T20 World Cup and identified Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah as a ‘key player.’

The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee has to finalise the 15-member India squad ahead of the May 1 deadline for boards to submit their Men’s T20 World Cup squads. The most toughest choice will be the wicketkeeping option as there are multiple options starting from Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, KL Rahul and Dinesh Karthik.

In a video posted by ICC on Friday, Yuvraj Singh was unveiled as an ambassador for the T2O WC 2024 tournament and picked his Indian squad for the event. Yuvraj identified the World's No.1 ranked T20I batter Suryakumar Yadav as the player who must have a good tournament in the USA and Caribbean if India are to claim the title, while he also suggested pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah needs to be at his best.

"Suryakumar Yadav (is India's key player)," Yuvraj suggested to ICC. "Because the way he plays, he can change the complexion of a game in 15 balls. And he is definitely a surety…for India to win this T20 World Cup, Surya is going to be the key,”

"I think Jasprit Bumrah is also the key with the bowling and I would like to see a leg-spinner in the squad as well, like Yuzvendra Chahal as he has been bowling really well. But being a batter, I would say Suryakumar Yadav (is the key player),” he added.

Suryakumar after missing the first three games for Mumbai Indians due to injury made his comeback and has amassed 140 runs in five matches.

However, the most surprising name on the list could be Dinesh Karthik, who is yet again claiming the spot at his best. He has scored 262 runs in nine matches at a stunning average of 52.40.

While Yuvraj has been impressed by what Karthik has been able to do in the IPL this year, he believes the veteran keeper should only win a place in India's squad for the T20 World Cup if he is guaranteed a spot in the playing XI and suggested Pant and Samson as a wicket-keeper option for India.

"DK (Karthik) has been batting well, but the thing with DK is the last time (2022) they picked him and the T20 WC was on he didn’t get to play,” Yuvraj noted. "If DK is not in your XI I don’t think there is any point in picking him.

"There is Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson and both guys are in great form and obviously they are younger. I would like to see DK in the mix, but if he is not going to play then you would rather have someone who is younger and can make the difference.”

In nine matches of IPL 2024, Pant scored 342 runs in nine innings, averaging 48.86 at a strike rate of 161.32. With the gloves, Pant has been massively impactful, taking 10 catches and effecting three stumpings.

Samson has shown the consistency and ability to make big scores, as seen from his 314 runs coming at an average of over 50 and a strike rate above 150.

Yuvraj also wanted to see more explosive batters utilised in India's middle-order at the T20 World Cup and has identified Chennai Super Kings left-hander Shivam Dube as one player that he wants to see feature.

IPL 2024 has also seen Dube garner runs against fast bowlers, especially against short balls, which has been his nemesis for a long time. With conditions in the West Indies expected to aid spinners more, Dube’s presence will be all-important for India and utilise his spin-hitting prowess. Dube has amassed 311 in 8 matches for Chennai with an average of 51.83.

"I would like to see Shivam Dube in the squad," Yuvraj said. "He has been in and out of the (India) team, but this IPL he has been batting very well and he is someone who can be the game-changer. There are a lot of other guys who have been playing for a while now, but I would like to see Shivam Dube in the mix," he said.

Yuvraj also suggested Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli should consider giving up on playing T20I cricket after the completion of the T20 World Cup and concentrate on other formats.

"As you get older people start talking about your age and they forget about your form," Yuvraj started.

"These guys have been great players for India, and they deserve to go (retire) when they want.

"I would like to see more younger players in the T20 format because it gets the load off them (experienced players) playing 50-over (ODIs) and Test matches.

"After this (T20) World Cup I would like to see a lot of younger guys come into the team and make the T20 side for the next World Cup," he added.