Rohit Sharma, Ajit Agarkar, Rahul Dravid wrap up 2-hour-long T20 World Cup selection meet; check key takeaways: Reports

Ahead of the squad announcement, here are some key takeaways based on reports:

Player names discussed and almost finalised

It is to be noted that this wasn’t the first time the three decision makers of Indian cricket met to discuss the road ahead of the T20 World Cup. The first catch-up took place on the 26th evening, and while it was nothing more than a general planning, Sunday’s meeting is believed to be the formal session to finalise the squad. Although the BCCI made no formal announcement about this meeting, RevSportz reported that this one is it. There may be a few unofficial discussions – maybe over a video call or some form of conference – the players discussed during yesterday will pretty much make for the formal list. After the meeting, all three went their own ways, with Rohit rejoining the Mumbai Indians team in the city to leave for Lucknow, where the five-time champions will compete in their next IPL fixture.

West Indies, not IPL form, the basis of selection

A primary takeaway of this meeting is that the players shortlisted have been picked on the basis of their overall performance and not the IPL. Since pitches in West Indies are expected to be slightly slowish and possibly even two-paced – a stark contrast to the surfaces producing run-fests in the IPL with – it is possible that some of the top-scorers and headline makers of this IPL may miss the bus. This includes the in-form Sanju Samson and the struggling Mohammed Siraj. Virat Kohli, however, does not fall in this category. He is set to play his sixth T20 World Cup for India.

First batch of players to leave on May 21

With the T20 World Cup starting on June 1, India’s first match on June 7 against Ireland in New York – the players picked will be leaving in two batches. As evident, with the IPL final being played on May 26, there isn’t much time between the summit clash and the start of the World Cup; and hence, to simplify the process, the first set of players will leave for NYC on May 21, the date by which the IPL Playoffs scenario will be crystal clear. The selected players who unfortunately wouldn’t have made it to the Playoffs, will board the flight. The other batch will tentatively leave the day after the IPL, May 27.

Squad announcement and what’s causing the delay

If everything goes as per plan, the BCCI will announce the squad on Wednesday, May 1. New Zealand have already revealed their 15, while more boards could unveil theirs. However, the reason behind BCCI’s delay is the absence of Jay Shah. The BCCI secretary is currently caught up with the Lok Sabha elections and and his availability is important to make the announcement.

Back-up opener, wicketkeeper the biggest conundrum

Although IPL form is expected to play a minimal part in the squad selection, the decision-makers are torn between options in two departments: back-up opener and back-up wicketkeeper. At the moment, the opener dilemma isn’t causing much headache. Yashasvi Jaiswal is primed to be Rohit’s partner, almost shutting the door on Shubman Gill’s chances. Winner of the Orange Cap last year, Gill’s struggle with form has shoved him down in the pecking order, and if he is persisted with, it will cut down the possibility of picking either Rinku Singh or Shivam Dube – both of whom are in the fray.

In the best-case scenario, if something is to happen to Jaiswal, it is likely that Kohli will step up as opener, giving India options in the middle-order. As for the back-up keeper, the toss-up between Sanju Samson and KL Rahul is as intense as ever. Hardik Pandya is another interesting case lingering on the minds of selectors. The Mumbai Indians captain is struggling to bowl four overs and if his body is the reason behind it, Hardik’s hopes could be hanging by a thread.

As per a report in the Times of India, the BCCI holds Rahul in the highest of regards and the fact that Samson hasn’t done much for India in internationals gives him a huge edge. But what the Rajasthan Royals captain has achieved this season can’t be missed either. Almost 400 runs, just one loss, playoff spot nearly confirmed, RR have been an unstoppable force. If dropped, Samson would be hard done by. But then again, it isn’t something he is not used to. Meanwhile, on the contrary, as per a report carried out by ESPNCricinfo, Samson is set to be India’s first-choice wicketkeeper, getting the nod ahead of Rishabh Pant.

All said and done, a major chunk of the squad picked will comprise players who have been in the national fray which means that among bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah could have company in the form of Siraj, Arshdeep Singh and preferably Avesh Khan and Mukesh Kumar. Mayank Yadav’s pace has also grabbed the attention of selectors but given his fitness, the 21-year-old may just have to wait.