Former CSK star drops Pant & KL Rahul, names a surprise pick for wicketkeeper in T20 World Cup 2024 squad

The T20 World Cup 2024 is the next big cricketing event in the pipeline after the culmination of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL 2024). The mega-event is scheduled to take place in June in West Indies & USA. 

The IPL 2024 season will thus be crucial for the players and the selectors to shortlist the best candidates for the marquee tournament later in the year. 

For India, winning an ICC trophy has been long-elusive with their last win coming in 2013 when they won the ICC Champions Trophy. The Men in Blue came really close to ending the drought during the ODI World Cup when they remained unbeaten throughout the tournament but eventually faltered in the final against Australia. 

Thus, with a strong resolution to end the jinx, Rohit Sharma and Co will be hoping to lift the trophy this time around. 

Who will seal the most contested spot in the Indian team for T20 World Cup 2024?

While some of the players like skipper Rohit Sharma, star batter Virat Kohli and talismanic pacer Jasprit Bumrah are automatic selections in the squad, there a few spots which are yet to be decided. 

One of them is the wicketkeeping spot with intense competition for it. With the likes of Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Dhruv Jurel, Jitesh Sharma all in contention it remains to be seen, who the selectors opt for. 

India's oldest active cricketer Dinesh Karthik has also thrown his name into the ring with some fiery performances in the ongoing IPL 2024. 

Echoing on the same lines, former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star Ambati Rayudu has made an interesting choice for the much-contested spot. 

He prefereed veteran Dinesh Karthik over Rishabh Pant in the wicketkeeper-batsman's role in the middle order along with other talents like Riyan Parag and Shivam Dube. Rayudu also ignored KL Rahul who has been doing well for Lucknow Super Giants in the role of 'keeper-batter'.

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Ambati Rayudu's India squad for T20 World Cup: 

Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Riyan Parag, Rinku Singh, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Mayank Yadav

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