Overview:
With just five matches remaining before India begin their World Cup campaign against the United States in Mumbai on February 7, the selectors are unlikely to disrupt an established setup.
Questions remain over the form of captain Suryakumar Yadav and vice-captain Shubman Gill, but the selectors are not expected to make major surprises when they finalise the squad for next year’s T20 World Cup on Saturday.
India’s selectors will have the flexibility to change the team until the tournament gets underway on February 7. That provision was exercised earlier in the year during the Champions Trophy, when Varun Chakravarthy was drafted ahead of Yashasvi Jaiswal after conditions in Dubai were taken into consideration.
While the BCCI has not made any announcement, there is a sense that the upcoming T20 World Cup on home soil could be Suryakumar Yadav’s last stint as captain. His returns have dipped sharply over the past year, with a prolonged lean spell stretching across 24 appearances. His spot in the XI is because of his captaincy rather than his recent numbers.
The selectors are likely to keep the same squad for the New Zealand T20 series and the upcoming T20 World Cup, with no changes anticipated between the two assignments.
For now, selection options remain limited, even as questions continue to surround Shubman Gill’s spot, with Yashasvi Jaiswal waiting in reserve.
It is still unclear whether the selection panel will bring Yashasvi Jaiswal for the New Zealand T20 series, allowing them to monitor him closely ahead of the showpiece event jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
At present, the backup opener role is with Sanju Samson, who lost his spot after the selectors and a key voice in the team management chose to change a combination.
If the T20 World Cup was six months away, the selectors would have explored different leadership choices. The upcoming T20 World Cup, along with Shubman Gill’s recent struggles, has played into Suryakumar’s hands.
With just five matches remaining before India begin their World Cup campaign against the United States in Mumbai on February 7, the selectors are unlikely to disrupt an established setup.