Former Indian speedster S Sreesanth has already put forth his predictions for India’s squad in the upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup. His forecast aligns closely with the 2023 ODI World Cup team, encompassing key players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
In a candid discussion with Sportskeeda’s YouTube channel, Sreesanth speculated on the captaincy situation, foreseeing either Rohit Sharma or Hardik Pandya to lead the squad, contingent upon circumstances and the team’s environment.
“Will Rohit Sharma be playing or not is a big question. He’ll be captain because he has won all those IPLs. Either Rohit Sharma or Hardik Pandya will be captain depending on the situation, the surroundings,” Sreesanth remarked.
Sreesanth’s vision for the 2024 T20 World Cup squad notably introduced Yashasvi Jaiswal as the sole new addition in the batting department from the 2023 ODI World Cup team. However, Shubman Gill did not make the cut in Sreesanth’s forecast.
While outlining the roster, Sreesanth included Rishabh Pant, considering his potential return post a significant hiatus due to a car accident in December 2022. The former pacer emphasized the need for match-winners rather than passive players, reflecting on Pant’s potential role in the squad.
“Pant if he’s fit should be there as the third keeper because he might need some time to come back to the setup. We need a match-winner not someone who just sticks around…He might be the second or first wicketkeeper depending on form,” Sreesanth emphasized.
Sreesanth’s preliminary 2024 T20 World Cup squad features stalwarts like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, and promising talents including Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ishan Kishan, among others. The former cricketer also advocated for selectors to consider young talents based on their performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and IPL.
Expressing his thoughts on the looming IPL, Sreesanth anticipated a surge in young talent and expected a challenging task for selectors in finalizing the T20 squad due to the pool of exceptional talent in domestic competitions.
“In this year’s IPL, I think we’ll see more youngsters. It’ll be a very difficult decision for them to select the T20 squad. There are such youngsters playing, you won’t believe. They are so talented,” Sreesanth remarked, highlighting potential stars like Vishnu Vinod from Kerala and Prabhsimran Singh and Siddharth Kaul from Punjab as ones to watch in the upcoming IPL auction.
