All eyes on Washington Sundar as Indian selectors gear up to pick T20 WC squad

The All-India Senior Selection Committee is all set to convene on Wednesday to pick India’s squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup and all eyes will be on whether the selectors and team management decide to back currently injured Washington Sundar to get fit in time for the showpiece event.

Along with the original squad, the selectors will also pick travelling reserves who will go to the UAE alongside the 15-member squad as per COVID-19 protocols.

KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma are the two first-choice openers when it comes to the shortest format, and another option is to have Virat opening alongside Rohit, if the management wants to play Suryakumar Yadav at number three. But one cannot rule out the experienced Shikhar Dhawan when it comes to ICC events. So this combination leaves it hard for Dhawan to find a place in the lineup and it needs to be seen whether the selectors are brave enough to back Dhawan as opener and play KL Rahul lower down the order. Dhawan’s case has in recent times been also weakened as Prithvi Shaw has been doing well and has found the support of the team management.

Washington Sundar was a sure shot choice in the squad but an impending finger injury has already ruled him out of the Indian Premier League (IPL), so it needs to be seen whether he recovers in time for the T20 World Cup. Even if he does, would it be sensible to pick a player who would have no game time behind him for almost six months?

Sundar’s injury can be a severe headache in terms of picking an off-spinner for the selectors. Ravichandran Ashwin can be picked but the senior pro has not played a T20I for the longest time, and the other option that comes to mind is Jayant Yadav. Apart from Jayant and Ashwin, no other name comes to mind in terms of off-spinner.

Yuzvendra Chahal picks himself and it needs to be seen whether the selectors and management will add Rahul Chahar and Varun Chakravarthy to the mix. Rahul has proven himself in the IPL and the same goes for Varun, but both these players are yet to do something substantial in international T20Is.