New Delhi: Former Indian pacer and 2-time World Cup winner, Sreesanth has picked his preliminary India squad for the next ICC tournament, that is the T20 World Cup in 2024. The Kerala man feels that either current captain Rohit Sharma or star all-rounder Hardik Pandya will be leading the national side in the big-ticket event and wants Rishabh Pant to return as the third keeper, if he is fit to play.
The 40-year old strongly feels that Rohit will hold the edge because of the 5 IPLs he has won in the past. But the final decision will be solely made on the situation and surroundings as per him.
“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 told Sportskeeda.
”Rishabh 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. We need a player who is ready to play and win matches. That’s as of now. He might be the second or first wicketkeeper depending on form,” Sreesanth added.
In his 12-member squad, he has gone with three pacers in Shami, Bumrah and Siraj and only spinner in Ravindra Jadeja. Three wicket-keeping options in Ishan Kishan and KL Rahul will also be there apart from Pant.
Sreesanth’s T20 World Cup 2024 Squad: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Mohammed Shami, Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj.