5 contenders for the wicketkeeping slot in Team India for ICC T20 World Cup 2020

These five wicket keepers have the best chance of making it into Team India for WT20 2020.

The 2020 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is scheduled to be played in Australia next year and with the ICC World Cup 2019 concluded amongst much fanfare, teams have shifted their focus towards the prestigious trophy in the shortest format of the game.

The Indian team won the title in the inaugural tournament in 2007, but since then, has been defeated in the finals in 2014 and semi-finals in 2016, despite being the favorites to lift the trophy. One position that is of utmost importance and currently in focus is that of the wicketkeeper for the 2020 T20 World Cup Indian team.

Currently, the selectors are keeping their options open when it comes to that slot as they have shown an inclination of keeping a backup for Rishabh Pant who will play in the upcoming T20I series against South Africa. But the selection committee mentioned that they have players ready keeping in mind that the tournament will be played on bouncy pitches of Australia.

Keeping this mind, Team COC takes a look at the five contenders for the wicketkeeping slot in Team India for ICC T20 World Cup in 2020.

Here are the 5 contenders for the wicketkeeping slot in Team India for ICC T20 World Cup 2020

DINESH KARTHIK

Dinesh Karthik was given the responsibility of finishing the matches in the T20I format in the last year or so, given the decline in MS Dhoni’s ability to hit the big shots. He showed that he could easily do that job with a scintillating knock in the finals of the Nidahas Trophy 2018 when he smoked 29* in 8 balls to take his team to an improbable looking win.

He then helped Dhoni win a match in Australia as well and given that he is a tidy wicketkeeper, Karthik presents the team management with the opportunity of either using him as a batsman or as a keeper, freeing up a slot in the XI. His experience of playing in the IPL and leading KKR will help in a leadership role as well.

SANJU SAMSON

Sanju Samson has been called the next big thing in the Indian cricket ever since his exploits in the Indian Premier League for Rajasthan Royals. The Kerala wicketkeeper-batsman has hit two centuries in the most popular T20 league in the world and his effortless style of batting has captured the imagination of everyone, who are waiting to see him donning the India colors on a more regular basis.

Samson played one T20I for India in 2015 and since then has struggled a bit with form and behavioral issues, but all that is behind him, as he displayed some amazing glovework in IPL and for Kerala in domestic cricket. His keeping is more than just safe and his batting is classical, everything that Team India needs going into the ICC T20 World Cup 2020.

ISHAN KISHAN

Ishan Kishan of Jharkhand can call himself unlucky to be playing in the same period as Rishabh Pant, else he would have played for India by now and cemented his place in the side. Pant’s flamboyance has overshadowed the fireworks from Ishan Kishan, who like his U19 teammate is a left-hander, with similar batting technique, albeit Kishan is a bit more classical and consistent than Pant.

Where Kishan has the advantage is that he is an extremely brilliant wicketkeeper who excels at keeping to both spinners and fast bowlers on any kind of wicket. Given that he mostly plays as a batsman in IPL, his wicketkeeping is rarely noticed, but followers of domestic cricket can vouch for his competence with gloves behind the stumps. His batting is an added advantage and this means, selectors can either use Kishan as a keeper or as a top-order batsman, who blasts his way in the powerplays.  

MS DHONI

The veteran MS Dhoni was a surprise omission from the recently announced Indian team squad for the upcoming T20Is series against South Africa at home, marking the first time, India will play South Africa in the shortest format without him in the playing XI. Dhoni had made himself unavailable for the West Indies tour in order to recuperate from various niggles and injuries while serving the Indian army in Kashmir in a 15-day stint.

The 28-year-old knows that time is ending for him in international cricket and it seems that the BCCI selectors have recognized the same, hence Pant was given priority over Dhoni in the squad. But what Dhoni brings to the table is his vast experience of over 20 years of cricket, which helps the bowlers, something Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav have admitted. His DRS reviews are spot on majority of the time and his batting, though not flashy as earlier, is solid enough to anchor the innings in times of need.

If Dhoni can show that his batting still has that explosive power for the T20Is, selectors might give him a chance to go out on a high after winning the 2020 T20 World Cup.

RISHABH PANT

Rishabh Pant is currently the blue-eyed boy of the BCCI selectors as he is leading the race to be India’s wicketkeeper-batsman in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup in 2020 in Australia. His T20I performances have been praiseworthy, but his penchant for throwing his wicket away has some people not trusting him enough with the task.

Pant now has the opportunity to show what he is capable of in the T20I series against the Proteas, that too at home in conditions he relishes and might want to give the selectors some reason to keeping backing him as the numero uno gloveman in the team, with an eye on the T20 World Cup 2020.