The BCCI selectors are expected to pick the Indian team squad for the World Test Championship (WTC) final to be played from June 18-22, with 23 being a reserve day, against New Zealand at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton, on May 7, 2021.
As per Cricbuzz report, selectors are expected to pick a jumbo squad consisting of at least four openers, about four to five middle-order batsmen, eight to nine pacers, four to five spinners, and two to three wicketkeepers.
The exact size of the squad depends on whether the BCCI has advised the selection committee to select for the five-Test series set to be played in England or just for the WTC final. The team management is believed to have asked for a large contingent so that it can have a few intra-squad games before the big ICC match.
The Chetan Sharma-led committee is expected to retain almost all the members who were part of the four-Test home series against England in February-March with a few exceptions.
The main headache will be whether Hardik Pandya will be retained or not. He was part of the Indian squad for the home England Test series but was not picked in any of the matches. He bowled in the T20I series against England and again in one ODI against England. He didn’t bowl in IPL 2021 matches due to a shoulder niggle.
Hence him not bowling regularly might entice the selectors to look for other options.
Selectors are mulling on Karnataka’s Prasidh Krishna, who picked up a record four wickets on his ODI debut for India against England recently. The other pacers who could be on the flight will be the expected ones -- Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, and Shardul Thakur. Mohammad Shami is expected to make his return to the Indian side as well.
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Like Shami, Ravindra Jadeja and Hanuma Vihari are expected to make their comebacks. Apart from them R Ashwin and Akshar Patel might get the nod. KS Bharat could be in contention for the third wicketkeeper's role but regulars Rishabh Pant and Wriddhiman Saha are certainties.
When the Indian team will travel is still not known. The earlier plan was to take off from Ahmedabad after the IPL final on June 2 by a charter flight. The Indian women's team, which is slated to play one Test, three ODIs, and as many T20Is, was to join them. However, there is no immediate news of the women's team being picked.
(Cricbuzz inputs)
