Former Indian fast bowler Zaheer Khan has selected Rishabh Pant as the primary wicketkeeper for his T20 World Cup squad. Additionally, he has included Yash Dayal, a left-arm seamer, to introduce a new dimension to the bowling attack.

Zaheer Khan Picks His India's Squad For T20I World Cup 2024

Yash Dayal, aged 26, plays for Uttar Pradesh in domestic cricket and the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL. Zaheer's squad considers Mohammed Shami's injury absence in its selection process. "When I talk about Yash Dayal, it's a floating spot when the 15 are announced because Mohammed Shami will not be available for the tournament." "He's one bowler that if you need someone to bowl up, you have Yash Dayal. If you want a back-end bowler and if Siraj's form is spotty, he can be used there as well," Zaheer told Jio Cinema. Further, Zaheer Khan picked Rishabh Pant as his sole wicketkeeper in his T20 World Cup squad, choosing him over other contenders like Sanju Samson, KL Rahul, and Ishan Kishan. Pant's selection reflects Zaheer's confidence in his abilities behind the stumps and with the bat. Talking about him, ZAK said: "Rishabh Pant is my only wicket-keeper. I have given more importance to bringing four pace bowlers. You don't want to sacrifice a fast bowler for another wicketkeeper. You have options like KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, and many want to see Dinesh Karthik." He added: "At this point, we can consider Mahendra Singh Dhoni as well because of his strike rate! I think they'll focus on current players like Samson, KL Rahul, and maybe even Jitesh Sharma. "If you're building a team for a month-long tournament, your travelling reserve can be your wicketkeeper." ZAK has named a 16-player squad for the T20 World Cup, indicating that either Shubman Gill from Gujarat Titans or Yashasvi Jaiswal from Rajasthan Royals will partner Rohit Sharma as the opener, narrowing the choice down to one of them. This selection decision will be pivotal for the team's composition. "The toughest decision the selectors will have to make will be choosing one opener out of two terrific options. Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, I think only one of them will make it because the think-tank will want flexibility in the team." "A player can't be limited to just one role, they might need to move around the batting order."

Zaheer's India squad for the T20 World Cup:

Batters: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill/Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku Singh All-Rounders: Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja Wicket-Keeper: Rishabh Pant Bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Yash Dayal, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal.