"If Rishabh Pant is fit on even one leg, he should come in the team" - Sunil Gavaskar on KL Rahul's place in India's 2024 T20 World Cup squad
Sunil Gavaskar reckons KL Rahul could be a good wicketkeeper-batter option for India for the 2024 T20 World Cup. However, he feels Rishabh Pant should be the first-choice pick if he is fit enough to take the field.
The selectors recently picked Jitesh Sharma and Sanju Samson as the two wicketkeeper-batters in India's 16-member squad for the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan. While Pant wasn't available for selection as he is yet to fully recover from his injuries, Rahul was ignored.
During an interaction on the Star Sports show 'Game Plan', Gavaskar was asked whether he sees KL Rahul playing the middle-order wicketkeeper-batter's role in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
"I see him (Rahul) as a wicketkeeper as well but I will say one thing before that - if Rishabh Pant is fit on even one leg, he should come in the team because he is a game-changer in every format. If I am the selector, I will put his name first," he responded.
The former India captain feels Rahul is an enticing option if Pant isn't available, explaining:
"However, if Rishabh Pant is unavailable and KL Rahul keeps wickets, it will be good because the balance will also get created. Then you have the option to play him as an opener or use him in the middle order as a finisher at No. 5 or No. 6."
Gavaskar added that the Karnataka player has improved his keeping by leaps and bounds.
"He is an all-rounder and he has improved his wicketkeeping so much. When he used to keep earlier, he was probably a slightly reluctant wicketkeeper, a keeper you could just manage with, but now he is a proper wicketkeeper," he elaborated.
Rahul has amassed 2,265 runs at an excellent average of 37.75 and an equally impressive strike rate of 139.12 in 68 T20I innings. However, he has never batted below No. 4 in T20Is and might have to showcase his prowess down the order in IPL 2024 if he harbors hopes of making it to India's T20 World Cup squad.
"Competition between players is good" - Sunil Gavaskar on whether IPL 2024 will help in deciding between the likes of Jitesh Sharma, KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant
![It needs to be seen whether KL Rahul plays as a wicketkeeper-batter in IPL 2024. [P/C: iplt20.com]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/01/5a05a-17048764809797-1920.jpg?w=500)
Sunil Gavaskar was further asked whether IPL 2024 could help in deciding between the likes of Jitesh Sharma, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant as India's preferred wicketkeeper-batter for the T20 World Cup.
"Competition between players is good. All three players are good. We have seen Jitesh Sharma. He is an impressive striker and finisher. In T20 cricket, wicketkeepers usually stay back and are rarely close to the stumps. So even if you don't have that much wicketkeeping prowess but have batting and form, you can come in the team," he replied.
Apart from the aforementioned three players, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan could also be in contention for the wicketkeeper-batter's position for the T20 World Cup.
Jitesh, Samson and Kishan are expected to keep wickets for their respective franchises in IPL 2024. On the flip side, Pant and Rahul might play as specialist batters, considering the former's injury and the presence of Nicholas Pooran and Quinton de Kock as wicketkeepers in the Lucknow Super Giants squad.