The selectors have been trying out young Indian players in the bilateral T20I matches ahead of the T20 World Cup, which will happen next June in the USA and West Indies. As always, the limit of the squad size will be 15 for this ICC tournament.
Big names like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya did not play in the series against Australia. They also missed the series against South Africa and might miss the series against Afghanistan as well.
However, if they perform well in IPL, all three players are likely to return. Here are three young Indian players who might be dropped when Rohit, Kohli and Hardik come back.
1. One of the young Indian players – Ruturaj Gaikwad
Ruturaj Gaikwad smashed his maiden T20I hundred recently against Australia. He also led India to a gold medal win in men’s cricket at Asian Games. However, when Rohit Sharma comes back, Gaikwad might have to sit out. The other two openers in the squad could be the left-handed rising star Yashasvi Jaiswal and IPL 2023 Orange Cap winner, Shubman Gill.
2. Ishan Kishan
Ishan Kishan has been reportedly groomed as the next number three batter of India. However, Virat Kohli is an established match-winner, and considering how he performed for India in T20 World Cup 2022, it will be wrong to drop him. Kohli was also Player of the Tournament in WC 2023 and should bat at number three in T20 WC 2024.
3. Mukesh Kumar
Mukesh Kumar has surprisingly got so many chances to play international cricket for India. His performances have been good, but when Hardik Pandya returns, Kumar will have to make way for him. Pandya is a wicket-taking bowler and a hard-hitting batter, who can also be the vice-captain of the team.
