Halting the Indian juggernaut in the final of the ICC World Cup 2023, Pat Cummins’ Australia upstaged Rohit Sharma and Co. to win its record-extending sixth 50-over crown on Sunday. Ending Team India’s unbeaten run in the final of the ICC event, the Travis Head-inspired side defeated the World Cup hosts by six wickets at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
After India finished runners-up in the One Day International (ODI) World Cup, the Asian giants will look at their younger generation to carry the legacy forward in the next showpiece event. For the first time since the inception of the ICC tournament, the T20 World Cup will take place in the United States. The forthcoming edition of the ICC World T20 will be co-hosted by the US next year.
‘Will Rohit be playing or not is a big question’
Making an early prediction for next year’s World Cup, former Indian pacer Shanthakumaran Nair Sreesanth feels the 2007 champions will have either Rohit or Hardik Pandya at the helm. India made it to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup under Rohit’s leadership in 2022. “Will Rohit Sharma be playing or not is a big question. He’ll be captain because he has won all those IPLs. Either Rohit Sharma or Hardik Pandya will be captain depending on the situation, the surroundings,” Sreesanth told Sportskeeda.
‘Rishabh Pant should be there as third keeper’
The former India pacer also believes that superstar Rishabh Pant will be fit for selection as the third wicketkeeper at the T20 World Cup. Pant missed major marquee events after suffering multiple injuries in a serious car crash last year. “Rishabh Pant, if he’s fit should be there as the third keeper because he might need some time to come back to the setup. We need a match-winner, not someone who just sticks around. We need a player who is ready to play and win matches. That’s as of now. He might be the second or first wicketkeeper depending on form,” Sreesanth added.
Sreesanth picks his India’s preliminary squad for T20 World Cup:
Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Mohammed Shami, Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj.