Wait for the knives to be out!

Each time a squad is announced meticulous scrutiny ensues Of the two things that are reviewed over and over again one is the exhaustive evaluation of the selected players worthiness and the other an equally fervent examination of selectors competenceOld to young the cacophony of opinions never quite ceases to reverberate across the spectrumOnce again the moment arrives for the BCCI selectors to engage in profound deliberation and assemble a contingent deemed capable of putting an end to Indiarsquos tenyear ICC trophy drought Indeed Tuesday heralds the revelation of Indias T20 World Cup squad evoking considerable anticipation among aficionados former cricketers and pundits alikeThe fervent speculation revolves around the identities of those deemed deserving of inclusion and those destined to be left behind as the squad is finalisedAlso ReadMumbai grasp at strawsIn fact the task has been considerably simplified owing to the reality that the majority of players have effectively chosen themselves by virtue of their exemplary performances in the ongoing IPL seasonThe national selection committee led by former rightarm pacer Ajit Agarkar is expected to meet secretary Jay Shah in Ahmedabad to finalise the 15member squad but the formal announcement may be postponed by a dayldquoA few slots remain subject to deliberation as the majority of the team selection is straightforwardrdquo a BCCI source in the know of developments told MidDay on Monday ldquoDo not expect too many big surprises And we canrsquot only rely on IPL performances so those selected have been rated overallrdquoIt is learnt that the focal concern lies in the fitness of Hardik Pandyas bowling abilities which is still far from satisfying both the selection committee and team management His inclusion could give selectors another thing to ponder as they are to deliberate who between Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh will join the squad ldquoAll I can say right now is we have been closely monitoring them It is not whether Hardik will make it to the squad the point here is that we should move forward with the best available player Experience matters but a lot of emphasis is being given to our talented youngstersrdquo he addedAlso ReadMumbai hope to do a Houdini acthellipagainNotably the composition of Indiarsquos top four positions had largely been settled several months prior to the IPL with captain Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal slated to open followed by Virat Kohli at number three and the topranked T20I batsman Suryakumar Yadav positioned at number fourKL Rahul a standout favourite under the current coaching regime led by Rahul Dravid could surge ahead of his closest rival Sanju Samson although both are exhibiting a remarkable streak of form this IPL The prospect of unconventional choices is slim as the source hinted however there are no second thoughts about Mumbai Indiansrsquo Tilak Varma emerging as a potential candidate boasting lefthanded batting skills as well as offering handy offspin particularly against lefthanded opposition batsmen The likelihood of his selection remains uncertain given the competition for the third spinners role between Axar Patel and Ravi BishnoiThe seasoned allrounder Ravindra Jadeja is poised to take precedence over Axar as the spinning allrounder with Axar potentially included in the squad as a backup option Kuldeep Yadav could be the sole finger spinner in this World Cup As things stand currently Yuzvendra Chahal renowned as Indias most adept whiteball wrist spinner may find himself outside the preferences of a key figure within the coaching hierarchy significantly influencing selection decisionsFurthermore the injury to Mohammed Shami has depleted Indias fast bowling resources elevating Jasprit Bumrah to the forefront of the bowling setup Despite his lackluster performances in the death overs Arshdeep Singhs impeccable leftarm pace could do a favour or two to the side although his spot is not guaranteed Avesh Khan could be given a nod for his ability to generate bounce while Mohammed Siraj despite his subdued form in the IPL remains in contention due to his potential matchwinning abilities