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KL Rahul captained India against South Africa (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar said KL Rahul missed out on a spot in India’s T20 World Cup squad because they were looking for “guys” who can bat in the middle.
KL Rahul was not picked in India’s 15-member squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup as Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson got the nod.
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Chief selector Ajit Agarkar clarified why during a press conference on Thursday. Agarkar said KL Rahul missed out on a spot in India’s T20 World Cup squad because they were looking for “guys” who can bat in the middle.
“KL Rahul has been opening in the IPL. We were mainly looking for middle-order options. So, we felt that Samson and Pant are better suited for that. Samson can bat anywhere in the lineup. So, it was just about the slots what we needed and not about who was better,” Agarkar told reporters.
“No doubt KL Rahul is class and incredible player. But I feel Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson is doing incredible and they are perfect for us”, he added.
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So, from being the India vice-captain at the 2022 T20 World Cup to missing out completely, KL Rahul will surely feel disappointed as the top-order batter could not be accommodated in India’s 15-member squad.
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When Indian men’s cricket team captain Rohit Sharma though is not sure on India’s playing XI.
“Don’t know how the pitch will be in USA. We are playing in the West Indies but different venues. You have to look at the opposition combinations as well. One thing that we looked at was middle-order hitting. Our top-order hitting has been alright, not that bad,” Rohit told reporters in Mumbai.
“We wanted someone to play that role in the middle overs freely, without worrying about who is bowling. Shivam Dube was the guy who showed this in IPL. Again, no guarantee what our playing XI will be like. Will decide based on practice and the combination of our opposition,” he added.
