Despite the highly-intriguing stage the IPL 2024 finds itself in, it’s the T20 World Cup that everyone has their eyes on. The ICC event which will make its debut in the USA and return to the West Indies for the first time in 2010 promises to be a grand cricketing extravaganza and provide Team India an opportunity to end their agonising wait. It’s been 11 years since India last won an ICC trophy, let alone the World Cup. There were plenty of chances in between though – almost every year – but while India entered these tournaments as favourites almost every time, they failed to live up to the billing.

Will the wait finally end in 2024? Only time will tell, but for it to happen, India need to do plenty of things right, starting with the squad selection. The deadline for the boards to reveal their final 15 is May 1; hence, over the next six days, the entire picture will be unveiled. As the date approaches, the excitement in the air is palpable, and to offer a glimpse of what’s in store, several former cricketers are picking their own India squad of 15.

Another day. Another T20 World Cup squad prediction. And another 15 without Hardik Pandya. The Mumbai Indians captain apparently isn’t a favourite of many. After being left out of Ambati Rayudu and Irfan Pathan’s squad, and also Virender Sehwag’s T20 World Cup Playing XI, Hardik has failed to secure a place in Harbhajan Singh‘s list of players as well. The former India spinner, instead, went ahead with Shivam Dube at No. 7 and Rinku Singh at 6 to settle the allrounder-cum-finisher debate.

Harbhajan’s top order has no surprises. Rohit Sharma, the captain opens with Yashasvi Jaiswal, followed by Virat Kohli at 3 and Suryakumar Yadav at 4. That Shubman Gill isn’t the opener but Jaiswal is could be a subject of debate – Gill has more runs than Jaiswal in IPL 2024 – but it isn’t an unexpected call. Jaiswal was always tipped to be Rohit’s opening partner, and the century against Mumbai Indians the other evening only solidified that belief.

The No. 6 position is where opinions may collide. It’s no rocket science that Hardik hasn’t had the best of seasons as captain of the Mumbai Indians, and that his batting and bowling resembles a pale shadow of his former self. But for someone, who for the last year and a half – led India in T20Is with a pretty decent record while Rohit was out concentrating on ODIs, to get dropped altogether could be looked at as a rough call. Going by his recent string of performances – 151 runs and four wickets from eight matches – Hardik’s axe was imminent, and as a like-for-like replacement, Harbhajan had no doubts turning to Shivam Dube. The left-handed batter has peeled off three very exciting half-centuries at a mighty fine strike rate and continues to get better with each game.

Samson in, Kul-Cha reunited

Interestingly, Harbhajan has chosen Sanju Samson as the back-up keeper for Pant. The Rajasthan Royals captain, who is yet to play a single World Cup for India, has scored 314 runs at an average of 62.8 with three half-century and boasts a decent strike-rate of 152.4. Moreover, Samson had scored a century for India against South Africa earlier in January and even though it was an ODI fixture, a hundred at Paarl is a feat not too many India batters have achieved from the current crop.

Ravindra Jadeja is the second all-rounder in India’s squad picked by Harbhajan, who has reunited Kul-Cha, including Yuzvendra Chahal as Kuldeep Yadav’s partner. Chahal, India’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is, with 13 scalps is also the joint-highest wicket-taker in the Purple Cap list, but hasn’t ever played a T20 World Cup. He was dropped from Virat Kohli’s 2021 squad, and although he made the flight to Australia in 2022, the leg-spinner did not get a game. Having last played against West Indies last year, Chahal also missed being part of India’s 2023 World Cup campaign.

On to the fast bowlers, India’s stocks beyond Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, appears thin, especially now that Mohammed Shami is injured and ruled out of the World Cup. To strengthen it, Harbhajan has added an influx of young blood, giving Avesh Khan and Mayank Yadav the go ahead, leaving Mohammed Siraj out. Avesh has picked eight wickets from as many games for the Delhi Capitals, while Mayank, who has bowled the two fastest deliveries of this year’s IPL, could be the surprise package.