India head coach Dravid rues lack of international cricket before T20 WC

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Bengaluru: India might have clinched a thriller against Afghanistan in the third T20I in Bengaluru and, with that, a T20I series win, they still have plenty to ponder on in regards to filling in the best keeper-batters in the final 15 for the T20 World Cup later this year.

With the ‘problem of plenty’ starting to bother the team management, head coach Rahul Dravid rues the lack of T20Is in the lead-up to the marquee event, saying the upcoming season of the IPL will serve as the only parameter for squad selection for the 20-team tournament in the Caribbean and the USA.

While Jitesh Sharma played two out of the three T20Is against Afghanistan, Sanju Samson got the chance in the final game, getting out on a first-ball duck. On the other hand, Ishan Kishan is currently unavailable for selection owing to mental fatigue, while KL Rahul and returning Rishabh Pant are waiting in the wings to get slotted in. With five top-notch keeper-batters available for selection, Dravid feels it’s a good headache for the team.

“We have a few wicketkeeping options. All of them are in the mix. We have seen Sanju and Jitesh (in the India-Afghanistan series). We also have Rahul, Kishan and Rishabh. We just need to see how it pans out in the next few months and take a call on what is the best way forward,” Dravid told reporters after India’s win over Afghanistan in the third T20I.

IPL to serve the purpose
Though Dravid is happy with several players raising their hands for the limited slots in the team, he is firm on his thought that IPL serves the purpose of helping the selectors and the team management to finalise the keeper-batters for the T20 World Cup.

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