Ajit Agarkar is expected to have the final say in selecting India’s T20 World Cup squad of 15 members. While the IPL will play a significant role, it won’t be the sole determining factor.
Sunil Gavaskar commended Rahul Dravid and his support staff for their behind-the-scenes efforts with the Indian team following their victory over England. In response, Dravid promptly acknowledged the contributions of the selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar.
“A big shoutout to Ajit and his team as well. A lot of the youngsters that come in… as coach and as captain we don’t actually get to see a lot of them. We don’t see as much domestic cricket as Ajit and his team of selectors do.They have pushed us.”
“They have challenged us to pick some of these youngsters and they have come out here and performed. It’s not easy being a selector.”
“You always get the criticism but a big pat on the back to Ajit and his team,”Dravid stated in an interview with Jio Cinema after India’s 4-1 series triumph against the Bazballers.
This incident was one of the many reasons to admire Dravid’s team spirit, highlighting his qualities as both a team player and a person. However, attributing this solely to Dravid’s humility would not fully acknowledge the role of the selectors, particularly their leader, Agarkar.
Agarkar’s involvement in selecting Jurel and Padikkal
The young players Dravid referred to were Dhruv Jurel and Devdutt Padikkal. Agarkar advocated for their selection during the England series.
When Ishan Kishan withdrew from the South Africa Test series due to mental fatigue, the management faced uncertainty regarding the backup wicketkeeper. With KL Rahul designated as a specialist batsman, India had only one wicketkeeping option left – KS Bharat.
“It was Agarkar who suggested Jurel’s name. The team management wasn’t too confident about him as he was still a rookie.”
“Picking a youngster who hasn’t had much red-ball exposure at the top level straightaway into the Indian side for an important series like England was always going to be a brave call but Agarkar had seen enough to vouch for the youngster,” a BCCI source told Hindustan Times.
After KS Bharat struggled with the bat in the initial two Tests, Jurel was handed his Test debut in Rajkot. The player from Agra delivered impressively, showcasing his talent with a solid 45 runs.
However, it was his performance in the subsequent Test in Ranchi that not only contributed to India’s series victory but also solidified his position in the Indian squad as a wicketkeeper even in Rishabh Pant’s absence.
Jurel emerged as the top scorer in the first innings with 91 runs and then demonstrated composure under pressure in the second innings with an unbeaten 36 to guide India to victory.
Agarkar led another smart pick with Devdutt Padikkal. With Kohli and Rahul out for different reasons, India needed a reliable middle-order batsman. After Rohit Sharma, Jadeja was the most experienced in the top six.
“There was a discussion about Cheteshwar Pujara, who was scoring runs in Ranji Trophy. The batting line-up literally had no experience. But Agarkar stood firm on looking ahead with Padikkal’s selection.”
“He was present when he hit a fluent 150 in a Ranji Trophy and he believed that his height would come in handy against the inexperienced England spinners,” the source added.
Padikkal made the most of his chance to bat in his only Test match, scoring 65 runs in the first innings in Dharamsala. Agarkar also helped pick Sai Sudharsan and Rajat Patidar for the South Africa tour.
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