Selectors to pick Champions Trophy squad after Vijay Hazare Trophy final; Rahul not Pant's rival, Kuldeep's stiff test

KL Rahul did don the wicketkeeping gloves during the 2023 ODI World Cup, which gave the Indian team a balance. But the Karnataka star is likely to have been ruled out for that role for the impending Champions Trophy as the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee has identified Rishabh Pant's backup. KL Rahul vs Rishabh Pant for Champions Trophy?

India and Pakistan are the only teams that have yet to announce their squad for the Champions Trophy. While six other teams adhered to the January 12 deadline set by the ICC to submit their provisional squad, India reportedly sought an extension.

According to a PTI report on Monday, the selection committee is all set to meet on January 19, after the Vijay Hazare Trophy final, to pick the 15-member provisional squad for the Champions Trophy. The report added that the selectors currently face a dilemma over two positions, one being on the wicketkeeper's role.

While most experts backed Rahul to emulate his 2023 ODI World Cup role as a wicketkeeper, the report indicated that Pant is the first choice by a country mile, while the battle for the second keeper's slot is down to one between Dhruv Jurel, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan.

It seems Jurel, who was recently added as Samson's backup for the upcoming home T20I series against England, has emerged as the frontrunner for the role, while the latter is likely to be out of contention as he decided to skip the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Kishan, who has a double century to his name in ODI cricket, too, is likely to miss out on the spot after a modest Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign, where he managed 316 runs in seven games with a single hundred against one of the NE states.

The report further added that selectors have envisioned Jurel as Pant's backup for India in Tests and ODIs, while Samson will be assigned T20 duties.

Kuldeep Yadav's stiff test

While the selectors are yet to get an official update on Kuldeep's fitness, with the chinaman slated to appear for a fitness test and match simulation soon, his replacements have been identified.

Tamil Nadu's Varun Chakravarthy has emerged as a strong contender after the spinner picked 18 wickets in six matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy at an economy rate of 4.36. However, there are apprehensions about his fielding ability and his bowling on the flat decks in Dubai. The other option is Ravi Bishnoi, who snared 14 wickets in six matches at an economy rate of 3.64. In comparison to the former, Bishnoi he has a very powerful arm, can field anywhere in the deep and is a fantastic catcher.

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