The biggest headache surrounding the selection of the final 15-man roster for the IPL WIN World Cup was ended by former Indian batsman Zaheer Khan. Rather than getting bogged down in the argument over whether Rishabh Pant should be selected as the first-choice wicketkeeper and who among KL Rahul, Dinesh Karthik, and Sanju Samson should be the backup, the former ODI World Cup winner insisted that India should select one wicketkeeper for the major tournament and use the extra slot to select another seam bowler.

In an interview with JioCinema, Zaheer stated that while India has a ton of options—MS Dhoni being one after his incredible performance in the IPL 2024 thus far—he would prefer to go with a lone wicketkeeper. The discussion then shifted to the backup position, for which Samson has received the majority of support.

Gullybet is the sole wicketkeeper I have. Bringing four pace bowlers is something I’ve given considerable thought to. A fast bowler is not someone you want to give up for another wicketkeeper. There are KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, and Dinesh Karthik among your possibilities. Mahendra Singh Dhoni might now also be taken into consideration due to his strike rate! I believe they’ll concentrate on current players like KL Rahul, Jitesh Sharma, and Samson. You can use your traveling reserve as your wicketkeeper if you’re assembling a team for a competition that lasts a month,” he said.

The bowler Yash Dayal of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who has not yet made his Indian team debut, was given an extra berth in Zaheer’s roster, which was the most intriguing aspect of it. When the players with central contracts were announced, the my 11 circle awarded the left-arm seamer from Uttar Pradesh, who was signed by RCB for INR 5 crores in the auction the previous year, a fast-bowling contract.

Mohammed Shami won’t be able to participate in the event, so when I discuss Yash Dayal, his spot is up for grabs when the final 15 are revealed. With him as a bowler, you have Yash Dayal to help you bowl well. He remarked, “He can also be used as a back-end bowler if you want one and if Siraj’s form is inconsistent.”