DINESH KARTHIK, RISHABH PANT, AND ISHAN KISHAN-WHO SHOULD BE INDIA'S NUMBER ONE KEEPER IN T20 WORLD CUP?

In a 15-member squad, India need to get the exact balance with a mix of pacers, spinners, all-rounders, and batters like. India's batting options mean that they would look at a keeper or two and the role which will be meted out.

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The ongoing 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has given the Team India management an interesting headache ahead of this year's ICC T20 World Cup in Australia. India, who failed to qualify for the T20 World Cup semi-finals last year, will be trying to do better this time around. For that, they need to have the right balance, and we might see a fresher squad this time around. Keeping is an area in India have plenty of options, but finding the right candidate to suit the team's identity and approach will be key. The IPL 2022 edition is somewhat a dress rehearsal for the wicketkeepers in line. The performance of a veteran player like Dinesh Karthik has suddenly made things more interesting. People are talking about a comeback for Karthik, and if he ends up maintaining the consistency, the Indian cricket team management could spice things up by handing him a recall. Here we decode who should be India’s number one keeper in the global T20 event and why.

WHO ARE THE OPTIONS IN TERMS OF KEEPING?

In the present scenario, India have options such as Rishabh Pant, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, and KL Rahul. With Dinesh Karthik back in the fray, the options have increased. In a realistic scenario, Rahul is unlikely to don the keeping role given he is the first choice batter and will open for India. He is also not keeping in the IPL for Lucknow Super Giants. Therefore, it leaves us with the other four players mentioned above.

WHAT IS THE CRITERIA?