India Cricket Team are all set to announce their squad for the T20 World Cup 2024 in the last week of April. As per the reports in PTI, it is learned that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will be naming a 15-member squad ahead of 1st May 2024.
The T20 World Cup 2024 is all set to begin from the 1st of June with the final set to be played on the 30th of the month. The tournament will be played in the United States of America and the Caribbean and it will see 20 teams taking part in the tournament, which will be happening for the first time in history.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has given the deadlines to all the teams to announce their squad for the T20 World Cup 2024 ahead of the 1st of May. The teams, however, can make changes to their squad for the World Cup till the 25th of May, a day before the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 concludes.
A source close to BCCI stated that selectors will be in a position to select the players by the end of April based on the IPL form. Speaking to PTI on condition of anonymity, he explained:
“The Indian team will be selected sometime during the last week of April, the time by which the first half of IPL will be over and the national selection committee will be in a position to assess the form and fitness of the contenders.”
The BCCI source further stated that India will be sending the first batch of their players to the USA just after the league stage of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. He also revealed that the team would be following a similar pattern for the tournament as they did last year for the ICC World Test Championship. He added:
“The first batch of cricketers will leave for New York immediately after the end of the league stage of IPL on May 19. Those players, whose teams won’t qualify for the final four will be going early, like it happened during WTC finals last year.”
National selectors are traveling to watch most of the matches – BCCI selectors on Indian players
BCCI source further stated that selectors are traveling to stadiums to have a keen eye on Indian players for the T20 World Cup 2024. He also stated that if during the tournament any of the contracted players gets injured, he will be under the keen observation of the NCA. He stated:
“Obviously, if any centrally contracted or targeted player gets injured, his case will automatically come under the purview of the NCA’s Medicine and Sports Science team. Also for the centrally contracted players and targeted players (India A, Emerging India), the S&C coaches and physios need to keep NCA in the loop.
“But when players are contracted with franchises, BCCI can’t dictate how many matches they will play. As far as bowlers are concerned, it is only four overs.”
It is also learned that players are given no instructions by the BCCI to manage their workload. The ongoing IPL will be extremely vital for all the Indian players as they would be keen to make a mark and book their spot in the squad for the T20 World Cup 2024.
