The task for India's five national selectors will not be an arduous one as they sit down on Friday (February 5) to finalize the squads for the upcoming Asia Cup in Bangladesh and, more importantly, the ICC World Twenty20.
India's Twenty20 International squad, led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, for once wears a settled look. Results too have gone their way, with the team whitewashing Australia 3-0 in their own backyard.
The majority of the side selects itself, with at least 10 out of the playing XI in the third T20I in Sydney almost certain to make the cut. With both the Asia Cup and World T20 being staged in the subcontinent, the focus could be on bolstering slow-bowling resources to give adequate support to first-choice tweakers Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
The team, it is believed, is on the lookout for multi-utility players for the shortest format. Delhi and former Chennai Super Kings left-arm spinner Pawan Negi has already got a call-up for the three T20s against Sri Lanka. What tipped the scales in his favour was his ability with the willow - the southpaw scored 173 runs at a strike-rate of 173 for Delhi in this season's Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament.
Hardik Pandya, who made his debut in the T20I series in Australia, was the highest scorer in the Mushtaq Ali with 377 runs in 10 matches for Baroda. Although his bowling was a bit wayward, the Mumbai Indians all-rounder has good pace too.
"We want depth in the batting order. In T20 cricket, you need bowlers who can roll their arm over for a few overs. Guys like Yuvraj and Raina give those options to the skipper and we are looking for similar players," a source close to the team told TOI on Thursday.
The fourth spinner's slot could be a toss-up between leg-spinner Piyush Chawla and Karn Sharma and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh. Uttar Pradesh leggie Chawla has been India's lucky charm as part of two World Cup-winning squads at the 2007 World T20 and 2011 Cricket World Cup. He was the second-highest wicket-taker with 15 scalps in nine games in the Mushtaq Ali tournament and has a phenomenal economy rate of 5.94.
Harbhajan was part of the squad in Australia although he didn't get a single game and has also been selected for the three-match T20I series against Lanka starting on Feb 9. "The good thing is that the core of the team is in place. In a major international event like the World T20 we need experience to step in if required," the source added.
Jostling for the back-up seamer's position will be Irfan Pathan and Dhawal Kulkarni. Baroda all-rounder Irfan could get a late call-up, having finished as the highest wicket-taker in Mushtaq Ali with 17 wickets in 10 games. Mumbai's Kulkarni has been knocking on selectors' doors with 15 scalps in just eight games.
Another point of debate is the choice of an extra batsman between Ajinkya Rahane and Manish Pandey. The latter was the hero of fifth ODI win, scoring his maiden century while Rahane missed out the T20I leg of the tour due to a finger injury.
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