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While the announcement of the India squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup set the cyberspace buzzing, with the netizens engaging in intense debates over the chosen ones and those left out of the mix; actor Riteish Deshmukh, too, took to his social media handle to express his misgivings over one player whom he thought should have boarded the flight to the US, which is co-hosting the tournament along with the West Indies.
An avid follower of the game, Riteish shared on his social media handle that he was disappointed that veteran wicketkeeper-batsman L Rahul, who leads the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), failed to make the cut. Taking to his official X handle, the actor posted, "KL Rahul should have been there in the #T20WorldCup squad." This post evoked several reactions from the actor's followers as well as fellow cricket fanatics. "Not at all, Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson deserve the most," a social media user commented, in response to Riteish's post. "I totally agree with you," wrote another. Rahul, who fared creditably in last year's ODI World Cup, featuring in the dual role of a middle-order batsman and wicketkeeper, has performed well in the ongoing IPL season. In 10 matches, the Karnataka player has aggregated 406 runs at an average of 40.60, with a strike rate of 142.95 and three half-centuries against his name. His best score this IPL season is an unbeaten 82. However, Sanju Samson, the Rajasthan Royals skipper and his counterpart in the Delhi Capitals, Rishabh Pant, eventually pipped him in the race to win World Cup berths on the weight of their performances in the ongoing IPL edition. It is understood that a superior strike rate, which is considered a critical yardstick when it comes to selecting players in this format, tipped the scales in their favour. Samson has been leading the Royals from the front this IPL and currently sits in the seventh spot on the list of run-getters this season, with 385 runs at an average of 77.00 and a strike rate of 161.08, with four half-centuries. His best score this IPL is an unbeaten 82. Pant, on the other hand, is the fifth-highest run-getter this season, with 398 runs at an average of 44.22 and a strike rate of 158.56, with three half-centuries against his name. His best score is 88*. Rahul's last appearance in the shortest format for India was during the T20 WC 2022 in Australia, where India lost to England by 10 wickets in the semi-final. His poor performance against big teams and poor strike rate at the top drew criticism from fans and experts alike. In the upcoming World Cup, India is placed in Group A of the tournament alongside arch-rivals Pakistan, Ireland, Canada and co-hosts USA. India will begin their World Cup campaign against Ireland on June 5 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York, followed by the marquee clash against Pakistan on June 9 at the same venue. India will then play the USA and Canada on June 12 and 15 respectively. Squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Hardik Pandya (Vice Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj.Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan. (ANI)
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