"New Faces...": Ravi Shastri's Massive Prediction For India's 2024 T20 World Cup Squad

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri is expecting a number of new faces in India's T20 World Cup squad next year with skipper Hardik Pandya having a "big say" in selection matters. While the likes of Test and ODI captain Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli still remain in the T20 scheme of things, the phasing out process had started after a disappointing semi-final exit in last year's global meet in Australia. "I think they will (look in new direction)," Shastri told ESPN Cricinfo.

"The T20 World Cup is coming up and there is lot of talent among youth. This year's IPL, we have seen some refreshing new talent. There will be new faces not a new team. He (Hardik) is already captain of India, so he will continue unless he is not fit," the former India all-rounder said.

Shastri feels that just like the 2007 World Cup, when India went with a relatively new team full of youngsters under Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the same would happen in the upcoming tournament.

"Now they would go the 2007 T20 World Cup route and identify talent, and he (HP) will have big choice and his ideas will be different and he would have played IPL, and seen a lot of other players as captain of IPL.

"Obviously, he is the man who is going to take these guys out on the park, no one else, so whatever he says has to be given importance," he added.

But Shastri also wants everyone to have priorities clear.

"Don't even think of T20 World Cup till ODI World Cup is over, and after that you have enough time for T20s." As far as Hardik is concerned, Shastri finds him at his decision-making best when he is fit and leading from the front.

"He is supremely confident about his own abilities and the fact that he is fit now, makes a massive difference," he said.

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