The BCCI on Monday (May 4) announced a 15-member squad for the next month's Twenty20 World Cup which includes pacer RP Singh. However, the selectors dropped Munaf Patel from the T20 world cup squad. RP Singh has been performing consistently at the on-going IPL in South Africa and his hard labour earned him a place in India's T20 squad. Apart from Patel, wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik and Robin Uthappa could not make into the squad.

 

The selectors have inducted young Ravindra Jadeja and spinner Pragyan Ojha in the squad which will be led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Under Dhoni's captaincy, India won the inaugural edition of the T20 championship in South Africa in 2007. Virender Sehwag has been named the vice-captain for the 2009 Twenty20 World Cup, scheduled to be held at England on June 5. There are five specialist batsmen and five specialist pacers in the newly announced squad. Apart from the them, the 15-men squad includes two spinners, two all-rounders and one wicket keeper.

 

The selection panel headed by former India captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth also dropped the hero of 2007 T20 world cup final, Joginder Sharma. Among others who could not attract the selectors include M Vijay, Ajinkya Rahane, Dhawal Kulkarni, Abhishek Nayar, S Badrinath, Virat Kohli, Manoj Tiwary, Wriddhiman Saha, Amit Mishra and L Balaji.

 

 

T20 Squad:

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Rohit Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Praveen Kumar, Rudra Pratap Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Pragyan Ojha and Irfan Pathan.