India's wicket-keeping woes: Will too many cooks spoil the broth?

MS Dhoni's exit from international cricket in August 2020 has opened up some opportunities for the Indian cricket team. Shouldering multiple responsibilities easily, the charismatic leader was lightning quick behind the stumps and brought the thunder with the bat in front of it. Moreover, Dhoni's aptitude over tricky DRS calls also rescued the Men in Blue on numerous occasions.

Since his exit, the Indian team management has experimented with multiple wicket keepers across both white-ball formats. While Rishabh Pant was the obvious choice for a while, opener KL Rahul has also been used sparingly.

Over the past year and a half, Ishan Kishan has emerged as another long-term option for the wicketkeeping berth. Moreover, perennial underachiever Dinesh Karthik's resurgence in recent months has only added more depth to the position. 

Furthermore, batting prodigy Sanju Samson continues to knock on the selectors' doors, even more so after a fruitful IPL 2022 with the bat and gloves.

While Team India boasts a wealth of options in the department above, the ultimate question beckons: Who will be, or more importantly, should be India's wicket-keeper at the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia?

Ahead of the upcoming T20 tourney Down Under, we take a look at the prospects of India's top white-ball keeping contenders:

Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik made his national debut in 2004 but remained India's second-choice keeper behind Dhoni. Never really managing to consistently cement his berth in the XI, the cricketer's 94 ODIs, 37 T20Is and 26 Tests for India are scattered across his 18-year international journey.

Karthik even took up commentary last year, but his sudden resurgence as a finisher/wicketkeeper has attracted the attention of the national selectors. 

Having enjoyed a prosperous IPL 2022 campaign, followed by a successful home series against South Africa, the 37-year-old remains the most likely candidate to dethrone regular keeper Rishabh Pant for the T20 WC.

Karthik's comeback could be prolonged further, especially after receiving vocal backing from coach Rahul Dravid and earning a ticket to the tour of Ireland for two T20Is.

Rishabh Pant

Apart from his prodigious talent, Pant has age and reputation on his side. The dynamic youngster has 340 runs across 14 IPL 2022 innings at a strike rate of 151.79. However, while his striking ability remains imposing, it has fallen behind Karthik's superior 183+ S/R.

Hailed as MSD's likely successor during the twilight years of the legend's career, Pant has made remarkable contributions with the bat, especially in Tests. The 24-year-old will now be looking to solidify his status as India's number one wicketkeeper-batsman by putting up consistent performances against England.

Ishan Kishan

On the back of a stellar performance against South Africa in home T20Is, Kishan has found a spot for himself in the travelling Indian squad in Ireland. However, his substandard IPL 2022 outing may have damaged his long-term chances amidst rising competition. Nevertheless, like Pant, the 23-year-old will be aiming to cement his name in the playing XI in the coming months.

KL Rahul

Trendy batsman KL Rahul is likely to nail down the opener's role for India in the T20 World Cup, but it's unlikely to see him donning the wicketkeeping gloves as the primary stumper. It is fair to assume that Rahul's future as a wicketkeeper will depend on others' performances and fitness as India's roadmap for the multi-nation event heats up.

Sanju Samson

On the back of a sterling IPL 2022 campaign for the Rajasthan Royals, Sanju Samson has been knocking on the selectors' doors this year. The 27-year-old clubbed 458 runs at a strike rate of 146.79. He has also contributed to 16 dismissals from behind the stumps and led his side to their first IPL final since 2008.

Having featured in only a handful of matches for India since his international debut in 2015, Samson will be looking to leave a noticeable mark in the T20Is against the Irish.