And that has put the spotlight firmly on Abhishek Nayar, the Mumbai left-hand batsman and right-arm seamer. Nayar, who blasted Andrew Flintoff for 22 runs in an over to start off his IPL campaign will have one more chance — when Mumbai Indians take on Kolkata Knight Riders in East London on May 1 — to impress the selectors before the squad is named. “I have always fancied myself as an all-rounder. It’s good to be in the running for a place in the Indian team,” he said. “You do think about your prospects from time to time, and I was thrilled to be part of the probables. But I don’t want to think about anything other than the next game at the moment,” Nayar said.

Things are looking pretty straightforward two days ahead of selection, but a couple of surprises can never be ruled out when the five wise men start their discussions on Saturday.