Former India opener Aakash Chopra expressed his disappointment at India not considering Yuzvendra Chahal for the ODI World Cup, which will be played from October 5 to November 19 in India. The BCCI selection committee, headed by Ajit Agarkar, named India’s 15-man provisional squad for the quadrennial showpiece event on Tuesday, September 5.
India’s World Cup squad was a trimmed version of the Asia Cup group of 17 members as Prasidh Krishna and Tilak Varma were left out. There were no surprises as chief selector Ajit Agarkar had stressed that the World Cup squad will be picked based on the 17 his committee named for the continental tournament.
However, it seems as if India have gone a little light on their bowling attack, while trying to beef up their batting unit. Suryakumar Yadav was picked despite his inconsistent run in the 50-over format while India went in with Axar Patel as the additional spin-bowling all-rounder while also picking Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav.
India missed out on an opportunity to pick an extra spinner or an extra frontline pacer in the World Cup 2023 squad. Notably, Rohit Sharma and Ajit Agarkar hinted that off-spinners were considered but that they picked the ideal 15 to make sure their balance was right for the World Cup.
Aakash Chopra, speaking to JioCinema, highlighted the possible weakness in the bowling line-up of India’s World Cup squad.
“I am not surprised by the team selection, but I am a bit disappointed that they haven’t considered the need for Yuzvendra Chahal. We can’t play Jadeja and Axar together. There will be situations where you face teams like Australia with many left-handed batsmen, and having an off-spinner option becomes crucial. Unfortunately, the team doesn’t have that now, and it seems like they haven’t thought about it thoroughly. I hope this decision doesn’t come back to haunt them in the future,” Chopra said.
India preferred Kuldeep Yadav ahead of Yuzvendra Chahal for the lone wrist-spinner’s spot in the 15-man squad.
THIRD ALL-ROUNDER NEEDED?
Rohit Sharma stressed the need for the bowlers, especially the one playing at No. 8, to have the ability to hit a few. It was evident when India picked Shardul Thakur in the XI while picking only 2 frontline pacers in the Asia Cup group stage matches.
Mohammed Shami played against Nepal while Jasprit Bumrah joined Mohammed Siraj for the abandoned game against Pakistan.
“In an ideal scenario, you want your No. 9 player to bat a little bit. This is a strength that teams like Pakistan or England possess. Our problem is that our No. 9, 10, and 11 can’t bat to the level where you can have confidence in their abilities. Hypothetically, it’ll be Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Kuldeep Yadav in those positions. Additionally, we need a strong No. 8, for which we have Shardul Thakur. Why do you need a batter at No. 8?” Chopra asked, shedding light on the batting depth conundrum.
“This is when you have a player or two in your top six whose form can’t be trusted. That’s when you want a little depth. There’s merit in having four proper bowlers and playing Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya as two all-rounders. It should work with two all-rounders and a third all-rounder is a luxury,” he added.
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