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India erred by picking 4 spinners for T20 World Cup?

May 21, 2024 11:04 IST

IMAGE: India captain Rohit Sharma with Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav. Photograph: BCCI

Former spinner Harbhajan Singh believes India made a mistake by picking four spinners for the T20 World Cup and could have instead picked up a finisher like Rinku Singh to bolster their lower order batting.

 

Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal are the four spinners in the Indian team for the T20 World Cup in the US and West Indies next month, while going in with three specialist pacers in Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.

"The World Cup team has been selected. The batting is good. I think we are one fast bowler short. One player that I think we will miss is Rinku Singh, because he is someone who can win the match single-handedly for us. He can chase down 60 runs in 20 balls," Harbhajan, who was part of India's T20 World Cup winning team in 2007, told ANI.

"I think selecting four spinners is a bit too much. Three would have been enough. I wish the Team India all the best, hope they bring the Cup."

He further stated India will never go into a match with four spinners in their playing XI.

"I do not think we will ever play four spinners in a game. Ravindra Jadeja will play. Maybe Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal will play with him. Maybe we will field three spinners in a game. We will get to know the combo on seeing the conditions."

Harbhajan is eagerly waiting for India's big clash against Pakistan on June 9 in New York, which he believes he could set the momentum for India.

"I am sure we will win against Pakistan, we have a great track record against them and have a better team," he added.

The ex-India spinner believes Sanju Samson should start as the wicketkeeper ahead of Rishabh Pant. Samson is enjoying his best ever showing in the IPL, scoring 504 runs at a strike rate of 156, with five half-centuries. On the other hand, Pant has slammed 446 runs in 13 innings and a strike rate of 155.

Source: ANI