Rahul Chahar is a good inclusion in the Indian T20 squad, asserts Nilesh Kulkarni

Rahul Chahar is a good inclusion in the Indian T20 squad, asserts Nilesh Kulkarni

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Former India spinner Nilesh Kulkarni reckons the addition of Mumbai Indians’ spinner Rahul Chahar to the India T20 squad for the West Indies tour is a good decision by the selection committee. Chahar enjoyed a brilliant IPL 2019 season where he picked up 13 wickets as Mumbai won the league.

Mumbai Indians have carved up a reputation of delivering some top-notch domestic players who have cemented a spot in the Indian senior cricket team over the years. The likes of Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and others have been products of the famed MI training academy and have made an immediate impact when given a chance with the national team.

After a brilliant 2019 IPL season, young Mumbai spinner Rahul Chahar has received his maiden India call-up for the T20 series against West Indies in the coming weeks. Former India cricketer and Mumbai selector - Nilesh Kulkarni - has praised the selection committee’s decision to add Chahar to the squad that includes other spinners like Krunal Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, and Washington Sundar.

"Well, in my opinion, it's a good inclusion purely because Rahul had a good season last year. More importantly, if the selectors are addressing that area if at all the injury or form concerns erupt with Kuldeep (Yadav) and Yuzvendra Chahal, then you still have a back-up bowler ready to fill in that slot and there is no void.

"So it is a brilliant strategy and compliments for that thought process of the team management and selectors. That is how you build (a team) by creating more options and not depending on one or two options," Kulkarni said as per PTI sources. 

Kulkarni, who played 10 ODIs and three Test matches for India during the late 1990s, also gave his two cents on how the new coach of the Mumbai cricket team must be given the freedom to make his own decisions based on the long-term future of the squad.

"I agree, coaches need to be given a long rope. Then you can come up with a strategy which can last for a decent period. And they will know they can build a team and make sure that it justifies the next 10-year road map. They need to get confidence that they are there for a period of 2-3 years so that they can bring in the necessary changes for the development of the team," the former Mumbai selector added.

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