Shikhar Dhawan could have been selected in the Indian T20 World Cup, states MSK Prasad
MSK Prasad is a former BCCI chief selector MSK
Expressing his views on the recent selection of the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup 2021, MSK Prasad said that Shikhar Dhawan could have been added to the squad considering his recent form. He also stated that Krunal Pandya should have also been added since he is doing well in the T20 format.
BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) announced the Indian squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in UAE earlier this month. The 15 member squad looks like a balanced side with a good mix of batters, all-rounders, pacers, and spinners. The World Cup is scheduled to start on October 17 and the Indian squad will put their best to win the title.Â
However, the squad included some surprising inclusions and omissions. Dropping Shikhar Dhawan was one of the most unanticipated decisions by the selectors, especially considering the fact that he has a fine record in ICC events. The move shocked a lot of people including former cricketers. Sharing his views about the decision to drop Dhawan, former BCCI chief selector MSK Prasad said that with his current form in the IPL and his records in ICC tournaments, Dhawan could have been a valuable addition to the team.Â
"Personally, I felt that maybe since this is a major event, someone like Shikhar Dhawan could have really been brought. Considering the fact that he has always done well in ICC tournaments. And he got back-to-back centuries in the IPL so he is in perfect form. I think he could have been more useful for the side" he said on Sports Tak.
Krunal Pandya was the other name excluded from the Indian squad. Krunal has given some impactful performances for Mumbai. The all-rounder has appeared in 5 ODIs and 19 T20Is for the Indian team. Commenting on the exclusion of Krunal, MSK Prasad said that he has been groomed by BCCI for the last 3-4 years to suit the T20 format.
"Similarly, Krunal Pandya too. We had groomed him for the last 3-4 years in the T20 format. He's been doing well for the Mumbai Indians so these are the two names. I felt that these are the two guys who could have fitted in," he further added
The talking point of the selection was the return of R Ashwin to the Indian side after a long gap of four years. Also, the selection committee gave priority to Varun Chakravarthy and Rahul Chahar over Yuzvendra Chahal. With the wickets anticipated to be spin-friendly, the Indian squad includes a notable number of spinners in the squad. Reflecting on the overall team selection, Prasad is of the opinion that the team is quite good and it is selected very thoughtfully.Â
"You can definitely rate them 8-9 out of 10. They’ve tried to cover all bases and they have gone in predominantly with a frame of mind that it will be more of spin-friendly wickets. That’s the reason we have 4-5 spinners in the squad. Selectors will see from every angle… they will definitely not go into one direction," he concluded.Â
