WI vs IND 2022 | Would pick Arshdeep Singh for World T20 because India needs variety, opines Ravi Shastri
Ravi Shastri has picked Arshdeep Singh as his fourth-choice pacer for India's World T20 squad
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Ravi Shastri has indicated that India should pick Arshdeep Singh for the World T20 as their reserve in the squad considering his ability as a left-arm option to the team and adds variety to the attack. Shastri explained his combinations for the tournament and backed Mohammed Shami to be a starter.
India is in the process of shortlisting prospects and finalizing their squad for the upcoming World T20 in Australia scheduled to begin in two and a half months. The Men in Blue find themselves in a precarious position of having too many options to choose from, especially in the pace bowling department. Since the last World T20 in 2021, the country has fielded 11 pacers in T20Is even though it is likely to pick only four specialist seamers for the marquee event.
Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri is of the opinion that Arshdeep Singh deserves a place in the contingent that will travel down-under since he is the only left-arm seamer in the running at the moment apart from the obvious picks. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been India's most prolific pacer this season in the game's shortest format and is bound to be the first name n the team sheet. Similarly, Jaspirit Bumrah has built up his reputation as one of the best bowlers in the world in T20Is and has been right on the mark whenever he has played of late. The tussle remains for the third spot in the lineup. Still, it is likely to be filled by Mohammed Shami given his experience and ability to extract help from helpful conditions such as Australia.
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Find OutHarshal Patel was another strong consideration for the side but with recent reports stating he might not be able to make it owing to injury, the path has been paved open for the likes of Arshdeep Singh, Deepak Chahar and Avesh Khan. Of late, Singh has been exceptionally successful and was again on the mark in the fourth T20I against West Indies on Saturday, scalping a team-high three wickets. His performances have earned the praise of Shastri who is ready to sit the others out for the tournament.
“I think very close to because India need variety. And in Australia, left-armers normally do a good job. There is bounce and the angle that he creates. He will be an ideal foil when you look at the Indian attack. It should have Bhuvi, Jasprit, Shami and then if you put him in the mix and all you might know that he might play in one of the games given the opportunity,” he said as per Hindustan Times.
“Me toh lunga usko. Me variety ke liye lunga aur jisko baithna hoga bahar woh baith sakte he. If there are four pacers picked there I would pick three right-armers and one left-armer and one all-rounder which is Hardik Pandya. Jasprit and Bhuvi are certainties and I feel Shami will get the nod.”
India has an Asia Cup and T20I series against Australia and South Africa to run their final experiments before finalizing the squad for the all-important ICC competition.
