'Indian team's bench strength is a big positive ahead of the T20 World Cup,' says Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty (Exclusive)
The Indian cricket team has enjoyed quite a bit of success in the T20I format of the game, having registered three consecutive series wins over the last few months, including the most recent 2-0 win against Sri Lanka at home.
Yet, the Men in Blue have also lost three matches out of the last 10 encounters, and with a tough five-match T20I series coming up in New Zealand, the Virat Kohli-led side will have their task cut out in producing quality performances in seaming and swinging conditions abroad.
With one eye firmly one the preparation for the World T20 scheduled to take place in October this year, the selectors will hope that the players keep away from threatening injuries, with Jasprit Bumrah just making his comeback and Hardik Pandya set to make a return for the NZ tour after he had to undergo surgery following a stress fracture.
However, the emergence of top-flight players from the domestic circuit and the Indian Premier League has provided the team management with quality backups in case of any unfortunate injuries, highlighting the quality on offer for the Indian team.
Also see – PSL points table
In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda at the 2020 Global Sports Injury Conclave held in Bengaluru, Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty spoke about how tournaments such as the Ranji Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali have contributed to India's bench strength, the reach of the sport in India and a lot more.
"I think we have a great team, and when you have strong bench strength, it adds a lot more value to the whole side. The way the Ranji Trophy is played, the unearthing of talent from the IPL are few of the reasons why Indian cricket is flourishing and we are in a good place ahead of the World T20"
Shetty also spoke about how youngsters from other states in the country are slowly making their way into the Indian team, quite contrary to a few years back when only players from metro cities such as Karnataka or Mumbai earned a spot in the senior side.
"A few years back, deserving kids from other states did not even have a chance to land a spot in the Indian team. But now, with TV channels such as Star, Sony focussing on sport and bringing cricket to families in the country, a lot of talent has been spotted in recent years"
The 58-year-old fitness icon also dealt with how the televised matches are extracting mutiple opinions from all age groups, and that even budding cricketers learn from some of the best in the business.
"People form a huge part in building opinions, they know who's doing well for the country. Today if you ask any kid, they will they you the difference between Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube or even Shardul Thakur. Fans of cricket are very clear with the way the Indian team is performing, and it is good to see the overall knowledge of cricket developing in the country"