"That's a great sign" - Sunil Gavaskar wants India to 'cherish' Harshal Patel's selection
Sunil Gavaskar feels that selectors giving Harshal Patel a chance in the Indian squad for the New Zealand T20I series is a "great sign." Gavaskar believes this indicates that the board values performance irrespective of the cricketer's age.
Harshal Patel was the Purple Cap winner at IPL 2021. His 32 wickets from just 15 matches are the joint-most in a season in the tournament's history. However, Patel's best performance coming at the age of 30 had fuelled doubts about whether he could be considered a long-term asset by the national team.
Sunil Gavaskar brushed aside these conjectures, saying Harshal Patel can extend his IPL form to international cricket. He also said the Haryana all-rounder has been rewarded for his efforts which should be cherished by all.
Gavaskar told Sports Today:
"Look at his performances in the IPL, he deserves this India cap. He has been outstanding in the IPL. And don't go by age because if 15 days ago he could get that many wickets, what's to stop him from getting a similar number of wickets even in these matches or even next year? So he's done well and has been rewarded for his efforts and we should cherish that."
He added:
"We should be saying, 'don't worry about your age, as long as you perform, you'll get picked to play for India.' That's a great sign the selection committee has given."
Congratulations to our boys Yuzvendra Chahal, Harshal Patel and Mohammed Siraj for getting the national team call-up for the T20I series against New Zealand. 👏
#PlayBold #TeamIndia #INDvNZ https://t.co/ECRqn98eBv
Harshal Patel was a net bowler in India's T20 World Cup squad. Since returning from the UAE, he has featured in five Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021 matches for Haryana, opening the batting and leading the bowling attack. So far, Patel has already registered eight wickets and 85 runs.
For the latest T20 World Cup points table, click here.
"Good thing that somebody as experienced as Bhuvneshwar Kumar is in the squad" - Sunil Gavaskar
.@ImRo45 all set to lead #TeamIndia's T20I squad against New Zealand. 👍 👍
How excited are you for the home series? #INDvNZ https://t.co/wGCe0gBbL2
Unlike Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar's selection to the team has courted more criticism than praise. Kumar hasn't looked at his best in the last 12 months and didn't encourage confidence with his wicketless spell against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup opener either.
However, Sunil Gavaskar believes that Bhuvneshwar Kumar deserves another opportunity to make a comeback. The former captain also feels that the right-armer's experience would be vital for India against New Zealand.
Gavaskar said:
"Well he was given one game and after that he wasn't picked... Everybody failed in that game but only he was moved out of the team. And now he has been given an opportunity which is good because now he has a chance to show, 'Look, what happened in that one game can happen to anybody. Now give me a chance against a good New Zealand team'... This is a team you can't take lightly so it's a good thing that somebody as experienced as Bhuvneshwar Kumar is in the squad."
The first India-New Zealand T20I will be played on November 17 in Jaipur.