Pick Ashwin-Jadeja or even Harbhajan Singh over Kuldeep-Chahal for T20 World Cup: Monty Panesar
Former England spinner Monty Panesar has opined on India's spin-bowling conundrum for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Panesar feels that seasoned pair of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja should be picked ahead of wrist-spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal for the marquee tournament.
Speaking to the Times of India, Panesar reasoned that Ashwin and Jadeja's experience and all-around abilities put them ahead of Yadav and Chahal in the fray.
“The selection of spinners can worry him. I wouldn’t mind seeing Jadeja and Ashwin back in the fray. If I was Virat [Kohli], I would pick Ashwin-Jadeja ahead of Kuldeep-Chahal for the World T20. That’s because of their experience and game-changing abilities. They both have all-around abilities. They both are big-match players. Why not pick them ahead of Kuldeep and Chahal?” said Monty Panesar.
Ravichandran Ashwin has been out of India's white-ball squad since 2017. Ravindra Jadeja has performed well in colored jerseys but he too has played mostly as a replacement for Hardik Pandya.
Yadav and Chahal were touted as a new and aggressive revolution in India's spin bowling in 2017. But the duo's performances have taken a major jolt in the last few months.
If the recent T20I series against England is anything to go by, India's spin department is far from settled. Besides Yadav and Chahal, Washington Sundar, Krunal Pandya and Rahul Chahar are all under contention for T20 World Cup berths.
"Why not pick him in the World Cup squad if he has a good IPL season?" - Monty Panesar
Monty Panesar added another name to the long list. He picked veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh ahead of Yadav and Chahal in the pecking order, saying the 40-year-old has some cricket left in him.
“This IPL is about the Indian spinners. You can’t undermine Harbhajan Singh. Why not pick him in the World Cup squad if he has a good IPL season? I think he has some cricket left in him. Ashwin, Jadeja, and even Harbhajan will have the opportunity to be in the World Cup squad. All they need is to have a good IPL season,” argued Monty Panesar.
The ongoing IPL 2021 will go a long way in deciding India's squad selection for the T20 World Cup.
Chahal and Sundar lead the spin attack for Royal Challengers Bangalore while Chahar and Krunal Pandya do the same for Mumbai Indians.
Meanwhile, Harbhajan Singh was picked ahead of Yadav for the Kolkata Knight Riders' recent game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, a testament to his beleaguered confidence.