T20 World Cup 2021: "I wanted to see Chahal playing in the T20 WC" - Imran Tahir
Pakistani-born South African cricketer Imran Tahir was amazed by the omission of leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal from the Indian squad for the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021.
While stating that leg-spinners can change the momentum of the game in a matter of minutes, Tahir mentioned that he wanted to see Chahal play in the T20 WC this year. His comments came in the wake of India's dismal performances in two consecutive games against Pakistan and New Zealand, respectively.
While the Men in the Blues' batting order has struggled to adapt to conditions in the UAE, their bowling unit has looked toothless as well.
Many fans and pundits have pointed fingers at the 'selection blunders' including that of Chahal. Apart from Jasprit Bumrah, no Indian bowler has looked penetrative enough in getting close to dismissing opposition batters.
While interacting in a virtual interview arranged by Abu Dhabi T10 League, Imran Tahir said that Yuzvendra Chahal is a wonderful leg-spinner. Tahir added that it was unfortunate that Chahal missed out on the India squad. The 43-year-old said:
"Chahal is a wonderful bowler. I personally wanted to see him playing in the T20 World Cup. But, unfortunately, he didn’t get picked."
Rahul Chahar, who was selected ahead of Chahal, hasn't played a game in the T20 World Cup so far.
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"Leg-spinners have different variations and play a big role in T20s" - Imran Tahir
Being a leggie himself, Tahir lauded the art of leg-spin and claimed that a leg-spinner has a lot of variations in his arsenal. While mentioning that they play a huge role in games, Tahir said:
"All the leg-spinners have got different variations. It’s not just about googly and leg break. Top-spinner, flipper, slider (are there). Leg spinners play a big role. Batsmen now can’t play like they used to play 10 years ago. Credit goes to all the spinners and the field planning.”
The 42-year-old will represent defending champions Northern Warriors in his second outing of the Abu Dhabi T10 tournament. The fifth edition of the Abu Dhabi T10 League is all set to be played between November 19 and December 4 at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium.