"When you can leave players like Shikhar Dhawan and Hardik Pandya from the team, it shows how much quality and depth we have" - Farokh Engineer
Former India cricketer Farokh Engineer has praised the current Indian team's bench strength.
India's current pool of players, groomed by a robust domestic structure and the IPL, have settled and integrated well enough into the first-team setup.
With depth seeping in and across each department, questions have been raised against the potential involvement of the likes of Shikhar Dhawan and Hardik Pandya for the T20 World Cup.
Due to the emergence of players like KL Rahul and Prithvi Shaw, and even the prospect of Virat Kohli potentially opening the innings, the question of the flamboyant left-handed opener's inclusion remains unanswered.
However, Hardik Pandya's inability to bowl consistently due to a persistent injury hampers the team's balance, which leaves the all-rounder's presence in doubt as well.
Farokh Engineer believes that when the question of dropping such high class players arises, the squad depth of the team has to be appreciated. While speaking to Sports Tak, Engineer said:
"When you can leave high-class players, top top players like Shikhar Dhawan and Hardik Pandya, if you can leave these two, who would walk into any Test team in the world, it shows how much depth we have. That shows how much quality we have in our Indian cricket."
Shikhar Dhawan and Hardik Pandya will be the first two names in the squad: Farokh Engineer
Despite their shortcomings, Engineer believes both players have already proven themselves worthy of selection.
When asked about whether they will be selected for the tournament, he named them as his first two picks for the India squad for the T20 World Cup. Engineer added:
"Sure, most definitely yes, without the slightest doubt. Infact, Shikhar Dhawan and Hardik Pandya will be the first two names that I would put for the T20 World Cup. Because they are class players, they have proven themselves along with the likes of Kohli, Bumrah and Shami. We've got a squad of 16-20 players who are all very good."
India have already played their final T20 as a team during their tour of Sri Lanka. The first-team last played a T20 during the five-match home series against England in March.
Virat Kohli and co. will have the IPL as a medium to prepare for the event, where they have been drawn with arch-rivals Pakistan, New Zealand and Afghanistan as of now.