Team India has been selected for the ODI and T20 series against West Indies, in which some surprising things have come to the fore. This team does not have a single left-arm fast bowler while Chetan Sakaria and Jaydev Unadkat have done well recently. If you had gone by experience, Unadkat could have been given a chance. On the other hand Chetan Sakaria would have been a good choice if you wanted to keep the young man. Anyway, he was included in both T20 and ODI formats in Sri Lanka tour and got wicket in both the matches but his performance seems to have been forgotten.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been given a lifeline. It has been decided to replace him from ODIs and included in T20Is squad. Obviously, he has been selected considering his experience in the absence of Bumrah and Shami. Anyway, this year’s World Cup will require a senior player. Not only this, Shahrukh Khan came out as a big match winner in domestic cricket. He has the ability to win matches when needed, hitting even at a strike rate of 300.
There is a lot of discussion these days that Virat Kohli is being asked to lead the RCB. Someone says that he has also been given an offer in this regard. I don’t think he is in the mood to captain RCB again. Although I haven’t spoken to him about this but I don’t think he will captain again. This time preference has been given to wrist spinners in Team India. Ravi Bishnoi has been selected in both the formats while Kuldeep Yadav has returned to ODI cricket. Other wrist spinner Yuzvendra Chahal is already present in the team. I think Chahal can be more effective as a leg-spinner at the moment, and you can expect a lot from him in this year’s T20 World Cup as well. Ravi Bishnoi is also in the team. This period can prove to be a good learning experience for him. I think during the World Cup, the form of the players will matter more at that time. Anyway, the bowlers know more where the mistake is happening. Where is his ball falling? By making your own assessment, performance can be improved.
If Ravichandran Ashwin is not fit then it is understandable but if he is not selected then he will definitely be missed because his performance has been excellent in Indian conditions.
The author is a coach of Virat Kohli and a Dronacharya Awardee.