‘Ash instead of Axar’

India’s R Ashwin. Pic/AFP

The Indian selectors have picked four spinners - Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, both left-armers, and wrist spinners, right-armer Yuzvendra Chahal and left-armer Kuldeep Yadav - for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

The chief concern is that there is no off-spinner. Former India off-spinner and selector Shivlal Yadav was disappointed at the non-inclusion of R Ashwin. Yadav said: "They should have gone for variety. What is the point in having two left-arm spinners and two wrist spinners? Ashwin would have been a perfect choice. They should have picked Ashwin instead of Axar. Okay, they may have thought of Ashwin's fielding, but in T20, with just four overs, he would have been handy against left-handers. Jadeja is indispensable. But no point in having two left-arm spinners."

Shivlal Yadav and V Raju

Meanwhile, former India left-arm spinner Venkatapathy Raju told mid-day that the choice of four spinners in the squad was fine. "It will depend on the type of pitches in the West Indies and USA. Let's not forget that USA have drop-in pitches," Raju said.

However, Raju, a national selector when India won the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2007, was concerned about the lack of international cricket in the recent past for leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal.

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Chahal, 33, was left out of the T20 squad after the tour of West Indies last August. He also missed the T20 series against Australia (November 2023) and Afghanistan (January 2024) at home and in South Africa (December 2023). Chahal has played in 80 T20Is and needs four more wickets to touch 100.

Raju added: "I'm happy Chahal is a part of the team in this World Cup. But, after performing in international cricket, he did not find a place in the Indian team of late. The current IPL has helped him return to the team. But there is a lot of difference playing in international cricket and in the IPL. Chahal has formed a successful pair with Kuldeep Yadav. My only concern is that there is no off-spinner. Who will bowl off-spin? India have two left-arm spinning all-rounders and two wrist spinners in KulCha. When we won the World Cup in 2007 the team had enough all-rounders and quite a lot of experience in international cricket leading up to the tournament."