Sreesanth reckons Chahal should be included in India's playing XI in Super 8s stage

Yuzvendra Chahal (Pic: AFP)

Former India pacer S Sreesanth expected to see a shift in the composition of the Indian bowling attack with the change of location and said that star spinner Yuzvendra Chahal should come to India's playing eleven once the 'Super 8s' stage of the T20 World Cup 2024 begins in the Caribbean islands.

India selected four spinners for the T20 World Cup 2024, but pace has been the major component of their assault in the first three games of the tournament. India captain Rohit Sharma used only three overs of spin against the United States on Wednesday in the Group A match at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, as pace bowling proved most effective on the low-scoring New York pitch.

Axar Patel bowled all three of those overs, and India has bowled only nine overs of spin in three matches at the ground - against the United States, Pakistan, and Ireland - with Axar bowling six and Jadeja bowling three.

It's an uncommon situation for a group that includes four front-line spinners, with Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal confined to spectator duties so far in the World Cup, despite both coming off strong Indian Premier League (IPL) seasons.

However, this will undoubtedly alter, when India travels to Florida for their final Group A match against Canada before proceeding to the Caribbean for the second round and, maybe, knockout stages.

With the change of location, expect to see a shift in the composition of the Indian bowling attack.

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Sreesanth feels Axar Patel playing the role of a typical all-rounder will make the playing XI selection process hard for India to drop out someone when they head to Barbados for T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8s.

"Chahal could come in. Rahul [Rahul Dravid] Bhai knows what changes should be made in the West Indies that is why we have gone with four spinners. Even in the press conference, Rohit said that he doesn't want to reveal why they are taking four spinners. But there will be changes, especially in the spinning department. The way Axar is batting and bowling it wil be a big call for the team whom should they drop out. It will be a really difficult call," Sreesanth, who features as an expert on Caught and Bold on Disney+ Hotstar, said while speaking exclusively to ANI.

With three wins in three games, India has advanced to the Super 8 round with remarkable ease. Rohit Sharma's team had to work hard to advance to the second round, as both Pakistan and the United States put up a fight in low-scoring thrillers in New York. However, the world's top-ranked T20I team may now anticipate a variety of hurdles as the competition progresses.

The victory over USA allowed India to seal its place in the Super 8s of the ongoing marquee event. India will next take on Canada in their last group-stage match at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground in Florida on Saturday.

(With agency inputs)