India’s roadmap for Champions Trophy: Wasn’t Nitish Kumar Reddy a better back-up option than Yashasvi Jaiswal? | Cricket News
India captain Rohit Sharma and chief selector Ajit Agarkar are confident that they have picked a well-balanced team for the ICC Champions Trophy, which begins next month in Pakan and Dubai.India have made a couple of changes from their core which helped them reach the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they won 10 games in a row before losing the final against Australia in Ahmedabad.
However, the 15-member squad picked has raised more questions than answers. The selection calls look quite conservative, and there were also a few debatable decisions.
Will Jaiswal be a tour again?
Given his recent form, Yashasvi Jaiswal’s selection makes total sense. The 23-year-old can break India’s all-right-handed top-six batting line-up. But the question is whether he will get a chance in the playing XI. During the T20 World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean, the youngster warmed the bench throughout as the team management opted to go with Virat Kohli as Sharma’s opening partner. In an ideal world, it should have been Jaiswal.
In the Champions Trophy, Jaiswal is again likely to sit out with captain Sharma and vice-captain Shubman Gill, who has been a key component for India in this format, set to open. Jaiswal has forced his way into the squad, exactly how he got picked for the T20 World Cup, but he can only play if India decides to drop the captain or his deputy. There is no question over Jaiswal’s place in the squad, but whether he will make it into the playing XI or not is a big question.
Why no back-up for Hardik Pandya?
Hardik Pandya is the engine on which the Indian white-ball teams function. He played three games for Baroda in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and bowled 20 overs in total. But he has been injury-prone throughout his career, and in the last ODI he played – the World Cup game against Bangladesh in Pune – he hobbled off after twing his left ankle on his follow-through. His injury didn’t cost India much, thanks to Mohammed Shami, who was at his menacing best when he came into the side.
Pandya’s presence is massive for the balance of the team. He is not only India’s sixth bowling option but also someone who can provide the final flourish with the bat. India has picked four all-rounders for the Champions Trophy. Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar are spin-bowling all-rounders, basically like-for-like replacements for each other. Pandya is the lone seam-bowling all-rounder.
With him being the fulcrum of the team, a back-up in Nitish Kumar Reddy would have been helpful. Reddy, who had an excellent debut Test series in Australia and has shown his potential in the IPL and the T20I series against Bangladesh, is more than ready.
Not to forget, Pandya will play a five-match T20I series against England before the ODIs and the Champions Trophy. Reddy’s selection could have made more sense than that of Jaiswal, who is unlikely to get a game. Reddy can certainly contribute with the bat. With Pandya at 6 and Reddy at 7, India would have had more firepower down the order.
Mohammed Siraj’s omission
With uncertainty over Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness and Mohammed Shami making a comeback after a long injury lay-off, the omission of Mohammed Siraj seems to be a risk.
In his ODI career, Siraj has picked up 71 wickets in only 44 matches, and has been one of India’s main pace workhorses in the format over the last three years. Siraj starred when India won the 2023 Asia Cup when he regered his career-best figures of 6/21 against Sri Lanka in the final. He followed it with 14 wickets in the World Cup at home.
Siraj was snubbed for left-armer Arshdeep, who has only played eight ODIs. Siraj has also not been picked as Bumrah’s back-up for the ODI series against England. For the three-match series, Harshit Rana is Bumrah’s cover.
“We are not sure if Jasprit Bumrah will play or not. Hence, we wanted someone who can bowl with the new ball and the old one. That is why we have picked Arshdeep Singh, because of his abilities at the back-end. Siraj’s effectiveness comes down if he doesn’t use the new ball. It’s unfortunate that he misses out,” Rohit said at the press conference.
The Varun Chakravarthy puzzle
There is no doubt that a fit Kuldeep Yadav is a better spinner than Varun Chakravarthy, but is he match-ready? The left-arm wr-spinner is making a comeback from sports hernia, and his fitness will be tested in the England series. Apart from Kuldeep, India has picked Jadeja, Axar, and Washington purely on the basis of the extra batting cushion they provide in the lower-middle order. With the bat, Varun is nowhere near the trio, but as a bowler, he has evolved into more than just a mystery spinner. Conditions in Dubai would have also suited him, and he is also in red hot form. With 18 wickets in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he finished in joint-second spot in the wicket-takers’ l.
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