Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh has endorsed Yuzvendra Chahal for a spot in India’s 2024 T20 World Cup squad, expressing disappointment over Chahal’s exclusion from recent T20I matches. Harbhajan praised Chahal as the best and bravest leg-spinner with a sharp cricketing mind, emphasizing his worthiness for the national team.
Despite Chahal’s selection in the T20I series against Afghanistan and his impressive performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he remained on the sidelines. Chahal is also India’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is with 96 dismissals at an economy rate of 8.19
“I would keep Yuzvendra Chahal ahead (for the first slot among spinners). He is being ignored; I don’t know why. I don’t think he knows as well. But even today, I don’t think there is a better leg-spinner in the country. And I don’t think there is a braver spinner than him. He has a very sharp mind,” Harbhajan was quoted as saying.
Harbhajan also advocated for including Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, highlighting the importance of spinners in conditions resembling those in the USA and the West Indies. Drawing from his experiences, the former spinner highlighted the spin-friendly nature of pitches in the West Indies.
“The second spinner for me would be Ravindra Jadeja. You need to have an off-spinner in Washington Sundar as well. Now, what selectors think, what the management thinks, is a different thing,” Harbhajan said.
“Pitches will be pretty similar, like India. Spinners will play a big role. I’ve been to the West Indies on many occasions, and I’ve seen there’s always something for the spinners. Hence, it is important to pick the right attack. You cannot look past the conditions because they will be similar to the subcontinent. You have to make the team keeping in mind the conditions. You need to have at least three spinners in your squad,” he added.
India’s next T20I assignment is the 2024 T20 World Cup, starting on June 1.
Last Updated on January 21, 2024
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