Ravichandran Ashwin-Ravindra Jadeja Duo Better Than Kuldeep Yadav-Yuzvendra Chahal As Spinners For India In ICC T20 World Cup 2021, Says Monty Panesar  

Former England spinner Monty Panesar feels that Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are better options for spinners than Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal for India in ICC T20 World Cup 2021. The former English cricketer also said the IPL will be a litmus test for Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav for their selection in the forthcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2021 tournament.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri will seek to get the best spinners for ICC T20 World Cup 2021, which is slated to be played in India during October-November 2021.

Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Kuldeep Yadav are some prominent bowlers who are in the eyesight for the spinner’s category in the Indian squad.

Ashwin-Jadeja Better Than Kuldeep-Chahal: Monty Panesar

While speaking to Times of India, Monty Panesar said that Ashwin and Jadeja are better options for spinners due to their game-changing abilities and experience.

“With the T20 World Cup coming up in October, Virat wants to pick his best spinners. I wouldn’t mind seeing Jadeja and Ashwin back in the fray. If I was Virat, I would pick Ashwin-Jadeja ahead of Kuldeep-Chahal for World T20.

“That’s because of their experience and game-changing abilities. They both have all-rounder abilities. They both are big-match players. Why not pick them ahead of Kuldeep and Chahal?” Monty Panesar said.

Panesar also feels that IPL 2021 will play a big role in the selection of spinners in the Indian team for ICC T20 World Cup 2021. He also pointed out that Harbhajan Singh also has a chance to qualify for selection.

“The IPL will be a big litmus test for Chahal and Kuldeep. If they have a bad season, their T20 World Cup berths will be doubtful. The IPL is about Indian spinners. You can’t undermine Harbhajan Singh. Why not pick him in the World Cup squad if he has a good IPL season?

“I think he has some cricket left in him. Ashwin, Jadeja, and even Harbhajan will have the opportunity to be in the World Cup squad. All they need is to have a good IPL season,” Monty Panesar further said.

Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, who were the dominant spinners for India during ICC ODI World Cup 2019, have not shown a great performance in the last two years. Chahal has grabbed 9 wickets in the last 10 T20Is while Kuldeep Yadav has only played 4 T20Is since 2019 in which he took 6 wickets.

While Ravindra Jadeja showed a great bowling performance in India vs Australia Test series last year, Ashwin bagged the limelight in the Test series against Australia last year and England this year.