ICC World Cup 2023: "We Can’t Play Jadeja And Axar Together" - Aakash Chopra On Yuzvendra Chahal's Snub
Published - 06 Sep 2023, 02:04 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:18 AM
Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra opened up about the Rohit Shamra-led team selection for the highly anticipated ODI World Cup 2023 at home. Aakash Chopra expressed disappointment over the exclusion of veteran spinner Yuzvendra Chahal from India’s squad for the World Cup.
The Indian selectors announced the 15-member provisional squad for the marquee tournament on Tuesday, September 5. The selectors retained the players from India’s Asia Cup squad, but left out Prasidh Krishna and Tilak Varma. Sanju Samson also didn’t make it into the World Cup squad.
Not Surprised By The Team Selection – Aakash Chopra
Speaking to JioCinema, Aakash Chopra emphasized the need for an off-spinner option, especially in situations against teams like Australia with many left-handed batters.
“I am not surprised by the team selection, but I am a bit disappointed that they haven’t considered the need for Yuzvendra Chahal. We can’t play Jadeja and Axar together,” Chopra said.
“There will be situations where you face teams like Australia with many left-handed batsmen, and having an off-spinner option becomes crucial. Unfortunately, the team doesn’t have that now, and it seems like they haven’t thought about it thoroughly. I hope this decision doesn’t come back to haunt them in the future.”
Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel were named as the three spinners in the provisional squad. Interestingly, Chahal was not included in the Indian squad for the 2021 T20 World Cup. Although he was part of the 2022 T20 World Cup squad, he didn’t get a chance to play a match.
We Need A Strong No. 8 – Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra emphasized the importance of having batting depth in the lower order, and he mentioned that teams like Pakistan and England possess this strength. He highlighted Shardul Thakur’s potential role at No. 8 due to his batting abilities.
“In an ideal scenario, you want your No. 9 player to bat a little bit. This is a strength that teams like Pakistan or England possess. Our problem is that our No. 9, 10, and 11 can’t bat to the level where you can have confidence in their abilities.”
“Hypothetically, it’ll be Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Kuldeep Yadav in those positions. Additionally, we need a strong No. 8, for which we have Shardul Thakur. Why do you need a batter at No. 8?”
“This is when you have a player or two in your top six whose form can’t be trusted. That’s when you want a little depth. There’s merit in having four proper bowlers and playing Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya as two all-rounders. It should work with two all-rounders and a third all-rounder is a luxury,” he concluded.
Veteran pacer Mohammed Shami was left out of India’s playing XI during the match against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2023. The team management picked Shardul Thakur as the third pacer in the line-up. They would play a similar strategy in the World Cup next month.
Tagged:
Aakash Chopra ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 ICC ODI World Cup 2023 Shardul Thakur Yuzvendra ChahalAbout the Author
Sai Vaitla is an author at Cricketaddictor and he has been working since September 2022. Sai Vaitla... Read more
