“Ash rather than Axar”

For the 2017 T20 World Cup, the Indian selectors have chosen four spinners: left-armers Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja; right-armers Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav; and wrist spinners.

The lack of an off-spinner is the main cause of worry. Shivlal Yadav, a former off-spinner and selector for India, expressed disappointment that R. Ashwin was left out. “They ought to have gone for variety,” said Yadav. Why are there two wrist spinners and two left-arm spinners? Ashwin would have been the ideal selection. It was a better decision to choose Ashwin than Axar. Well, they may have considered Ashwin’s fielding, but in a Twenty20 match, his four overs would have been more than plenty to contain left-handers. Jadeja is a need. However, having two left-arm spinners is pointless.

Former left-arm spinner Venkatapathy Raju of India said to Midday that the squad’s selection of four spinners was acceptable. The kind of pitches made in the USA and the West Indies will determine this. Remember that the USA offers drop-in pitching, Raju said.

Raju, a national selector when India won the first T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2007, was worried about leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal’s lack of recent international cricket experience.

Following the West Indies trip in August of last year, Chahal, 33, was left off of the T20 roster. He was also absent from the T20 series in South Africa (December 2023) and at home against Australia (November 2023) and Afghanistan (January 2024). After 80 T20I matches, Chahal needs four more wickets to reach 100.

“I’m glad Chahal is a part of the team in this World Cup,” Raju said. However, despite playing in international cricket, he has recently been left off the Indian team roster. His comeback to the squad has been aided by the ongoing IPL. However, playing in the IPL and in international cricket differs greatly. Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav have forged a productive partnership. The lack of an off-spinner is my sole worry. Will someone bowl off-spin? In KulCha, India, there are two wrist spinners and two left-arm spinning all-rounders. The squad had a good number of experienced international cricket players and enough all-rounders when we won the World Cup in 2007.