Giving his opinion on India’s ICC T20 squad for the 2024 World Cup, former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh said that the team will miss middle-order batsman Rinku Singh and including four spinners in the team is a bit much. The T20 World Cup will begin on June 1 and will be played at venues in the US and the Caribbean until June 29. Rinku did not make the senior squad but is included in the reserves. Speaking to ANI on Monday, Harbhajan said, “The World Cup team has been selected. The batting is good. I think we are one fast bowler short. One player I think we will miss is Rinku Singh because he is someone which can single-handedly win the match for us. He can chase 60 runs in 20 balls. I think selecting four spinners is a bit too much.
He also said that he doesn’t think India will ever field four spinners in a game.
“I don’t think we will ever play four spinners in a game. Ravindra Jadeja will play. Maybe Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal will play with him. Maybe we will field three spinners in a game. We will know the combination by seeing the conditions,” he said.
#TO ATTEND | On selecting the Indian national team for next #T20WorldCupformer Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh says, “The team is overall good but I think there is one less fast player in the team and Rinku Singh should have been included. He is a player who can hit 60 runs in 20… pic.twitter.com/AYSCsjPXnT
-ANI (@ANI) May 21, 2024
Rinku made his T20 debut in 2023 against Ireland, after which he played 15 matches and 11 innings in which he scored 356 runs at an average of 89.00 and a strike rate of 176.24. The left-handed batsman played his last 20-over match for India against Afghanistan in January 2024.
However, with just 168 runs in 11 innings at an average of 18.66 and a best score of 26, Rinku’s IPL 2024 was a disappointment and it could be due to lack of form or opportunities down the order due to the good performance of higher order.
Harbhajan said that the real tournament will start in the West Indies for India during the Super Eight stage when India will face big teams like Australia, New Zealand etc. but the group stage clash with Pakistan on June 9 in New York can set the momentum for India.
“I’m sure we will beat Pakistan, we have a great record against them and we have a better team,” he added.
The former spinner also said that although Delhi Capitals (DC) captain and India’s star wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant performed well in his return to competitive cricket after a road accident, Sanju Samson, who is captain of Rajasthan Royals (RR), should have a chance.
“Rishabh Pant played well in the IPL. He scored 60s and 70s and he is no longer the old Sanju who would only score 30s and 40s, but there was no rush to bring Pant back, he worked very hard, I hope he does something special for India. he said.
Pant was great for the Capitals in the tournament, scoring 446 runs at an average of 40.54 in 13 innings and a strike rate of 155.40. He also scored three fifties, with a best score of 88*. He was also electric behind the wickets, taking some impressive catches and playing big hits.
Samson, on the other hand, is enjoying his best IPL season. In 13 innings, he scored 504 runs at an average of 56.00 and a strike rate of 156.52, with five half-centuries. His best score is 86.
India will begin their T20 World Cup campaign against Ireland on June 5 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, followed by the marquee clash against Pakistan on June 9 at the same venue. India will face the USA and Canada on June 12 and 15 respectively.
India team: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh , Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj
Reservations: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan.
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