Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has shared his views on the best bowling lineup for India in the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup. He believes that the selection should be based not only on the opposing team but also on the size of the ground. Manjrekar highlighted that leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal might struggle to make the playing XI if the grounds are small. However, he expressed a preference for including all three frontline pacers in the team.
Chahal’s Struggles on Small Grounds
In an interview with NDTV, Manjrekar explained that Chahal performs better on larger grounds and may find it difficult to secure a spot in the XI on smaller grounds. “The moment you see a small ground, I see Chahal struggling to make the XI because he thrives on bigger grounds,” Manjrekar said. He suggested that Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav are better options for such conditions. Despite Chahal taking 18 wickets in IPL 2024, the highest among spinners in India’s T20 World Cup squad, the ground size plays a crucial role in team selection.
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Rohit Sharma’s Spinner Strategy
Indian captain Rohit Sharma had previously mentioned that the decision to include four spinners in the 15-man squad was influenced by the expected slow pitches in the West Indies. Manjrekar emphasized his preference for three seamers in the team, particularly favoring Arshdeep Singh over Mohammed Siraj. “Arshdeep offers you more variety; a left-arm seamer, who has a great range as a bowler,” Manjrekar said. This highlights the strategic thinking behind the selection of bowlers, considering both the conditions and the opposition.
Arshdeep Singh’s Advantage
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan supported Manjrekar’s choice, citing Arshdeep Singh’s impressive performance in the past year. “Arshdeep has the most number of T20I wickets in the last year (among Indians),” Pathan noted, underscoring the significance of having a left-arm fast bowler in the squad. Despite Arshdeep’s 19 wickets in IPL 2024, his economy rate was over 10, which is a point of concern. However, his ability to bring variety to the attack makes him a valuable asset for India’s T20 World Cup campaign.
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