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Former India wicketkeeper Robin Uthappa is of the opinion that India's team management needs to improve their selection of the Playing XI and give the match-winners more chances to perform.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) winner is currently representing the Dubai Capitals in the inaugural International League T20 2023, as the side beat the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders by a massive 73 runs in the opening match of the tournament.
Speaking to Sports Tak in an exclusive interview, Uthappa was candid about the management's decision to drop Ishan Kishan from the Playing XI and completely omit him from the India line-up for the Sri Lanka ODI series.
"Not only Ishan but there are 3-4 players who are performing very well but are unable to break into the Playing XI. Players like Kuldeep Yadav, and Suryakumar Yadav. These players are often dropped despite performing well. I feel such situations create a certain amount of insecurity for the players competing for a place in the team. Especially if the player wins the game for India and is then dropped. This sends the wrong message.
"In crunch situations, the mindset should be on what the individual is doing, on the foundation on which they have to perform. I feel the players do not have this level of clarity," Uthappa said.
He also expects a lot more consistency in the selection process, especially with the ODI World Cup at home coming around. He also discounted the fact that India will be playing at home, while also earmarking the side as a definite title contender. "It depends on the thought process. If they going to give the youngsters a chance, then they should follow through with this process. They should give some kind of security to the players by playing them more often and not changing them," he opined.
"Chances of winning the World Cup have always favoured India, whether they played at home, or away. This is because the quality of the players that we have is, is very good. But, the way they perform, their consistency, and whether there is rotation or not, all these factors make a big difference. This is because cricket is a game of confidence. How confident the players feel in such situations is very important. In the lead-up to the tournament, this will b very important," Uthappa added.
