Former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik feels that the side shouldn't replace Shivam Dube in their playing XI for Asia Cup as not only does the latter provide depth in the batting order, but also contributes with the ball. This statement comes ahead of the Men in Blue's clash against arch-rivals Pakistan on September 14.
India began their tournament on a high and defeated UAE comprehensively by 9 wickets. They first bundled out the hosts for just 57 runs before chasing down the modest target in just 4.3 overs. Though Dube didn't get the chance to bat, he gave valiant contributions in the bowling department and ended up taking three wickets.
Arshdeep didn't get a place in the XI for UAE clash
Though the Men in Blue pulled off a great result in the match against UAE, there was a lot of discussion around Arshdeep Singh not getting a spot in the playing XI for the clash. Suryakumar Yadav & Co. decided to go with only three specialist bowlers in Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy and Jasprit Bumrah for the match. However, Karthik has no problem with the side's playing XI and feels that they do need an extra batter.
"Whoever I add in isn't going to add much in terms of what this team could be doing. Let's say for example you put an Arshdeep Singh in place of Shivam Dube. Yes, he will give you a little bit more with the ball but that little bit is not worth what Shivam Dube gives me with the bat. It is not Shivam Dube in isolation. It's what the team can do having that extra batter. So the whole batting approach changes," Karthik said on Cricbuzz.
"I like this because of the way they play now, which is high intensity and high octane cricket, taking huge risks at the top and irrespective of the situation, going at a certain pace. And if you want to tick all those boxes, you need that extra batter. India are a strong team in the lead up to this World Cup because they know what they want to do. They have a clear blueprint with bat and ball and they stick to it, which is always a good sign six months before a World Cup," he added.
Meanwhile, the clash against Pakistan will be quite important for India as if they do emerge victorious, then they will be in prime position to qualify for the Super 4 stage. They currently sit at the top of Group A with two points and a brilliant net run-rate of +10.483. On the other hand, Pakistan also won their match over Oman by 93 runs and currently have a net run-rate of +4.650.