On September 5, skipper Rohit Sharma and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief selector Ajit Agarkar announced India's 15-member provisional World Cup squad. As the team management looked for balance and depth in the squad, Shardul Thakur found a place not just for his bowling but his ability to contribute with the bat. Thakur has also featured in India’s playing XI in the two Asia Cup 2023 games so far. However, India’s 1983 World Cup-winning member feels that Thakur is not an all-rounder in the ODI format.
Srikkanth argued with former India head coach Sanjay Bangar as he has not crossed the 25-run mark since the T20 World Cup. He also questioned his impact with the bowling as he rarely bowls his full quota of 10 overs.
"Everyone is saying we need a batter at No. 8...who needs a batter at No. 8? Shardul Thakur is only scoring 10 there and he doesn't even bowl for 10 overs. In the match against Nepal, how many overs did he bowl? 4 only. See, don't see performances against sides like West Indies or Zimbabwe. Yes if he performs well, then keep that in the back of your mind, but don't give importance to that. Instead stress on performances against teams like Australia or New Zealand. That is why I say, don't get fooled by overall averages, always look at individual matches," the former Indian opener said.
Thakur has bowled his full quota of 10 overs only twice in the last 24 innings. Also, he has scored 130 runs from 12 innings at no.8 since January 2022. He has scored one unbeaten half-century whereas on nine occasions he has registered single-digit scores. However, he has a knack for picking wickets. Since the 2019 World Cup, Thakur has picked up 53 wickets, joint-most alongside Kuldeep Yadav.
Meanwhile, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal did not find a place in the World Cup squad. Axar Patel has been picked as the third spinner as he is a decent batter down the order. India’s 2019 World Cup-winning spinner Harbhajan Singh also questioned Chahal’s exclusion from the side.
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