Sunil Gavaskar, the former captain of the Indian cricket team, has provided insight into the rationale behind the selection of Kuldeep Yadav instead of Yuzvendra Chahal for the upcoming 2023 Asia Cup.
Sunil Gavaskar, now a prominent cricket commentator and expert, offered an intriguing perspective on the Asia Cup 2023 squad selection as he highlighted Yadav’s unusual prowess as a left-arm wrist spinner, which offers a novel dimension to the team, not ignoring his useful batting skills which can play a vital role for the team in crucial moments. Speaking on the significance of balanced squad composition, Gavaskar pointed out that the combination of individuals plays a major part.
“Well, clearly, if Sanju Samson had got more runs, then he would have been certainly in the team, so will Chahal. But sometimes you’re looking at the balance of the team. Maybe, you can say that Kuldeep is a handy batter down the order, so maybe that’s why he gets the nod ahead of Chahal. Also, he brings a left-hand variety,” Gavaskar shared his perspective during a conversation with India Today.
Gavaskar provided his fresh perspective as he pointed out the extra advantage brought by Kuldeep’s presence – both as an effective batter and a skillful left-arm spinner. Kuldeep Yadav is in excellent form this year with stellar performances, he has remarkably grasped 34 wickets in 19 ODIs since 2022. In the same era, Chahal secured 21 wickets throughout 16 matches.
Additionally, Sunil Gavaskar also emphasized Samson’s adaptability, highlighting his role as a talented individual batsman who is capable of handling wicketkeeping duties. While assessing the selection, Gavaskar highlighted the lasting potential of Samson.
“I do believe Sanju Samson is only 28, so you can’t say this is gonna be his last World Cup. There is plenty of time for him to get into the Indian team,” he said.
Tilak Varma received accolades from Gavaskar, who praised the young player for being selected for the Asia Cup team. Despite a few early stumbles in Ireland, Varma, who was India’s leading run-scorer during the T20I series in the West Indies, earned Gavaskar’s admiration.
“Very good because the man has done enough in the matches that he’s played, he’s shown what he’s capable of. Yes, against Ireland, a couple of failures don’t matter,” Gavaskar concluded.
