Former India opener Gautam Gambhir has warned chief selector Ajit Agarkar & India captain Rohit Sharma of picking India squad for World Cup 2023 based on form. While the Asia Cup 2023 squad is out, only 15 from that will get into the World Cup squad. India have heavily banked on two injured stars KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer to be fit by World Cup. But Gambhir wants selection based on form and not their star status.
India will play in the Asia Cup 2023 in Sri Lanka and then a three-match home series against Australia in the build-up to the World Cup 2023 beginning on October 5.
“One thing is clear, there is no front-runner for a position when you are trying to win the World Cup,” Gautam Gambhir told Star Sports.
‘Pick World Cup 2023 team based on form’
The 17-man Asia Cup squad also includes rookie left-hander Tilak Varma, who is yet to play in ODIs. The Indian selectors also have reposed faith in Suryakumar Yadav. But he is yet to establish himself significantly in ODIs. Ishan Kishan is the second wicketkeeper behind KL Rahul.
“Just as Rohit Sharma had said, there is no guarantee for anybody’s position. It’s great to have Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul back from injury. But they will need to perform if they want to get in the starting lineup of the squad. If Tilak Varma is in better form than someone, if Suryakumar Yadav is in better form than Shreyas Iyer or KL Rahul or Ishan Kishan, then you need to start that player,” Gautam Gambhir explained.
However, despite poor returns in ODIs, Gambhir has backed Suryakumar Yadav. He wants the World No 1 T20 batter to be given a longer rope with World Cup 2023 in mind. SKY is the X-Factor player for India. But a lot will depend on how he performs in Asia Cup 2023 given a chance and the three-match series against Australia.
“Suryakumar Yadav may not have the consistency. But he has an impact. The team management should find the most efficient way to use him. That series (ODIs vs Australia) will determine who plays in the World Cup. Because there should be a series before the World Cup where your main squad plays together,” Gautam Gambhir said.
‘Left-hander debate useless’
Furthermore, Gambhir feels the debate on having three left-handers in Playing XI is useless. Instead, he has backed form over impact for World Cup 2023 selection.
“As I’ve said earlier, form is important. This debate about who is a left-hander or a right-hander or whether we need three left-handers is a useless debate. It’s not a compulsion that you have to keep a left-hander in the squad.
“If we are focusing on left-handers, then what about Yashasvi Jaiswal and other left-handers? We look at quality. We do not look to see how many left-handers are in the squad. If the batsman is good regardless of whether he is a right-hander or a left-hander, we should see how he performs in every condition and against each bowler,” he concluded.
– With PTI inputs
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