Former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik opined that India going with five spinners in the Champions Trophy was a little too much. The Men in Blue boast of a strong spin unit, featuring Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar and Varun Chakravarthy. Karthik reckons that India could have gone with four spinners instead. Rohit Sharma and co. will commence their CT 2025 campaign on February 20 as they take on Bangladesh in their tournament opener.
Karthik unsure of India’s 5 spinner strategy for Champions Trophy
Speaking to Cricbuzz, Karthik opined that India’s strategy to include 5 spinners in their Champions Trophy squad indicated that the team was not sure of what exactly to do. He noted that Varun was added to the squad in the last-minute, replacing Yashasvi Jaiswal.
“Five spinners, I personally feel, is a bit too much. They could have done with 4, I felt. And that’s where I do think it shows a little bit of, not confusion, which is probably a strong word, but not being very sure of what exactly to do because they announced a squad and then they added another spinner for an opener,” Karthik told Cricbuzz.
Latest news
- Sanju Samson blows another chance to go past Abhishek Sharma & Jaiswal in race for T20 World Cup spot
- 3 young stars from IPL 2025 who could get a big contract in 2026
- IPL 2025: Form deserts Yashasvi Jaiswal ahead of IND vs ENG Test, Indian top-order in doldrums
“Siraj could have been the ideal choice”
Further, Karthik claimed that Mohammed Siraj could have been the ideal choice to replace an injured Jasprit Bumrah. However, he said that Harshit Rana had fared well in the IND vs ENG ODI series. He pointed out that Rana was getting the backing from Team India and that they were more impressed with him than Siraj.
“Look, if you had to go with experience, then yes, Siraj could have been the ideal choice, but I thought Harshit bowled very well against England. What I feel is the Indian camp is very impressed with Harshit Rana. I think Harshit Rana was the debate, but I feel Team India backs him right now more than Siraj,” Karthik said.
Editor's Pick
Cricket
3rd consecutive defeat for MI coming? KKR have massive relief as Sunil Narine gets fit in time
Top Stories
SRH vs DC player ratings: Even as Delhi win, Zeeshan Ansari and Aniket Verma emerge as biggest stars
