Former India skipper and BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has said that wrist spinners play a vital role against Australia, England, and South Africa, and therefore the India side should include a leg spinner in their side in the upcoming World Cup 2023 in India. Ganguly highlighted how Piyush Chawla’s addition worked wonders for the Indian team. The former opener added that Yuzvendra Chahal should be added to the squad similarly, considering his consistency in the ODI and T20I formats.
While talking to Star Sports, Ganguly said that India should have variety when it comes to picking spinners for the ODI World Cup 2023. He said a balance between finger spinners like Jadeja, Ashwin, and Axar and wrist spinners like Kuldeep, Chahal, and Bishnoi should be maintained. The former captain also questioned Chahal’s exclusion from the last two World Cups.
“I feel India have to find a wrist-spinner for this World Cup. Jadeja is there, Ravichandran Ashwin is there, Axar Patel is there, who according to me is also an exceptional all-rounder. (Ravi) Bishnoi and Kuldeep (Yadav) are there but (Yuzvendra) Chahal somehow misses big tournaments. He performs extremely consistently in shorter formats, whether it is 20-over or 50-over. It is important to keep an eye on him as well.”
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Chahal was a part of the Indian side in the ODI World Cup 2019 and picked up 12 wickets in eight matches in the event, but found himself at odds with the selector after that. The Haryana spinner was not taken to the T20 World Cup 2021 in the UAE and Oman and didn’t play any matches in the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia despite stellar performances.
Ganguly also gave an example of how leg spinners match up against big teams in Indian conditions and the inclusion of Piyush Chawla in the 2007 and 2011 World Cups, both of which were won by the Men in Blue.
“When you will play Australia, England or South Africa, a wrist-spinner makes a difference in these conditions. In 2011, there was Piyush Chawla, who bowled well. When we went to South Africa in 2007, there also our wrist-spinners bowled well along with the fast bowlers. Harbhajan Singh was in that team. I feel it will be extremely important to keep a wrist-spinner in Indian conditions.”
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