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Cricket Players'He's forcing the management to accommodate him in the team': Laxman wants in-form batter in India's XI at T20 World Cup
The 23-year-old batsman has scored a half-century in each of his last three games and given the form he is in, VVS Laxman reckons it will be hard for the management to ignore him in the T20 World Cup.
Former batsman VVS Laxman has suggested a few changes in India's team composition for their second warm-up match of the T20 World Cup against Australia on Wednesday. India were without premier opening batsman Rohit Sharma and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja in the Playing 13, as they handed a game to spinners R Ashwin and Rahul Chahar. However, for the next game, Laxman feels Rohit would return and expects Jadeja and Varun Chakravarthy to get a game.
"Against Australia, probably just rotate the batsman who did not get an opportunity today and given everyone game time because that is what warm-up games are all about," Laxman said on Star Sports at the end of India's warm-up game win against England in Dubai on Monday.
"You want all the batsmen to have a good hit and probably we can see Varun Chakravarthy get a game too. We did not see him today, did not see Ravindra Jadeja either. So probably those two bowlers will get a go on the next game against Australia."
As for the first warm-up, India can look back on the match with pride, having gained several positives. KL Rahul and Mohammed Shami continued the form they were in during the IPL for Punjab Kings, while Jasprit Bumrah was on target nailing yorkers and generating pace. But what garnered more attention was the manner in which young Ishan Kishan batted.
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Opening with Rahul, Ishan smacked a 36-ball fifty and retired after scoring 70. He has now scored half-century in each of his last three innings – 50 and an unbeaten 84 for Mumbai Indians, and Laxman reckons given the 23-year-old's current form, it will be hard for the management to ignore him for long at the T20 World Cup.
"I think Rohit Sharma will get a chance and I don't know how they are going to fit in Ishan Kishan. The kind of form he is showing, he is forcing the team management to accommodate him in the Playing XI. Also, I think Suryakumar Yadav coming in at No. 5 was a little surprising, because I thought Hardik Pandya could have been given a bit more time to spend in the middle," the former India batsman added.
