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'Decent squad but...': MSK Prasad addresses one 'cause for concern' in India's T20 World Cup squad
While Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur have been named in the reserves, India may be without the services of Hardik Pandya with the ball, who is in the squad but hasn't bowled so far in the UAE leg of IPL 2021.
Former chairman of selectors MSK Prasad has opined that Team India are going into the upcoming T20 World Cup with one pacer short. The Virat Kohli-led side have included Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar as the only pace options in the squad of 11 for the showpiece event, which will get underway from October 17 in the UAE and Oman.
While Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur have been named in the reserves, India may be without the services of Hardik Pandya with the ball, who is in the squad but hasn't bowled so far in the UAE leg of IPL 2021.
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While speaking to PTI in an interview, Prasad added the squad is decent but another pacer would have proved to be handy on the Abu Dhabi and Dubai pitches.
"It is a decent squad but I feel that they are one fast bowler short actually ...because we are playing the majority of the matches in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, so may be one more fast bowler could have been handy.
"Had we played more matches in Sharjah, this was okay, but one fast bowler could have (been there) and more important with Hardik not bowling, I think it is a little cause of concern," explained the 46-year-old.
The Virat Kohli-led India will begin their T20 World Cup campaign when they take on arch-rivals Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium on October 24.
The former India stumper also backed Kohli's decision to step down as the T20 skipper after the World Cup.
"...he has taken the strain of captaincy across all formats, which is clearly visible right now on his individual performances. So, I think (it) must be a right decision to take," said Prasad when asked how this decision of Virat would help the batsman in him.
"We want Virat, a man who can get 70 centuries in a decade's span, we would want to see the same Virat. If the T20 captaincy is affecting the batting, then it is the right decision to take," added the veteran of 96 first-class matches.
(With PTI inputs)
