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'Mark my words, he's a fantastic option for India in T20 WC, Asia Cup': Ex-Pakistan cricketer's bold prediction
Asia Cup is slated to be held from August 27 to September 11 in the UAE, and it will be played in the T20 format. The World T20 begins from October 16 in Australia.
With less than three months left for the World T20 to kick off in Australia, India will look to find an ideal combination for the showpiece event. The side that crashed out of last year's tournament has undergone some important changes, with Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid coming to the fore in place of Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri, respectively. The two foremen have a big task at hand. Along with finding the perfect eleven, the pair also looks to assign specific roles to players, which can spur India's competency ahead of the marquee tournament.
While senior pacer Jasprit Bumrah looks set to spearhead the bowling unit, it remains to be seen whether India will give a chance to a relatively inexperienced Arshdeep Singh. The left-arm seamer played a solitary Twenty20 game in England last month, where he returned 2/18 in 3.3 overs including a maiden.
Arshdeep hasn't played a game in West Indies despite being part of the ODI set-up. Also, he could not play the ODIs in England due to an abdominal strain.
Meanwhile, former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria has identified the Punjab Kings bowler as a huge asset for India in the near future. He backed the 23-year-old to play the third and final ODI against West Indies, further adding that he can be picked for the World T20 and Asia Cup too.
Arshdeep, who shone in the recent IPL season with 10 wickets at an economy of 7.70, has the ability to bowl precise yorkers at the death and vary his pace as well.
"Mark my words. Arshdeep will play the third ODI and make an impact too. Arshdeep has the art and he uses his mind while bowling. He bowls sensibly and knows how to take wickets. He can be a fantastic option for the Indian team for T20 World Cup and maybe for Asia Cup as well. Asia Cup will be held in Dubai and he can be successful being a left-arm pacer," said Kaneria on his YouTube channel.
Kaneria also wants to see T Natarajan's return to the Indian setup. He became an overnight sensation with IPL success and went on to play all three formats in Australia. But his international career has been marred by injuries.
"I want to also see Natarajan playing for India again. He can make an impact just like he did in Australia. He is a fantastic bowler but India has currently got an incredible bowling lot. Team management has to decide how will to utilize its bowlers," said Kaneria.
