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‘Left-handers without any doubt add in value’: Tendulkar indirectly calls for Pant’s inclusion in India’s WC Playing XI
India batting legend Sachin Tendulkar has a last-minute suggestion for Rohit and the team management on their playing XI as he directly backed Rishabh Pant's inclusion.
India captain Rohit Sharma admitted last Saturday that he does not believe in "last-minute changes" and that he has his playing XI ready for the T20 World Cup tournament which kicks off for the 2007 champions on Sunday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against arch-rivals Pakistan. But India batting legend Sachin Tendulkar has a last-minute suggestion for Rohit and the team management on their playing XI as he directly backed Rishabh Pant's inclusion.
Rohit, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya - India have their top-five intact. Dinesh Karthik is also a certainty, based on India's recent playing XIs in the T20I format. Hence, Rishabh Pant, who is India's lone specialist left-handed batter, is likely to miss out, at least in the World Cup opener against Pakistan.
However, Sachin has stressed on the importance of adding a leftie in the batting line-up explaining that they "add in value" and disrupt bowling plans of the opposition.
“Left handers without any doubt add in value and bowlers have to adjust, fielders have to adjust, and if they are able to rotate strike consistently, it is not something that the bowler enjoys,” he told PTI.
"Look, I wouldn't go by just (top) three. You always play as a unit and one should see what works well. You can't go by top two or top three. As a unit, what you have is important and then to figure out whom to send at what position, and also check what is the opposition's strength."
Sachin also gave a sharp verdict on the inclusion on Mohammed Shami as Jasprit Bumrah's replacement for the World Cup.
"Bumrah not being there is a big loss and we obviously needed a strike bowler. An out and out genuine fast bowler, who could attack batters and get wickets. Shami has proven that and he seems a good replacement," he said.
