Kuldeep Yadav or Yuzvendra Chahal: Sanjay Manjrekar Makes A Shocking Choice For ICC World Cup 2023
Yuzi Chahal with Kuldeep Yadav (Twitter)
Sanjay Manjrekar has expressed his support for Kuldeep Yadav's inclusion in the Indian playing eleven for the upcoming World Cup 2023. According to Manjrekar, the nature of ODI cricket is different from T20Is, as batters tend to play more cautiously and are less prone to giving wicket-taking opportunities. Based on this observation, he believes that Kuldeep Yadav will provide India with more chances to take crucial wickets compared to Yuzvendra Chahal in the 50-over format.
"I don't think so. Very rarely it can happen depending on the opposition. If there is a real weakness in the opposition to play wrist-spin, then you have Kuldeep Yadav and Chahal both playing in the XI.
"I see Chahal being part of the squad but I prefer Kuldeep Yadav when it comes to wrist-spin as the spinner in 50-over cricket. I am getting a little technical here. You need a spinner who can get wickets of batters while they are pushing, not hitting the big shots.
"In T20 cricket, that is something you see very often. That's how spinners get wickets. In 50-overs cricket, it's a game where you push more than you actually slog. So a spinner capable of getting those wickets is Kuldeep Yadav. So he is sort of my first-choice wrist-spinner in the playing XI and then I will be looking at other options," Manjrekar told ESPNcricinfo.
Despite backing Kuldeep Yadav to be in the playing eleven for India's World Cup 2023 squad, Sanjay Manjrekar also advocated for Yuzvendra Chahal's inclusion in the team. He highlighted India's vulnerability in the death overs and suggested that Chahal's presence could be beneficial in addressing this issue. Additionally, Manjrekar considered the likelihood of Jasprit Bumrah's participation in the tournament to be slim.
"What India needs even more in this World Cup are spinners who will get you wickets in the middle to just make the lives of India's death bowlers easy. Bumrah playing is a slim chance and India have a problem with death bowling and that's why I would have Chahal in the squad."
"On a particular ground where the boundaries are long and the opposition is weak against spin, these are the guys who will get you wickets in the middle. But on a flat pitch and small ground, too dangerous to play both Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal," he further added.
The World Cup 2023 will begin for India with a match against Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, October 8th.
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