Cricket News

‘They may have to make some tough calls’ – Harbhajan Singh talks about potential changes in the playing XI going forward in the 20-20 World Cup

While it has been rosy so far for Team India with the bat, KL Rahul has endured a tough time wielding the willow as he has had a string of low scores behind him. He has scored just 22 runs in three innings so far. The cricket experts believe that India should look to replace Rahul with someone else at the top.

Harbhajan Singh has suggested a solution to the problems.  Speaking after the loss against South Africa, he thinks that the team should look at Rishabh Pant as an opening option. He shared his thoughts after the Men in Blue’s loss to the Proteas, the ace spinner said that Pant can replace Karthik and can open with Rohit Sharma at the top of the order.

“They may have to take some tough calls, the team has to think about it going forward. KL Rahul is a great player, we all know that, he is a match-winner. But if he is struggling with his form like this, I think you should bring in Rishabh Pant,” Harbhajan said on Sports Tak.

You get a right left combination with Rohit and Rishabh – Harbhajan Singh

“Karthik looks injured, I don’t know what his status is. If he is not, Rishabh Pant can open the innings with Rohit Sharma. You get a left-right combination like that. You can also bring in Deepak Hooda and he can even bowl a few overs,” he added.

Harbhajan also talked about the spin combination for Team India saying that Yuzvendra Chahal should have been drafted into the side in place of Ravichandran Ashwin and the Men in Blue missed a trick by not including him in the XI against South Africa.

“I also feel they should bring in Yuzvendra Chahal in place of Ashwin. He is a bowler who takes wickets. You don’t mind giving away runs as long as you take 2-3 wickets. Chahal is a big match-winner, and he is among the highest-ranked T20 bowlers in the world.

“They might be going with experience and that’s why they may be selecting Ashwin. Their team also had a lot of left-handers, and they may have looked at that factor as well. But I feel that if you have a good bowler, he will bowl well regardless of whether it is a left-hander or right-hander on strike. This is just about the thought process. Chahal has made his reputation by taking wickets, he has proven he is a big-match winner in these smaller formats,” he concluded.