Veteran India batter Krishnamachari Srikkanth shared his views on Shardul Thakur’s inclusion in India’s World Cup squad as a batting all-rounder. Srikkanth was not impressed with India’s approach of picking Shardul as a number 8 batter. Meanwhile, India picked the 15-member squad by considering batting depth which is a big reason why Shardul got a nod over tearaway pacer Prasidh Krishna. The bowling all-rounder also got selected in the Playing XIs against Pakistan and Nepal in the group stage clash of Asia Cup 2023.
The Indian cricket team has not yet finalised their team combination for the ODI WC especially when it comes to the batting order as they looked to add batting depth to the squad in case the middle-order collapses in any match.
Srikkanth was unimpressed with Shardul’s inclusion as he raised questions over his credentials in both batting and bowling departments.
“Everyone is saying we need a batter at No. 8…who needs a batter at No. 8? Shardul Thakur is only scoring 10 there and he doesn’t even bowl for 10 overs. In the match against Nepal, how many overs did he bowl? 4 only.
The 1983 World Cup-winning start further stated that India should focus on more players’ performance against strong teams like Australia and New Zealand rather than checking it against weaker sides.
“See, don’t see performances against sides like West Indies or Zimbabwe. Yes if he performs well, then keep that in the back of your mind, but don’t give importance to that. Instead stress on performances against teams like Australia or New Zealand. That is why I say, don’t get fooled by overall averages, always look at individual matches,” Srikkanth said during a discussion on Star Sports.
Meanwhile, Shardul talked about his all-round abilities and said his bowling has helped him to in his batting.
“I am not someone who has played 50 ODIs and 50 T20Is. Even in the last IPL, I didn’t bat much,” Thakur said. “With more opportunities, you will see me deliver more and more with the bat. My bowling has helped my batting. I can guess what a bowler is likely to bowl. My confidence comes from the effort that I put in to bring my A-game to the table. I prepare hard. With the ball too, whether I am asked to be the third seamer or a frontline seamer, I am ready for it,” he told Hindustan Times.
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