New Delhi [India], September 8 : Former Indian cricketer Mohammed Kaif raised questions on Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian team for Asia Cup featuring just two genuine all-rounders in Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel, adding that Washington Sundar, who just delivered a fine all-round show in the tour of England, will be missed.
Team India's Asia Cup campaign will kickstart from September 10 onwards against the UAE. The Men in Blue have two in-form all-rounders in Hardik and Axar, who played a crucial role in India's ICC Champions Trophy win with both bat and ball. While Axar's increasing maturity with the bat to play different situations and positions is a plus alongside his useful spin bowling which is highly likely to be impactful in UAE, Hardik's ability to hit right from ball one and deliver full four overs quality pace bowling makes him an asset worth protecting at any cost.
India does have other bowling options in Abhishek Sharma (left-arm spin), Shivam Dube (right-arm pace), Tilak Varma (right-arm spin) and Rinku Singh (right-arm spin), but their effectiveness with the bat outclasses their bowling, unlike Axar and Hardik, who are world-class in both departments and have a fine track record in both disciplines.
In reserve players, Team India has Washington and Riyan Parag, both of them spin bowling all-rounders. While Washington is a more well-rounded player, Parag functions as a top-order batter/lower-order hitter, who can bowl a few overs of right-arm spin.
Kaif pointed out how Rohit led India to the ICC T20 World Cup title 2024 with three genuine all-rounders in Hardik (144 runs in six innings with a fifty and 11 wickets), Axar Patel (92 runs in five innings, with nine wickets) and Ravindra Jadeja (35 runs in five innings and one wicket), giving India six proper bowling options alongside frontline pacers and how India is heading to Asia Cup with just two genuine all-rounders.
"Rohit's team won the T20 World Cup with three all-rounders - Axar, Jadeja, Hardik - and that meant 6 proper bowling options and batting till 8. At Asia Cup, with only 2 genuine allrounders - Hardik and Axar. - India will have to find a new winning combination. Washington Sundar will be missed," posted Kaif.
https://x.com/MohammadKaif/status/1964965820099973442
In 22 innings for India in T20Is, Sundar has made 193 runs including a fifty, at an average of 13.78, with a strike rate of over 121, and has also taken 48 wickets in 54 matches at an average of 23.50, with best figures of 3/15.
In 99 T20 innings, Sundar has scored 1,428 runs at an average of 19.56, at a strike rate of 121.63, with three fifties and a best score of 54*. He has also taken 115 wickets at an average of 28.90, with best figures of 3/10.
In this year's IPL, Sundar showed glimpses of his improved T20 game, scoring 133 runs in five innings at an average of 26.60, with a strike rate of over 162, with a best score of 49, playing some useful knocks for Gujarat Titans (GT).
During the recent Test tour of England, Sundar's patience while batting, ability to stitch partnerships and play situations stood out, as he scored 284 runs in four Tests and eight innings at an average of 47.33, with a century and fifty and took seven wickets, including a four-wicket haul, at an average of 38.57.
Team Surya Kumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Harshit Rana, Rinku SinghReserve players: Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal.