Former India coach Ravi Shastri has emphasized the importance of strengthening the Indian batting lineup with left-handed batters as they prepare for the upcoming 2023 ODI World Cup, which will be held in India in a few months’ time. Shastri believes that having at least two left-handers in the top six of the batting order will provide an added advantage to the team.
Currently, the Indian ODI team predominantly consists of right-handed batters such as captain Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli. Shastri suggests that adding left-handed batters to the lineup will bring more diversity and balance, making it challenging for opposition bowlers to settle into a particular line and length.
“You need to strike the right balance. Do you think a left-hander will make a difference at the top? It does not have to be opening, but in the top three or four. You have to weigh all those options. Ideally, in the top six, I would like to see two left-handers,” Shastri told The Week as quoted by Espncricinfo.
India boasts talented young left-handed batters like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan, and Tilak Varma. While Kishan has already made his mark in international cricket, competition for places has limited his opportunities in recent matches. On the other hand, Varma and Jaiswal are yet to make their debuts, and it might be too early for them to be considered for the World Cup. Another option for a southpaw batter in the team is Ravindra Jadeja. However, Jadeja’s experience primarily lies in the middle order, and he may not have extensive exposure to batting in the top order.
“You have Ishan Kishan. In the wicketkeeping department, you have Sanju [Samson]. But the left-handers, you have [Yashasvi] Jaiswal, Tilak Varma. There is enough left-handed talent that can replace any senior player at the moment,” the former Indian coach said.
Shastri was also adamant that India needed to form a pool of youngsters and get them in the mix ahead of the World Cup. While he voiced concerns about India’s red-ball depth, he was pretty happy with talent coming through in white-ball cricket.
“There are so many youngsters. There is Jaiswal and, I might miss out a few here, Tilak Varma, Nehal Wadhera. There is [Sai] Sudharsan, who played so well in the [IPL] final. There is Jitesh Sharma,” the cricketer-turned-commentator concluded.
Notably, Rishabh Pant has been a crucial contributor to the team’s batting lineup and his absence creates a void in terms of a left-handed option. Kishan is an another promising young left-handed batter, but he is still in the process of establishing himself in the team and has not yet solidified his place. This situation presents India with the task of identifying and finalizing the remaining pieces of the puzzle in their batting lineup before the World Cup, which is just a few months away.
