Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has picked India’s spinners for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022. Notably, the multi-team event is set to take place from October 16 to November 13 in Australia.
Speaking about India’s spin combination, Manjrekar reckoned that the veteran spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal will be part of the travelling squad.
Manjrekar said that while Chahal’s place is confirmed in the Indian team, Ashwin is expected to get some competition from the likes of Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav.
“I think Ashwin’s selection on this tour was an excellent one. In the last couple of years in the Indian T20 league, Ashwin has started making an impact. Who are his competitors now? You’ve got Chahal who’s confirmed for the spinner on current form. Then you’ve got Axar Patel, you’ve got Jadeja who could do a bit of bowling. Hooda bowled one over in the last game, then you’ve got Kuldeep Yadav, you’ve got Ravichandran Ashwin,” said Manjrekar while speaking on Sports18’s show ‘Sports Over The Top’.
Manjrekar further observed that the combination of Ashwin and Chahal is a good sign for India as the leggie takes the pressure away from Ashwin which eventually makes him a deadly spinner in the shortest format.
“I like Ashwin when he’s with somebody like Chahal. So, the onus is not on Ashwin to change the tide. You know, the spinner’s job in T20 cricket, in the middle phase is to get wickets like Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj do for South Africa. That’s where Ashwin lacked a bit as a T20 spinner. He focused a lot on the economy, but when you have somebody like Chahal, or if there’s another wicket-taking wrist spinner, then Ashwin becomes a great compliment because Ashwin has mastered the art of being economical in T20 cricket. In the first T20, a couple of wickets was a great sign, but that’s what you’ll get with Ashwin, that compliment to the other main wicket-taking spinner in the team,” added Manjrekar.
