Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has urged the Indian team management to keep a close watch on veteran leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal for the upcoming ODI World Cup. Though Chahal was part of the squad for last year’s T20 World Cup in Australia, he did not get a chance to play as India crashed out of the tournament after losing to England in the semi-finals. Ganguly believes that India have other talented wrist-spinners in the likes of Kuldeep Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi, but Chahal could be a key asset to their chances of success.
Speaking on Star Sports, Sourav Ganguly said, “(Ravi) Bishnoi and Kuldeep (Yadav) are there but (Yuzvendra) Chahal somehow misses out on the big tournament. He has been extremely consistent in the shorter formats, be it 20 overs or 50 overs. It is necessary to keep an eye on that too.
Importance of spinners against SENA countries
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Sourav Ganguly also said that wrist spinners are a significant challenge for teams from SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia), especially considering that the World Cup will be held in India. Recalling the impact made by wrist spinner Piyush Chawla during the 2011 tournament, he said, “When you play Australia, England or South Africa, a wrist spinner makes a difference in these conditions. In 2011, there was Piyush Chawla, who bowled well.
Sourav Ganguly insisted that India have historically been successful in tournaments when its spinners have excelled. He referred to the World T20 held in South Africa in 2007, where wrist spinners played an important role along with fast bowlers. Ganguly referred to the inclusion of Harbhajan Singh in that team, saying, “Having a wrist spinner in Indian conditions will be extremely important.”
India will begin their World Cup campaign against Australia on October 8 in Chennai on a track that could favor slow bowlers.