“We need three left-handers is a useless debate,” Gautam Gambhir firmly believes that player’s skill should be the determining factor behind selection

Previously, former India head-coach Ravi Shastri stressed on the importance of left-handers.

“We need three left-handers is a useless debate,” Gautam Gambhir firmly believes that player’s skill should be the determining factor behind selection

Gautam Gambhir (via Times of India)

Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir has made comments on the ongoing debate regarding squad selection for the upcoming Asia Cup and One-Day International World Cup, defying the idea of prioritizing left-handed players over form. Previously, former India head-coach Ravi Shastri stressed on the importance of left-handers.

In a recent interview on the Star Sports program, Gambhir asserted that performance should take priority over batting hand preference. He firmly stated that a player’s skill should be the determining factor, disregarding the significance of the number of left handed players on the team.

YouTube video

Gambhir also emphasized that a player’s performance in varying conditions and against different bowlers should be the primary criteria for selection. He provided examples of successful left-handed performers, such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, to demonstrate that the emphasis should be on skill rather than the left-handed attribute alone.

“This debate about who is a left-hander or a right-hander or whether we need three left-handers is a useless debate”, Gambhir stated. Tilak Varma, a promising left-handed middle-order batsman, earned his first One-Day International call-up after being named to India’s 17-man Asia Cup squad. Gambhir’s insights highlighted the significance of form and impact in building a victorious team.

Focusing his attention on the upcoming World Cup, Gambhir stated the uniqueness of the competition and advocated for the selection of players in excellent form regardless of their reputation. He stressed the importance of Shreyas Iyer and K.L. Rahul establishing their positions by scoring numerous runs. Gambhir suggested that Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma could take over if the veterans fail.

Also read : Sunil Gavaskar backs KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer to perform in 2023 Asia Cup

India squad for Asia Cup 2023

A player's success in varied conditions against different bowlers, Gambhir argued, should be the most important factor in selection.
Team India (Image via Hindustan Times)

The squad for the ODI World Cup later this year, was announced in Delhi following a meeting of the selection committee led by chief selector Ajit Agarkar. In addition to Tilak Varma and Prasidh Krishna, the squad included Sanju Samson as a reserve.

The Asia Cup commences on August 30 in Multan, Pakistan, with a match between Pakistan and Nepal. India will play all of their matches in Sri Lanka, commencing on September 2 in Kandy against their bitter rivals Pakistan.

India squad for Asia Cup : Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Ishan Kishan, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Prasidh Krishna

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