“Don’t get fooled by overall averages,” India great BLAST Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid for picking Shardul Thakur in ODI World Cup squad
Srikkanth pointed out that even during the match against Nepal, Thakur did not complete his 10 overs.
Follow Us
Shardul Thakur (Image via ESPNcricinfo)
India captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid want batting depth in the squad for the 2023 ODI World Cup, starting October 5 in Ahmedabad, India. Pacer Shardul Thakur found a spot in the squad because of his contribution with the bat in the last overs. However former India player Krishnamachari Srikkanth expressed his disappointment over Thakur’s selection in the 15-member squad.
Srikkanth explained that no team needs a batter at the number eight position and that even if Thakur scores runs, those are some mere runs he has contributed. Srikkanth pointed out that even during the match against Nepal, Thakur did not complete his 10 overs. Against Nepal, Thakur bowled just four overs and conceded 26 runs with a wicket.
But the major criticism from his side came when he stated that one must not get fooled by Thakur’s performances against sides like West Indies and Zimbabwe and that evaluation should be based on his performances against strong teams like Australia or New Zealand.
“See, don’t see performances against sides like West Indies or Zimbabwe. Yes if he performs well, then keep that in the back of your mind, but don’t give importance to that. Instead stress on performances against teams like Australia or New Zealand. That is why I say, don’t get fooled by overall averages, always look at individual matches,” Srikkanth said during a discussion on Star Sports.
Shardul Thakur’s stats in ODIs
This year, Shardul Thakur has played nine ODI matches and picked up 15 wickets. Overall, the 31-year-old has played 40 ODI matches and scalped 59 wickets. With the bat, Thakur collected 318 runs from 40 matches at an average of 17.66.
Thakur is in the Asia Cup squad also. Before the Asia Cup, he played against West Indies in a three-match ODI series. There, Thakur displayed consistent performances with the ball and ended the series with the figures of 1/14, 3/42, and 4/37 in the three ODIs.
In case you missed!
- “Gabbar ki Dahaad iss baar nahi dikhegi”- Netizens laud Shikhar Dhawan’s selfless post despite ODI World Cup snub
- “Almost every match is disturbed”- Indian fans SLAM Pakistan after floodlight failure stops 2023 Asia Cup match
Stay Updated!
Gouri Das
(4696 Articles Published)