Even as Shami’s fitness update is awaited, India’s World T20-winning coach Lalchand Rajput wants the selectors to include Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya in the World T20 squad
Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has hinted of minor changes for the World T20 squad from the one that played in Australia recently.
It will be interesting to see whom the selectors pick in the bowling department. While Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja with veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh as the third option look set to take care of the spin department, picking pace bowlers could be a puzzle for Sandeep Patil & Co.
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Jasprit Bumrah celebrates the wicket of Australia’s Cameron Boyce during the second T20I at Adelaide last week. PIC/Getty Images
Injured Shami in fray?
Although Dhoni has already declared that Mohd Shami is part of his World T20 plans, the hamstring injury in Australia before the ODI series has put a big question mark over his fitness. Shami’s last international outing was the 2015 World Cup where he played through injury and pain.
Hardik Pandya
Even as Shami’s fitness update is awaited, India’s World T20-winning coach Lalchand Rajput wants the selectors to include Jasprit Bumrah (the find of Australia tour, according to Dhoni) and Hardik Pandya in the World T20 squad. “Shami should be given first preference if fit. Bumrah is someone who can be a good death bowler. He can execute his yorkers really well. He is not scared of bowling them (yorkers).
“Pandya is a good package to have. He can play the role of a finisher; he’s a good fielder and can chip in with his part-time bowling as well,” said Rajput.
Rajput’s pace attack line-up is: Ashish Nehra, Shami, Bumrah, Pandya and any one from Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron and Mohit Sharma.