India is scheduled to face New Zealand in their 2nd T20 World Cup 2021 match in Dubai. The match will be essential for India, who are coming off a dismal setback versus Pakistan in their opening match. In the match against the men in green, a few of India’s shortcomings were revealed, including a lack of urgency in the batting lineup. Former India batsman VVS Laxman has spoken out in support of Shardul Thakur’s participation in the replacement of Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
According to Laxman, Shardul should be included in the New Zealand match, since he can provide runs with the bat and offer some balance to the squad. It has also been seen that Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been experiencing difficulties since the IPL 2021, which is why analysts favour Thakur over him.
Shardul Thakur’s inclusion increases the depth in the batting lineup: VVS Laxman
“I would go for Shardul Thakur because Shardul can give runs with the bat, and he’s a wicket-taking option. It also increases the depth in the batting lineup. So, I would definitely go with Shardul ahead of Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar). He is an experienced bowler, but if you think about the balance and the combination of the playing eleven, I would probably prefer Shardul over Bhuvi,” said VVS Laxman.
In a similar way, Sanjay Bangar explained why Ravi Ashwin should be in India’s team for the match versus New Zealand. Bangar claimed that Chakravarthy has less opportunity and that Ashwin would be the better choice for the matchup of this calibre.
“Varun Chakravarthy’s recent performances in UAE. He was very effective at Sharjah, but not in Dubai – where this game will be played. Taking into account the importance of the game, the number of matches played by Varun Chakravarthy is a little less, and his international experience is a little less. For a game of this significance, you would definitely want somebody with temperament and experience. So, in my opinion, Ravichandran Ashwin may get the nod in place of Varun Chakravarthy,” said Sanjay Bangar.
