The selection committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is debating whether to include an extra pacer in the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup. The objections of the Chetan Sharma-led committee come from the fact that Hardik Pandya did not bowl in the ongoing IPL.
Pandya featured 5 games in the IPL’s UAE leg but didn’t bowl a single over so the management was concerned it would impact his playing. The Mumbai Indians (MI) player has been named an all-rounder for the T20 World Cup, and the selectors stated that he is fit to bowl when the team was announced.
During IPL, the scenario has shifted slightly. The BCCI selectors have time till 15th October to make changes to the lineup, since the ICC has prolonged a one-week period for countries to change their original squad.
“Indian team is at least one fast bowler short in the main squad of 15. They have two experienced campaigners in Shardul Thakur, who is also a handy bowling all-rounder, and Deepak Chahar, who has shown his batting prowess in Sri Lanka in the stand byes. So in case, Hardik is not able to bowl, one of the two can be fitted in by the Committee,” a senior BCCI source told.
If Chakravarthy’s fitness becomes a concern Chahal can be drafted: BCCI source
Notably, Hardik Pandya bowled a few overs versus Sri Lanka in the white-ball series. The all-rounder seems to have healed from his chronic back pain. The 28-year-old is vital to the team’s stability, and MI suffered the consequences since captain Rohit Sharma was unable to deploy him as the team’s 5th bowling choice.
If the officials believe Pandya would be unable to play only as a hitter during the T20 World Cup, they have backup plans with Thakur and Chahar. However, for the time being, Yuzvendra Chahal’s inclusion in the lineup instead of Varun Chakravarthy remains in dispute.
“The only option is if Varun Chakravarthy, who has dodgy knees, is ruled out by Indian team’s support staff then Yuzi can get in. Selectors can pick him among stand byes so that if Chakravarthy’s fitness becomes a concern, he can be drafted.”
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