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Former India World Cup winner Krishnamachari Srikkanth has cast doubts on spin bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar ahead of India’s second T20 match against Ireland in the ongoing tour in the United Kingdom.
Some changes are expected in the team after the shocking defeat against lower-ranked team Ireland. Ireland has the advantage on home ground, but India, which has won the T20 World Cup several times, was dominant before the series.
India faced defeat for the first time against Ireland
The match to be held on June 26 has changed many equations as the hosts are leading the series 1-0. Ahead of the second and final match of the bilateral competition, Srikkanth suggested the Indian team management to drop Washington Sundar, as the spin bowling all-rounder has been struggling to do anything of significance for the team in this particular format.
Like most Indian players, Sundar too had a poor performance in Belfast on Friday. After giving 19 runs with the ball in one over in the first innings, he also flopped with the bat. Since Washington Sundar did not do anything impressive with both bat and ball, the former India batsman urged the Indian think tank to drop the all-rounder to allow leg spinner Ravi Bishnoi.
Under the reign of head coach Gautam Gambhir, the Men in Blue brigade developed a reputation for leaning towards all-rounder-heavy playing combinations. Since Sundar can do both with bat and ball, he fits into the plans easily.
Should the team management drop Washington Sundar from the playing eleven?
On paper, his skill set looks like a good fit for the team, but in reality, his struggles are nothing new. Since the beginning of last year, he has taken only 4 wickets in 9 matches. In the same period, he scored only 20 runs at an average of 10 and a strike rate of less than a hundred.
Krishnamachari Srikkanth said that without Washington Sundar in the team, the batting depth will be a little less, but the addition of Ravi Bishnoi will give the team additional strength in bowling.
Krishnamachari Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel, Cheeky Cheeka, “Washington Sundar is not required to be in the 11th, just to bat at No. 8. He has no clear role. He is bowling it flat now instead of bowling with the dip due to lack of confidence. It is doubtful whether he will play the next match. Perhaps, Ravi Bishnoi should replace him. But he is also adamant that he will be playing with only seven batsmen. Will not go together.”
Should Vaibhav Suryavanshi play the second match?
The former batsman further said that before the first match against Ireland, everyone was eagerly waiting to see Vaibhav Suryavanshi in action. But he did not get the debut cap. Srikkanth admitted that, since there are a lot of top-class batsmen in the team, it would be difficult for the team management to include 15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi in the playing eleven.
The former batsman said, “Vaibhav Suryavanshi should also play, but it is difficult to see who he can replace. The whole world was waiting to see him on TV and in the stadium yesterday. But now that they have selected him, it is a big problem. You have to eventually play him in the 11, but I don’t know how.”
