Krunal Pandya should be given more opportunities in ODIs: VVS Laxman

Former India cricketer VVS Laxman on Thursday backed allrounder Krunal Pandya for selection in the ODI squad. The right-armer had a great T20I series against West Indies in which he finished as the man-of-the-series with three wickets and 67 runs. But the older Pandya brother has not been included in India’s ODI squad for the upcoming ODI series against West Indies.

In his column for Times of India, the former right-handed batsman said: “The older Pandya is street-smart and canny, capable of thinking on his feet. I would love to see him get more opportunities in 50-over cricket too because I believe he can slot in at the No. 6 position and can offer a full complement of 10 overs.”

INDIA VS WEST INDIES 1ST ODI: Follow live score and updates

The three-match T20I series in which Virat Kohli & Co. registered a clean sweep, also saw young seamers Navdeep Saini and Deepak Chahar contributing with wickets.

“The man of the match awards went to Navdeep Saini, Krunal Pandya and Deepak Chahar, which is testament to the Indian system that prepares players for the rigours and challenges of the international arena. Most hearteningly, these players believed in themselves and played to their strengths. Saini is an express pace bowler, and that’s exactly how he bowled,” the 44-year-old said.

Also read: Yuvraj’s team & others protest over unpaid wages in GLT20 - Report

Laxman further added that rise of young talent will relieve pressure on players such as Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who have been playing regular cricket. “It’s not fair or wise to rely only on Jasprit Bumrah or Bhuvneshwar Kumar to do the job all the time. What this series has proved is that India have other weapons in their arsenal. But these players need to play more games so that they grow into their roles, become comfortable and therefore attain the consistency that they are capable of,” he wrote.

Laxman further went on to compliment Rishabh Pant for his desire to improve. “The other youngster who deserves plaudits is Rishabh Pant. You expect Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to score runs, but Pant learnt from his mistakes and came up with a mature knock in the final encounter. That’s what you want to see in youngsters – the willingness to learn and the desire to improve and the hunger to perform,” he wrote.

First Published: Aug 08, 2019 18:21 IST