Vengsarkar would have picked Mohammed Shami, Umran Malik and Shubman Gill for the T20 World Cup. (File)The express pace of Umran Malik and the batting form of Shubman Gill has impressed Dilip Vengsarkar, and the former captain and chief selector believes the duo should have been part of India’s T20 World Cup squad.
He is also surprised that the selection committee couldn’t find a spot for veteran seamer Mohammed Shami for the ICC event in Australia.
“I would have picked Mohammed Shami, Umran Malik and Shubman Gill for the T20 World Cup. Would have given them a long run in T20Is because they all had a brilliant IPL season,” Vengsarkar told
Shami, Malik and Gill had an excellent IPL season. Shami and Gill played a key role in Gujarat Titans winning the IPL trophy in their inaugural season, while Malik made the 150 kph-plus deliveries a new norm.
However, Shami hasn’t been picked in the shortest format since the T20 World Cup last year, although he will feature in the home T20I series against Australia and South Africa. In IPL 2022, he was used by his skipper Hardik Pandya as a wicket-taking option in the Powerplay. Shami was the pick of the bowlers for the Titans and bagged 20 wickets in 16 games, including 11 at an economy rate of 6.62 in the Powerplay.
Vengsarkar’s preference for Shami was also seconded by another former chairman of selectors, MSK Prasad, who believed his extra speed would have come handy Down Under.
“I think the express pace of Shami is missing. If you see Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, they are not express. The only bowler who has got that extra pace is Jasprit Bumrah,” the former India wicketkeeper told The Indian Express.
Gill scored 483 runs in 16 games in IPL 2022, and was the fifth-highest run-getter of the tournament. Although he is yet to make his T20I debut, he had two back-to-back Player of the Series awards in ODIs against the West Indies and Zimbabwe recently.
The 22-year-old Malik had 22 wickets in 14 games of the 2022 IPL season. The economy rate (9.03) was on the higher side, but in the middle overs (7-16) no other pacer took more wickets than him (19).
Vengsarkar believes batting orders in the T20 format are fluid, but backs Suryakumar Yadav to play the finisher’s role.
“I can’t really comment on who bats at what number. It is up to the think tank, the coach, the captain and the vice-captain. But I feel Suryakumar Yadav, who is batting at 4, can bat at 5 as well. He can be a great finisher,” said Vengsarkar.
“T20 is not like ODIs and Test cricket, where you need certain batters at certain positions. In this format, anybody can bat anywhere. You don’t have time to settle down. One should go after the bowlers from ball one.”
Prasad felt skipper Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli would be the first-choice top-three at the World Cup, even though plans need to be flexible.
“It is very obvious that Rohit, Rahul and Virat will be our top three. With Virat getting back in form, they can try him as an opener as KL, in the past, has succeeded in the middle order,” he said.
But Prasad conceded that all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja’s injury-forced absence was a big setback for the team as he has the ability to turn a game with bat, ball or in the field.
“It is a massive blow for India. He is an integral part of this Indian team. Especially his batting in the finisher’s role has become crucial for India. He can bat anywhere in the middle order, wherever the team requires him. His injury is a big jolt to the team management,” Prasad, who headed the selection panel that picked the 2019 ODI World Cup squad, said.
He believes there could be a change of guard of sorts after the upcoming T20 World Cup with several players who missed out on selection, such as Sanju Samson, getting more chances.
“The question is, Samson, in place of who (for the T20 World Cup)? Deepak Hooda gives you that extra bowling option. He can bat anywhere like Sanju, and Shreyas Iyer has done well in the home series against Sri Lanka and then in the West Indies.
“If the team management wanted to pick Sanju, they would have given him an opportunity in the Asia Cup or the upcoming home series against South Africa and Australia. If he is not picked, one knows he is not in the scheme of things. I have a feeling that post this T20 World Cup, guys like Sanju, Ravi Bishnoi, Ishan Kishan and others will get more chances and will be regulars, at least in T20Is,” Prasad said.
Overall, he felt there were few surprises in the squad chosen.
“I feel it is a very good team, and now it is up to the players how they will perform in the tournament,” the former stumper said.
“This is an expected squad going by the pattern in the last 12 months. The way they have rotated the players, one kind of got the idea of what the final 15 would be. I think they have covered all the bases.”