Former India cricketer VVS Laxman on Thursday put his weight behind all-rounder Krunal Pandya and urged the selectors to include him in India’s one-day international squad.
In his column for the Times of India, Laxman 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.”
“The man of the match awards (in the three T20s against the West Indies) 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 former batting great added.
Laxman further said that the rise of young talents will help in removing pressure from seniors such as Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar as they 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,” Laxman added.
