Former India head coach Ravi Shastri feels that India should opt for three left handers in their top seven. Speaking on Star Sports, Shastri opined that Indian needed left-handed batters during the ODI World Cup 2023 and that it would add to a lot of variety in their line-up. Shastri said that Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya were certainties in the batting line-up, and he would like 3 left handers apart from these batters.
“There are three other positions where I think two left handers have to come in, apart from the top four you mentioned. Now this is where the selectors’ role comes in because they are watching. They know who’s the guy who’s hot. If Tilak Varma is hot, bring him in. If you think Yashasvi Jaiswal is hot, bring him in,” Shastri said on Star Sports while discussing India’s possible XI for the ODI World Cup 2023.
Shastri backed Ishan Kishan for the opener’s spot, stating that India had backed the aggressive left hander ahead of the ODI World Cup and Asia Cup.
“So if you have persisted with Ishan Kishan for the last 6 to 8 months and he’s going to keep wickets, he comes in, in any case. But get two left handers. Including Jaddu, there should be three left-handers in the top seven. Ishan Kishan has been keeping for the last 15 months. Why go somewhere else?” Shastri said.
The former India captain backed Tilak Varma for the No. 4 position and said that he really liked the way the youngster has batted in the last few months. India have tried several batters like Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav in the position, but none of them have been able to make the position their own in the ODI format. Varma, while he has not made his decut for India in the ODI game, was India’s top scorer in the T20I series vs West Indies.
“Very Very impressed with Tilak Varma. And I want a left hander. If I am looking for a left hander, I would really look in that direction,” Shastri concluded on the matter.
