"He will probably play most of the matches in the World Cup" - Sanjay Bangar on Shardul Thakur being given the new ball vs Bangladesh

Sanjay Bangar reckons Shardul Thakur being given the new ball in India's Asia Cup 2023 Super Four clash against Bangladesh implies that he will probably play most of the matches in the upcoming World Cup.

Shardul registered figures of 3/65 in 10 overs as Shakib Al Hasan and Co. posted 265/8 after being asked to bat first in Colombo on Friday, September 15. The Men in Blue were then bowled out for 259 to lose the match by six runs.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Bangar was asked about his thoughts on Shardul's spell, to which he responded:

"He is an extremely underrated bowler. The achievements he has in the last two or three years, whether it is Test cricket or ODI cricket, he is a wicket-taker and goes slightly under the radar because the Indian bowling is so fantastic."

The former Indian batting coach added:

"Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and a bowler like Prasidh Krishna are spoken about but he is a player who has been with the Indian team for a long time. He has a lot of importance as an all-rounder and the reason for Rohit giving him the new ball is that he will probably play most of the matches in the World Cup."

Shardul dismissed Tanzid Hasan and Anamul Haque with the new ball. He later got rid of Shakib Al Hasan to complete his three-wicket haul.

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"The self-confidence he has in his abilities is unquestionable" - Ravi Shastri on Shardul Thakur

Shardul Thakur has picked up 63 wickets in 41 ODI innings. [P/C: AP]

Ravi Shastri pointed out that Shardul Thakur has immense confidence in his abilities. He stated:

"The self-confidence he has in his abilities is unquestionable. If you go and tell him that he did well, he would half the time say that he knew it beforehand. He will suddenly bowl a slower one and the batter will edge it."

The former Indian head coach added that the all-rounder brings positivity to the team atmosphere. He said:

"He has confidence in his bowling and his thinking, which is very good, and in batting as well. He brings positive energy to the team."

However, Shastri concluded by observing that India missed X-factors like Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah in the bowling department. He added that Rohit Sharma and Co. need to be mindful that even if they pick up early wickets, the lower order cashes in when such bowlers are missing.