Irfan Pathan bats for Yuzvendra Chahal after leg-spinner gets ignored for 2023 Asia Cup

Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan believes that the selectors should have included leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal in India’s squad for the 2023 Asia Cup.

The cricketer-turned-commentator expressed his concern on the bowling front since Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna have made their ODI comebacks after a lengthy injury layoff. The 38-year-old added that the two pacers' inclusion was the primary concern behind India’s stress on batting depth.

Pathan tweeted on Monday, August 21:

“Worry for selectors that Bumrah and Prasidh coming back from long lay off. That’s one of the two reason(s) you will see India team playing with an extra bowler who can bat. I would have Chahal in my squad. What do you guys think? #AsiaCup”

Interestingly, Chahal’s axe comes a week after India head coach Rahul Dravid stressed the importance of batting depth for the Men in Blue. He recently told a press conference in West Indies, as quoted by ESPNCricinfo:

“Going forward, we have got to look at certain areas in which we can get better. Finding depth in our batting has been an area we are trying to address. We are trying to do the best we possibly can, but that is certainly an area we can look at, how we cannot weaken our bowling attack but ensure we have a certain amount of depth in batting.”

On the bowling front, the leg-spinner's omission doesn't come as a huge surprise. He was already being phased out of the 50-over side, managing just two games (three wickets), as compared to Yadav, who has played 11 ODIs (picking up 22 wickets) this year.

---

Sunil Gavaskar unfazed by Yuzvendra Chahal’s axe for 2023 Asia Cup

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar feels that Yuzvendra Chahal has been omitted from the squad because of his one-dimensional game. He told India Today:

“Sometimes you’re looking at the balance of the team. Maybe, you can say that Kuldeep is a handy batter down the order, so maybe that’s why he gets the nod ahead of Chahal. Also, he brings a left-hand variety.”

As far as the batting is concerned, Team India are usually tempted to play three spinners, including all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel, in sub-continent conditions (Asia Cup games in Sri Lanka). In such a scenario, Kuldeep Yadav is likely to play as a specialist spinner with the ability to bat in the lower order.

The Men in Blue might play Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah (subject to fitness) as specialist pacers. The other options are Mohammed Shami, Prasidh Krishna, and all-rounder Shardul Thakur.

India will begin their Asia Cup campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, on September 2.