"Kuldeep Yadav will be the frontline spinner going ahead" - Sanjay Bangar on India's side for the ODI World Cup

Sanjay Bangar reckons Kuldeep Yadav will be India's frontline spinner at the ODI World Cup later this year.

Kuldeep and Yuzvendra Chahal are the two wrist-spinners in India's squad for the upcoming ODI series against Sri Lanka. Neither of them was originally picked for the recent ODI series against Bangladesh, but the former was included in the playing XI for the final game after a few players were ruled out due to injuries.

During a discussion on the Star Sports show 'Game Plan', Bangar was asked about his thoughts on India's likely frontline spinner at the World Cup, to which he responded:

"I feel Kuldeep Yadav is the front-runner for the wrist-spinner slot because of the way he has performed. In my opinion, Kuldeep Yadav will be India's frontline spinner going ahead."

Bangar added that the left-arm wrist-spinner has put in the hard yards to increase his effectiveness, explaining:

"He has worked a lot on his bowling. He had an angular run-up earlier, he has straightened it quite a bit. His body is very nicely coming behind the ball, he has been successful in giving more revs to the ball and it is evident in the way he is bowling."

Kuldeep has scalped 119 wickets in the 73 ODIs he has played. However, he has played only 17 ODIs in the last three years, in which he has accounted for 20 dismissals.

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"It has to be a spin all-rounder" - Sanjay Bangar on the all-rounders to partner Hardik Pandya at the World Cup

Hardik Pandya will likely play the seam-bowling all-rounder's role in the World Cup.

Bangar was also asked to pick players who could partner Hardik Pandya in the all-rounders' department, to which he replied:

"I would say that it has to be a spin all-rounder because we do not have pace-bowling all-rounders. Yes, the Indian team had invested in Venkatesh Iyer or Shivam Dube. They got their opportunities but the Indian team didn't persist with them."

The former Indian batting coach named a few left-arm spin-bowling all-rounders who could be in the mix, elaborating:

"In that case, it becomes prudent to shift your focus towards the spin all-rounders. There are enough options in that category. You can look at left-arm spin all-rounders in Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel, or if both of them are not available, there is Shahbaz Ahmed, who has got a decent run with the Indian team as well."

Bangar feels Deepak Hooda and Washington Sundar might also be in contention for the spin-bowling all-rounder's role, stating:

"Along with that, you can look at Deepak Hooda or Washington Sundar. So out of those five, you have the option or the choice to pick two boys who can be the two all-rounders that the team can complement with Hardik Pandya."

Ravindra Jadeja will likely be India's preferred spin-bowling all-rounder if he is fully fit and available. It will be interesting to see if the team management and selectors prefer to have a second spin-bowling all-rounder in Sundar in the XI or want to go with three seamers apart from Hardik.