Rohit-Shikhar

India should stick with the seasoned starting combination of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan in the T20 World Cup, believes former coach Sarandeep Singh, calling the duo the “best option” despite skipper Virat Kohli’s recent interest in the slot .

Sarandeep, whose tenure ended with India’s historic victory in Australia earlier this year, also gave his opinion on the divided captaincy, stating that the issue was never discussed in his time when Kohli performed in all three formats.

After the T20 series win against England, Kohli had said that he will start in the IPL raising the possibility that he will open with Rohit in the World Cup. Dhawan was eliminated after the first game of the series and Ishan Kishan was chosen ahead of him in one of the games. Kohli and Rohit opened in the final T20.

“It was amazing. He (Dhawan) did well in the IPL, he did well in Australia. Whenever he plays, he acts. He is mentally very strong. They might want to try options, but in my opinion the left and right hand combination of

Rohit and Dhawan is the best option for India in the World Cup, ”Sarandeep told PTI.

“You cannot judge him by a match. He did well at ODI after that. The IPL will decide much of the team. There are no easy places on the team. Ishan Kishan will also have to do exceptionally well to be part of the team, ”he added.

He also said that KL Rahul should continue to stay in the ODI and that the fit Rishabh Pant will have to wait his turn when Shreyas Iyer returns.

Read also | Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan become India’s second highest scoring couple

The IPL that begins on April 9 will decide most of the places for the World Cup team and Sarandeep feels that Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, who became the Indian couple in the middle after the Champions Trophy of 2017, are no longer secure holders in the T20 or ODI Format. Kuldeep has also lost his place in the T20 team.

“The two spinners can still do the job. They are suitable spinners. Once Ravindra Jadeja comes back from injury, the trio is still the best option in limited overs format, ”said Sarandeep.

“Kuldeep, for example, doesn’t have many opportunities and seems to have little self-confidence. It needs to be backed up. Chahal was also replaced in the recent T20 against England by Rahul Chahar and did not play the following ODIs.

“Although there is a lot of competition, Chahal and Kuldeep should play together. They still have a lot of potential, ”said Sarandeep, who played three rounds and five ODIs for India.

Pant has surpassed Wriddhiman Saha as the number one goalkeeper in Tests and has also become the preferred choice in T20s following his stellar success in all three formats in the last four months.

“No praise will be enough for Pant. He had some fitness issues, worked on that, and worked on his shot selection. If you expect a 21-year-old to play like a 30-year-old, it’s hard to get started. You see Hardik (Pandya), the way he’s hitting now with experience, the same has been seen in Pant now in the last six months or so.

“He was off the team, which was good for him. There is a right time and a right ball to hit. The way he played in Australia shows that he has gained a lot of experience. He is choosing and choosing.

“He can give him 10 years in test cricket, Saha can’t and he has become the number one option. At ODI, Shreyas got injured, so Rishabh played. When he returns, KL should be the guardian because he has been taking care of the grounds for a long time and is doing a good job. “

Sarandeep also believes there is no place for Krunal Pandya on the ODI team if Hardik is not bowling.

“If we talk about ODI, if Hardik is not bowling, Krunal cannot be his fifth bowler. He hit wonderfully, but Krunal can’t give you 10 overs, he’s a good T20 player, but when it comes to ODI, he doesn’t have the knack for challenging hitters.

“So if Krunal plays, Hardik needs to go bowling. If a bowler is hit or injured, there is no additional option if Hardik does not throw. His workload also has to be managed, but you have to bowl properly, ”said the 41-year-old former player.

On the issue of the spilled captaincy, Sarandeep said it was not even discussed in his tenure.

“It takes a spilled captaincy when their captain is not acting, but he (Kohli) is the only player to average more than 50 in all formats. If you’re not performing in one format, you can take the leadership pressure off you and give it to someone else.

“The fact that he has not won an IPL cannot remove him from the captaincy of India. He is also the fittest player and captain. Rohit is there to lead the team in his absence, but there is no reason to replace Virat.

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