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‘Har koi Gambhir aur Yuvraj nahi ban payega’ – Fans react to Ravi Shastri’s ‘two left-handed batters in India’s playing XI’ wish for 2023 ODI World Cup

Ravi Shastri

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‘Har koi Gambhir aur Yuvraj nahi ban payega’ – Fans react to Ravi Shastri’s ‘two left-handed batters in India’s playing XI’ wish for 2023 ODI World Cup

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Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri said that he would like to have two left-handed batters in the Indian playing for the upcoming 2023 ODI World Cup in India. Shastri compared the current India batting line-up: missing Rishabh Pant – to the 2011 Indian batting order with the likes of Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina.

Notably, Rishabh Pant is currently out of cricket after he had a major car accident in December 2022. However, he is recovering fast and is expected to make an early comeback. Shastri believes that a left-hander could make a difference in the Indian batting order and he would like to see such batters in the line-up.

‘You have to weigh all those options’ – Shastri

“No, that is going to be a challenge. You will have to see closer to the event. Form again becomes important. You need to strike the right balance. Do you think a left-hander will make a difference at the top? It does not have to be opening but in the top three or four. You have to weigh all those options. Ideally, in the top six, I would like to see two left-handers,” Shastri was quoted as saying by Indian Express.

“Whenever you have done well [left-handers contributed]. In 2011, you had [Gautam] Gambhir, Yuvraj [Singh] and [Suresh] Raina. Go back to 1974… [Alvin] Kallicharran, [Roy] Fredericks, [Clive] Lloyd…. The same in 1979. The 1983 team was the only one that did not have a left-hander, but that whole tournament was against all odds. In 1987, Australia had enough… they had [Allan] Border at the top, they had another two or three, down the order. In 1996 Sri Lanka proved it again, with [Sanath] Jayasuriya, [Arjuna] Ranatunga, [Asanka] Gurusinha. And then Australia, with the Gilchrists and the Haydens. England have it now. That mix and balance has to be created,” he further added.

The schedule for the upcoming World Cup is already out and the marquee event is set to kickstart on October 5th with the match between England and New Zealand in Ahmedabad. Meanwhile, India will begin their campaign against Australia on October 8th at the M.A. Chidambaram stadium in Chennai.

Here’s how Twitter reacted: 

 

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