With 6 Spinners In Sri Lanka, 3 In England, India Face Problem Of Plenty

The Indian selectors and team management seem to have thrown only a morsel of opportunity to fight for to the six spinners who have reached Sri Lanka as part of India squad for the three ODIs and three T20Is. Considering that these are the last set of limited-overs games for India before the T20 World Cup, it is unlikely that all will get sufficient game-time.

India are travelling to Sri Lanka with leg-spinners Yuzvendra Chahal, Rahul Chahar and Varun Chakravarthy, off-spinner Krishnappa Gowtham, left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya and Chinaman Kuldeep Yadav. Left-arm spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel and off-spinner Washington Sundar, who all are good limited-overs options, are on Test duty in England.

While Jadeja looks a certainty for the T20 World Cup squad, the remaining eight spinners will have to fight for what could be just 2-3 places in just three T20Is. Former India selector, Sarandeep Singh, who was part of the previous selection panel, is a bit amused at the number of spinners being carried.

"How will you play them all? Chahal, Yadav - they have been India regulars in recent times. Assuming you play Chahal, Yadav and Krunal Pandya (as all-rounder), what will the other three do? Everyone can't get chances. You can't play them all," said Sarandeep, a former India off-spinner, to IANS.

"You can't drop Chahal. He has been your premier bowler. Chahal and Yadav are proven performers. If anything, this will put pressure on them, say on someone like Chahal from other leg-spinner like Rahul Chahar who has done well in Indian Premier League (IPL)," he said further.

Sarandeep, who believes that "Chahal, Kuldeep, Krunal should be automatic choice for playing XI in Sri Lanka", added the team management needs to decide now on who all are to be included for the T20 World Cup.

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