Ravi Shastri Talked About The Missing Link In India’s 2023 ODI World Cup Plan: The 2023 ODI World Cup will kickstart in India in just a little more than three months and the excitement among the fans is increasing with every passing day. Adding more to the anticipation, on Tuesday, the ICC announced the much-awaited schedule of the ODI World Cup 2023.
The Indian cricket team will get their tournament underway with a game against Australia on October 8, which is scheduled to be held in Chennai. The big game between India and Pakistan will be played in Ahmedabad on October 15th.
Ravi Shastri Talked About The Missing Link In India’s Batting Line-Up
Ahead of the big World Cup event, the Indian cricket team are left with just two ODI assignments – the West Indies series that begins next month and the Asia Cup in September. Ahead of the West Indies tour, where the Indian side will play multi-format series, former head coach Ravi Shastri made aware the incumbent management of a missing link in the batting order as he compared the current Indian squad to the 2011 World Cup squad.
During an interview with The Week, Ravi Shastri was asked if the opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill is confirmed for the World Cup. While most of the cricketing fraternity is in favor of this duo, considering the sensational form of the youngster, Shastri feels that the decision should be taken ahead of the marquee tournament.
He also talked about the missing link in India’s batting order. Shastri said that India need at least two left-hand batters in the top six. He said:
“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,”
He added:
“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.”
Further, when asked who are the left-handed options India could look into ahead of the upcoming World Cup, Ravi Shastri picked three names. He said:
“You have Ishan Kishan. In the wicketkeeping department, you have Sanju. But the left-handers, you have Jaiswal, Tilak Varma. There is enough left-handed talent that can replace any senior player at the moment,”
