India’s roadmap for Champions Trophy: Wasn’t Nitish Kumar Reddy a better back-up option than Yashasvi Jaiswal?

However, the 15-member squad picked has raised much questions than answers. The enactment calls look rather conservative, and determination were besides a fewer debatable decisions.

Will Jaiswal beryllium a tourer again?

Given his caller form, Yashasvi Jaiswal’s enactment makes full sense. The 23-year-old tin interruption India’s all-right-handed top-six batting line-up. But the question is whether helium volition get a accidental successful the playing XI. During the T20 World Cup successful the USA and the Caribbean, the youngster warmed the seat passim arsenic the squad absorption opted to spell with Virat Kohli arsenic Sharma’s opening partner. In an perfect world, it should person been Jaiswal.

In the Champions Trophy, Jaiswal is again apt to beryllium retired with skipper Sharma and vice-captain Shubman Gill, who has been a cardinal constituent for India successful this format, acceptable to open. Jaiswal has forced his mode into the squad, precisely however helium got picked for the T20 World Cup, but helium tin lone play if India decides to driblet the skipper oregon his deputy. There is nary question implicit Jaiswal’s spot successful the squad, but whether helium volition marque it into the playing XI oregon not is simply a large question.

Why nary back-up for Hardik Pandya?

Hardik Pandya is the motor connected which the Indian white-ball teams function. He played 3 games for Baroda successful the Vijay Hazare Trophy and bowled 20 overs successful total. But helium has been injury-prone passim his career, and successful the past ODI helium played – the World Cup crippled against Bangladesh successful Pune – helium hobbled disconnected aft twisting his near ankle connected his follow-through. His wounded didn’t outgo India much, acknowledgment to Mohammed Shami, who was astatine his menacing champion erstwhile helium came into the side.

Pandya’s beingness is monolithic for the equilibrium of the team. He is not lone India’s sixth bowling enactment but besides idiosyncratic who tin supply the last flourish with the bat. India has picked 4 all-rounders for the Champions Trophy. Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar are spin-bowling all-rounders, fundamentally like-for-like replacements for each other. Pandya is the lone seam-bowling all-rounder.

With him being the fulcrum of the team, a back-up successful Nitish Kumar Reddy would person been helpful. Reddy, who had an fantabulous debut Test bid successful Australia and has shown his imaginable successful the IPL and the T20I bid against Bangladesh, is much than ready.

Not to forget, Pandya volition play a five-match T20I bid against England earlier the ODIs and the Champions Trophy. Reddy’s enactment could person made much consciousness than that of Jaiswal, who is improbable to get a game. Reddy tin surely lend with the bat. With Pandya astatine 6 and Reddy astatine 7, India would person had much firepower down the order.

Mohammed Siraj’s omission

With uncertainty implicit Jasprit Bumrah’s fittingness and Mohammed Shami making a comeback aft a agelong wounded lay-off, the omission of Mohammed Siraj seems to beryllium a risk.

In his ODI career, Siraj has picked up 71 wickets successful lone 44 matches, and has been 1 of India’s main gait workhorses successful the format implicit the past 3 years. Siraj starred erstwhile India won the 2023 Asia Cup erstwhile helium registered his career-best figures of 6/21 against Sri Lanka successful the final. He followed it with 14 wickets successful the World Cup astatine home.

Siraj was snubbed for left-armer Arshdeep, who has lone played 8 ODIs. Siraj has besides not been picked arsenic Bumrah’s back-up for the ODI bid against England. For the three-match series, Harshit Rana is Bumrah’s cover.

“We are not definite if Jasprit Bumrah volition play oregon not. Hence, we wanted idiosyncratic who tin vessel with the caller shot and the aged one. That is wherefore we person picked Arshdeep Singh, due to the fact that of his abilities astatine the back-end. Siraj’s effectiveness comes down if helium doesn’t usage the caller ball. It’s unfortunate that helium misses out,” Rohit said astatine the property conference.

The Varun Chakravarthy puzzle

There is nary uncertainty that a acceptable Kuldeep Yadav is simply a amended spinner than Varun Chakravarthy, but is helium match-ready? The left-arm wrist-spinner is making a comeback from sports hernia, and his fittingness volition beryllium tested successful the England series. Apart from Kuldeep, India has picked Jadeja, Axar, and Washington purely connected the ground of the other batting cushion they supply successful the lower-middle order. With the bat, Varun is obscurity adjacent the trio, but arsenic a bowler, helium has evolved into much than conscionable a enigma spinner. Conditions successful Dubai would person besides suited him, and helium is besides successful reddish blistery form. With 18 wickets successful the Vijay Hazare Trophy, helium finished successful joint-second spot successful the wicket-takers’ list.