Cricketer-turned-expert Ravi Shastri, during his time as head coach of Team India, always preferred playing a five-man bowling attack, which also always included two wrist-spinners in the playing XI. India, which is currently gearing up for the Asia Cup 2025 event, currently has two wrist-spinners - Kuldeep Yadav & Varun Chakaravarthy. Shastri, who is one of the official commentators during the Continental Cup, spoke during an interview about what should be India's combination for the event.
Kuldeep, who was unlucky not to get a single Test during the England Test series, is likely to play in the Asia Cup. His numbers in T20Is are phenomenal, averaging under 15, with an economy rate under seven. The former India head coach stated that skipper Surya should include the wrist-spinner, as he is at his peak of his prowess.
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"If you have two wrist-spinners of that quality, I would love to have them on my side. I think Kuldeep is at his peak now. He did extremely well in IPL and unfortunately, couldn't make it to the team in the Tests in England because of the conditions and the strength that India have. But he will be a vital cog in the wheel in the Asia Cup and going forward, along with Varun & Axar Patel," Shastri said TOI.
Shubman Gill will be a pillar of strength across formats for 10 years: Shastri
Alongside Kuldeep's inclusion, there is another hot debate, that of Shubman Gill, the T20 batter. The 26-year-old has stormed back into the shortest format after a gap of one year. The Test skipper will likely open alongside Abhishek Sharma in the Asia Cup. Shastri lavished huge praise on the right-hand batter, stating he is a class player and going to be a pillar of strength of the Indian teams across formats for the next 10 years.
"Gill has all the shots in the book. He gets the big scores. Just see his IPL record over the last few years. And especially after a tour of England, he will be on a high. But in Dubai, the pitches could be slower, and even the top shot-makers will have to adjust. Having said that, Gill will be a pillar of strength for Indian teams across formats for the next 10 years.
Gill had a superb IPL 2025 for the Titans as he scored 650 runs at a strike rate of 156. He is likely to bat at the top-order in place of Sanju Samson. The Suryakumar-led side will kick off Continental Cup 2025 campaign against UAE on Wednesday, September 10.
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