Sunil Gavaskar tips Kuldeep swap for Pakistan showdown

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar believes wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav could replace pacer Arshdeep Singh in India’s playing XI for the high-voltage T20 World Cup clash against Pakistan on Sunday.

Arshdeep endured a tough outing against Namibia on Thursday, conceding heavily despite India’s emphatic 93-run win that extended their unbeaten run. The left-arm pacer did not complete his full quota of four overs, raising questions about his place for the marquee encounter.

“All our bowlers picked up wickets. Arshdeep did not complete his four overs, while Shivam Dube bowled two, and Hardik completed his quota. This hints that Kuldeep Yadav could replace Arshdeep against Pakistan,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports’ Amul Cricket Live.

“Sri Lanka pitches assist spinners and India have a history of playing three spinners there. Expect Kuldeep in the XI against Pakistan in Colombo,” he added.

Gavaskar also felt captain Suryakumar Yadav managed his bowlers with the Pakistan game in mind.

Also Read: Unbeaten giants collide as New Zealand face South Africa

“Hardik bowling the first over suggests Arshdeep may not play the next match. Varun Chakaravarthy bowled only two overs and might have taken five or six wickets had he completed his spell.

“The best part about Varun is that he picks up wickets whenever he bowls. Axar Patel taking two wickets in three overs is also a positive sign,” Gavaskar noted.

The former skipper also addressed Sanju Samson’s dismissal after the wicketkeeper-batter replaced an unwell Abhishek Sharma. Samson scored a brisk 22 off eight balls, including three sixes, before being dismissed.

“Sanju has a technical issue. He goes too deep in the crease and plays that flick shot. You can only hope it finds the gap or clears the boundary. He needs to improve, especially while opening against the new ball,” Gavaskar said.

“Namibia set a smart field to dismiss him. But it was good to see him strike a few clean shots — that should boost his confidence. If he plays against Pakistan, he needs to spend more time at the crease.”