Yuzvendra Chahal has named an alternative player who could take up the position of the injured Ravindra Jadeja. India were dealt a major blow when their ace all-rounder was ruled out of the T20 World Cup 2022. Due to an injury, he had to undergo surgery which made him unavailable for the showpiece event.
Considering his contributions in all three departments, it’s going to be hard for team India to find a proper like-to-like replacement. Although the Men in Blue have got strong bench strength, Jadeja’s quality and experience comes second to none.
In a recent interview with Dainik Jagran, the leg-break spinner said injuries are part of the game and nobody can replace the 33-year-old all-rounder. However, Axar Patel is one alternative who has already proved his worth for the national side.
“Jadeja is a world class bowler and he has been batting extremely well too. Injuries are part of the game and no one can take his place. But the way Axar Patel has been bowling, we have found one alternative. He has shown he can do it,” said Chahal.
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Yuzvendra Chahal or Ravi Ashwin in starting XI?
Rohit Sharma’s side will have a couple of decisions to make ahead of the marquee event. One of the decisions will be to toss up between Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin in the starting XI.
It’s unlikely that both spinners will be able to feature together as the Men in Blue wouldn’t want to sacrifice their batting strength. On top of that, the Australian pitches are better known for assisting pacers than spinners.
While Chahal has picked up more wickets, Ashwin has bowled economically, which is also a surplus in the shortest format. As things stand, Chahal might win the race as he has been the first-choice spinner in the recent series.
However, if the opponent consists of more left-handed batters then one can expect Ashwin to walk into the XI as his record against lefties is extraordinary.
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