Gautam Gambhir has challenged the notion proposed by former head coach Ravi Shastri regarding the inclusion of three left-handed players in the squads for the Asia Cup and ODI World Cup.
Shastri insisted that the selectors must choose three-left handers in India's top seven batsmen to succeed in the two marquee tournaments. However, Gambhir remains unconvinced by his argument.
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What did Ravi Shastri say about including left-handers in Indian squad?
"There are three other positions where I think two left-handers have to come in. If you have persisted with Ishan Kishan for the last six to eight months, and he's going to keep wickets, he comes in, in any case. But, get two left-handers. Including Jaddu, there should be three left-handers in the top seven," Shastri said on a Star Sports show.
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What did Gautam Gambhir say about the inclusion of Tilak Varma and left-handers?
Gambhir expressed his perspective, highlighting that players like Tilak Varma, if chosen, should be given opportunities to play.
He stressed that the debate over the number of left-handers in the squad is irrelevant, and the focus should be on the quality of players rather.
"If he has been picked (Tilak Varma), then of course he should get some matches to play. And if he gets game time and performs better than other batsmen, then you should definitely take him into the squad. Because, as I've said earlier, form is important. This debate about who is a left-hander or a right-hander or whether we need three left-handers is a useless debate. We look at quality, we do not look to see how many left-handers are in the squad," Gambhir said while speaking to Star Sports on the Selection Day show.
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What did Gautam Gambhir say about Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul?
Gambhir also underscored the need for Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul to accumulate runs to secure their positions in the World Cup squad. Both batsmen have been picked for the upcoming Asia Cup where they will be eager to prove themselves.
However, if they fail to do so, then Gambhir suggested players like Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma could potentially take their places.
"If the batsman is good, regardless of whether he is a right-hander or a left-hander, we should see how he performs in every condition and against each bowler. If Tilak Varma is in good form, then select him. If Shreyas Iyer or KL Rahul are in good form, then select them. It's not a compulsion that you have to keep a left-hander in the squad or that you need to have three left-handers in the lineup. I don't think we need to even start a debate like this. If we are focusing on left-handers, then what about Yashasvi Jaiswal and other left-handers? But you look at quality, don't you, not quantity," Gambhir added.
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