Harbhajan Singh questions Chahal-Arshdeep's exclusion in ODI World Cup squad

Former Indian offspinner Harbhajan Singh on Thursday questioned the exclusion of Yuzvendra Chahal and Arshdeep Singh in the 15member squad for the upcoming ODI World CupChahal and Arshdeep were overlooked from the Indian squad which was announced by the Ajit Agarkarled selection committee on TuesdayI think there are two people missing in this team First Yuzvendra Chahal and second Arshdeep Singh Because a leftarm seamer if he can bring the new ball inside it makes it useful in the game Harbhajan said during a virtual press conference organised by Star SportsIf he can get two wickets early in the game Im not saying that righthanders cant do that but a lefthand seamer can get an actual angle to get the wicketCiting the example of Australias Mitchell Starc he said You can see how Shaheen Shah Afridi or Mitchell Starc they have a huge impact on the gameWhen Australia won the World Cup Mitchell Starc had a huge impact on the games he sent Brendan McCullum out on the first ball Incoming ball with that speed coming into a righthander is always challengingBacking Chahals inclusion Harbhajan said Chahal is a proven match winner someone who has taken more number of wickets than any other spinner and if he was playing for any other country I think he would have been in the playing XI all the timeDespite proving so much I think he should be in the team If I was part of the management I would definitely keep him in the team Because we are all stakeholders of Indian cricket And we want Indian cricket to do wellAlso ReadFirst week of Asia Cup 2023 Indiarsquos toporder debacle to Pakistans deadly paceThese two guys could have been very handy in the World Cup especially in conditions where they know what to do and how to take wickets So I believe these two guys simply in India have missed itHarbhajan said he was astonished to see no rightarm spinners in the squadWe have chosen two leftarm spinners and both of them will never play in the same match The day Ravindra Jadeja plays Axar wontAnd its also possible that when there are a lot of lefthanders in the opposition Jadeja may not even bowl That day you need a bowler who can take the ball away of the leftarm battersSo Chahal and Arshdeep should have been in the team but in whose place could be a big debateWhen you are picking three spinners it should have been a combination of leftarm plus an offspinner or legspinner But Im astonished when you are neither picking a legspinner nor an offspinner and taking two leftarmersHarbhajan sees Suryakumar Yadav as the Xfactor in the Indian team for the upcoming World Cup and said he is the most impactful middleorder batter in India right nowSuryakumar is a complete package In the number where he bats I dont think there is any other better player than him in India What he can accomplish at No 5 or 6 even Virat Kohli Rohit Sharma or Sanju Samson cannot replicate he saidHarbhajan said the onus would be on senior duo of Rohit and Virat to give the team a good startA lot will depend on Rohit and Virat Kohli and how they bat because Shreyas has just come back from an injury Ishan Kishan looked good KL Rahul will play or not we dont know Hardik Pandya will also play a key role like Rohit or ViratSo I believe they will all have to come together play some amazing kind of cricket to lift the Cup Otherwise it will be very challenging to be honestIndia will take on archrivals Pakistan in the Asia Cup in a Super 4 clash on Sunday and Harbhajan feels it would be a 5050 contestYes when you play together for sixeight months before any big tournament makes a huge difference You know your roles the expectations the tempo you need to maintain he saidWith PTI inputs