Former India coach Ravi Shastri has emphasised the significance of strengthening the Indian batting lineup with left-handed batters as they put together for the upcoming 2023 ODI World Cup, which will likely be held in India in a number of months’ time. Shastri believes that having at the very least two left-handers within the high six of the batting order will present an added benefit to the group.

Presently, the Indian ODI group predominantly consists of right-handed batters corresponding to captain Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli. Shastri means that including left-handed batters to the lineup will convey extra range and steadiness, making it difficult for opposition bowlers to settle into a selected line and size.

“You could strike the precise steadiness. Do you assume a left-hander will make a distinction on the high? It doesn’t must be opening, however within the high three or 4. It’s a must to weigh all these choices. Ideally, within the high six, I wish to see two left-handers,” Shastri informed The Week as quoted by Espncricinfo.

India boasts gifted younger left-handed batters like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan, and Tilak Varma. Whereas Kishan has already made his mark in worldwide cricket, competitors for locations has restricted his alternatives in current matches. Alternatively, Varma and Jaiswal are but to make their debuts, and it may be too early for them to be thought of for the World Cup. An alternative choice for a southpaw batter within the group is Ravindra Jadeja. Nonetheless, Jadeja’s expertise primarily lies within the center order, and he could not have intensive publicity to batting within the high order.

“You might have Ishan Kishan. Within the wicketkeeping division, you have got Sanju [Samson]. However the left-handers, you have got [Yashasvi] Jaiswal, Tilak Varma. There’s sufficient left-handed expertise that may exchange any senior participant in the mean time,” the previous Indian coach mentioned. 

Shastri was additionally adamant that India wanted to type a pool of children and get them within the combine forward of the World Cup. Whereas he voiced issues about India’s red-ball depth, he was fairly pleased with expertise coming by in white-ball cricket.

“There are such a lot of children. There’s Jaiswal and, I’d miss out a number of right here, Tilak Varma, Nehal Wadhera. There’s [Sai] Sudharsan, who performed so effectively within the [IPL] ultimate. There’s Jitesh Sharma,” the cricketer-turned-commentator concluded.

Notably, Rishabh Pant has been an important contributor to the group’s batting lineup and his absence creates a void by way of a left-handed choice. Kishan is an one other  promising younger left-handed batter, however he’s nonetheless within the course of of building himself within the group and has not but solidified his place. This example presents India with the duty of figuring out and finalizing the remaining items of the puzzle of their batting lineup earlier than the World Cup, which is only a few months away.