These are the match-winners Ganguly wants Kohli to bring back
What's the story
The Indian selectors have been experimenting with the squad to groom more options, in the build-up to the ICC World T20 2020. The shuffling has seen a number of top-rated players being axed. However, Indian legend Sourav Ganguly has urged current skipper Virat Kohli to not count these players out completely and labeled some of them as match-winners. Here is more.
Quote
Virat needs to bring back wrist spinners in T20Is: Ganguly
"This is a good team, but Virat needs to bring back wrist spinners into this format. I hope Yuzvendra Chahal has only been rested to give opportunity to others, or else, he is a must for India in the T20 format," Ganguly wrote for TOI.
Spinners
Ganguly speaks on why India need specialist spinners
Explaining further on the need to include spinners, Ganguly said that while they are important match-winners, the side does not need two left-arm spinners, for now. "The Test series will start soon, and hopefully, India will play on good pitches and not rank turners, as it has been in the last series because India is a very good team on any surface," he added.
Rationale
Kohli wanted to improve batting depth, hence axed spinners
Speaking on the exclusion of Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav in the side for the T20Is against the Windies and South Africa, Kohli had said that it was tactical, as the team was looking to extend its batting death. "It is about finding the best balance in the combination and not just sticking to only one combination," Kohli had said.
Kuldeep-Chahal
Kuldeep has a decent T20I run, Chahal has struggled
Considering Kuldeep's performance in the T20Is, he has claimed 35 wickets in 18 matches at a sound average of 12.97. Since September 15, 2018, he has claimed 11 from six at a similar average of 12.45. Meanwhile, Chahal has claimed 46 wickets in 31 matches at an average of 21.13, while since September 15, 2018, he has claimed just four from five.
IPL run
Kuldeep had a poor IPL run, Chahal flourished
Meanwhile, considering their run in the IPL 2019, it was just opposite of their T20I performance. Kuldeep had a horrific outing for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), claiming just four wickets in nine matches, at a nightmarish average of 71.50. Chahal, meanwhile, was the star of Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) bowling attack, claiming 18 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 21.44.
Resource handling
Ganguly urges Kohli to handle his resources properly
Despite India's poor outing in the shortest format of the game, so far, this year, Ganguly does not seem bothered and instead has urged Kohli to make proper utilization of the resources available to him. "The key person amidst all this will be Virat Kohli, and it will be important for him to stay calm for a long period of time," he concluded.