Gautam Gambhir Blasts 'Useless Thought' Of Including 3 Left-Handers In XI, Says 'You Look At Player's Quality & Not…'

Former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir has slammed the former India head coach's proposal to include three left-handed batters in India's playing XI for the ODI World Cup 2023.

According to Gambhir, India's leading run-scorer in the 2011 ODI World Cup final, which India won under MS Dhoni's leadership, it doesn't matter if the player is a right-handed batter or a left-handed batter. The player should be chosen based on his form and the influence he can have.

"It makes no difference whether he bats left or right. The debate about whether we need three left-handed pitchers is utterly pointless. You look at the player's ability, not how many left-handers you have.

A good player, whether right-handed or left-handed, will perform effectively in every situation. So, if Iyer performs well or Rahul scores runs, go with them. If left-handers are not in form, it is not required to select them.

This left-hander discussion didn't seem necessary to begin with. Yashasvi Jaiswal is another option for left-handers. "You always look at quality and form, not quantity," Gambhir told Star Sports.

Shastri suggested the notion of having three lefties in the starting XI last week when speaking on Star Sports.

"There are three other positions where I believe two left-handed pitchers must be added." If you've been working with Ishan Kishan for the last six to eight months and he's going to keep wickets, he comes in. However, get two left-handers. "There should be three left-handers in the top seven, including Jaddu," Shastri added.
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'Tilak needs to get some games.'

Tilak Varma was named to India's 17-man squad for the Asia Cup 2023 on Monday (August 21) by Ajit Agarkar's selection committee for the first time in his career.

When asked about the inclusion of Hyderabad's young left-handed batter Tilak Varma in the Indian team for the major continental event, Gambhir stated, "If they have picked Tilak Varma, then he should definitely get some games in the Asia Cup."

"You should take that gamble (for the World Cup) if he scores and plays better than some of the other batters," he remarked.

"When it comes to winning the World Cup, no one is a frontrunner." Form is vital, but so is impact. The in-form players should be packed ahead of the big names, whether they are Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, or anyone else.

Tilak Varma, Sky, or Ishan Kishan should be chosen if they are in better shape than them. According to Rohit, no one is promised a position. "Iyer and Rahul are back from injuries, but they'll need to score runs to make the World Cup squad," he continued.