Cuttack: Ahead of the T20I series opener against South Africa, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav welcomed Hardik Pandya’s return to the set-up, saying the seam-bowling all-rounder’s experience lends crucial and significant balance to the side in their preparation for next year’s T20 World Cup.
Pandya, who has played 120 games in the shortest format for India, is back in the T20I team after recovering from a quadriceps injury sustained during the Asia Cup in the UAE in September. He has already shown good form in the games he turned out for Baroda in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and was among the first to hit the nets in India’s practice session at the Barabati Stadium on Sunday.
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Apart from him, India are also welcoming back vice-captain Shubman Gill, who has recovered from a neck injury sustained during the Test match against South Africa at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata last month.
“Both of them look healthy and fit. They have come along with the team. What you saw in Asia Cup also was when he opened the bowling with the new ball, he opened up a lot of options and combinations for us with respect to the playing eleven.
“So that’s what he brings to the table and his experience is invaluable. He has done well in a lot of good games, big games and ICC and ACC events also. So that experience counts for a lot and his presence will definitely give a good balance to the side,” said Suryakumar in the pre-match press conference on Monday.
Gill’s return to open the batting alongside the in-form Abhishek Sharma will give some sheen to India’s preparation for the mega event. Suryakumar also explained about how India shifted from having Sanju Samson as the opener to now zeroing in on Gill for that slot.
Since Gill’s inclusion, Samson has been batting either at number five or slotted at number three.
“In terms of Sanju, when he came on the circuit, he batted higher up the order. Now the thing is, other than the openers, everyone has to be very flexible. He did really well when he opened the innings, but Shubman had played before him in the Sri Lanka series and so he deserved to take that spot.
“But we gave Sanju enough opportunities – he’s ready to bat at any number, which is good to see – any player who’s ready and flexible to bat anywhere from three to six. I have told batters other than the openers that you have to be flexible to bat.
“So, both are in the scheme of things – it’s lovely to have players like them be a part of the squad. One can open, the other can bat lower down the order – even both can do all the roles. So they are a good asset for our team and a good headache to have,” he said.
Gill signed off by reiterating what this Indian team has always been vocal about: that there’s no set positions for batters in the T20I line-up. “(Shivam) Dube is an all-rounder, so as Hardik and you can’t compare all-rounders with finishers. The thing is, all the batters from 3 to 7 are capable of batting at any position. For example, you might see Tilak Verma batting at six.
“As you saw in Australia, Dubey went in to bat at number three. It depends on the entry point of the batter. We have to be really flexible during that. Before us, you get to know how the squad will be. More likely, this is what the team and the squad looks like. It looks good. It looks strong. So, I am very happy with it.”