Pragyan Ojha, a former Indian cricketer, expressed his lack of concern regarding the bowling form of Axar Patel and Washington Sundar, two Indian spinners participating in the ongoing IPL 2023 season. Although the pair has displayed some inconsistency during the tournament, Ojha is confident in their ability to perform well for India.
Ojha also suggested that Axar’s performances could be impacted by the struggling form of his IPL team, the Delhi Capitals (DC).
During a media interaction, Ojha shared his views on Axar Patel and Washington Sundar’s current form and said:
“Both these guys (Axar and Sundar) have been a part of the core team, both can bat, both can bowl in the powerplay, middle overs and in the death overs. When you talk about Axar, you can say that because their team is not performing well, we can talk about individuals. But overall we need to give these guys some space. These guys are not new to the Indian setup. They will be getting chances and will do well.”
According to Pragyan Ojha, Mumbai Indians (MI) spinner Hrithik Shokeen has the potential to become the star off-spinner for India, following in the footsteps of Ravichandran Ashwin and Washington Sundar. He further added:
“I think Hrithik from Mumbai Indians, he has got good fingers and I think he has the potential of doing really well, but it is too early. We hardly see any good off-spinners. After Ashwin, we have Sundar but in red-ball cricket, this guy has the potential to develop. His bowling, temperament and action looks really good.”
Ojha Shares Insight on the Top Left-Arm Spinners to Watch Out for
As a former left-arm spinner for India, Pragyan Ojha has identified Kumar Kartikeya and Shahbaz Ahmed as two left-arm spinners to keep an eye on in the future. Ojha has been impressed with their performances in domestic cricket and the IPL, and he believes they will continue to improve.
“I think Kartikeya is a good left-arm spinner. He has got good skills and everytime he has played he has created an impact. I would like to see some more of Shahbaz Ahmed. He did well in domestic cricket and IPL and that’s why he has been picked in the Indian team. I would really like these two guys to do well.”
Observing the legacy left behind by spin legends such as Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, it will be fascinating to witness how the upcoming generation of spinners performs for India.