Former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer opines that despite the team management refraining from abrupt decisions on selection the notion of accommodating Sanju Samson at the No. 4 spot in their T20 World Cup playing XI might be under consideration. The Men in Blue have advanced to the Super 8 phase having secured victory in all three matches.
Shivam Dube’s bat performance, on the other hand, is cause for concern. Dube has 34 runs in three innings, with a strike rate of 73.91.
In a YouTube video, Wasim Jaffer discussed India’s selection dilemma:
“There might be a case for Sanju Samson at No. 4. But then Shivam Dube has got just a couple of games and the team management will want to give him a longer run. Whether Samson will play, whether Jaiswal will play, these decisions are something that the team management will need to think about going forward.”
Wasim Jaffer
Wasim Jaffer personally wants to support Shivam Dube since the Men in Blue will be traveling to the West Indies, where the all-rounder’s spin-hitting skills might be critical. The southpaw also delivered a crucial 31*(35) in India’s victory over the United States.
Wasim Jaffer on importance of India being aggressive in the powerplay
The pitches in the T20 World Cup, particularly in the United States, have presented a significant challenge to the batsmen, and scoring runs has not been simple. While the discussion over the best strategy continues, Wasim Jaffer feels that the powerplay limits must be used nonetheless.
On this, he said:
“You will need to be proactive in the powerplay. You will reach nowhere if you play cautiously on such pitches because the bowler knows he has to bowl on a spot and let the pitch do the rest. We have seen players like Rishabh Pant get rewarded for their bravery and that’s the way you need to play with the powerplay restrictions.”
Wasim Jaffer
India’s opening partnerships have been 12, 22, and 0 in their three games. They would like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to put up a strong opening partnership in their last group game against Canada on June 15.