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T20 World Cup: Shikhar Dhawan and Krunal Pandya could have been more useful for India, feels MSK Prasad

YB WEB DESK. Dated: 9/24/2021 3:16:02 PM

New Delhi, Sep 23 Former selection committee chairman MSK Prasad feels opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan and allrounder Krunal Pandya could have been included in the India's 15-man squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the UAE. Both players were overlooked by the current selection panel led by Chetan Sharma. But Prasad reckons he would have thought about Dhawan and Krunal's inclusion, especially because of their recent form for their respective franchises in the Indian Premier League. Delhi Capitals opener Dhawan is IPL 2021's leading scorer this season with 422 runs so far while Krunal has been a key player in the Mumbai Indians playing XI over the last few years. "Shikhar Dhawan maybe could have been included because he has always done well in ICC tournaments. He could have been more useful for the Indian side and similarly, Krunal Pandya is one guy whom we have groomed in the T20 format for the last 2-3 years. He's been with the Mumbai Indians and doing well. "Selectors would have definitely put their minds into the T20 squad. But I felt as a lay man that these are the two guys who could have been fitted in," MSK Prasad told Sports Tak. The former India wicketkeeper also gave an insight into the selection of youngster Rahul Chahar over the experienced Yuzvendra Chahal in the World Cup squad and why the selectors may have preferred the MI leg-spinner over the senior Royal Challengers Bangalore bowler. "Chahal is our best T20 bowler in terms of the number of wickets he has picked for Team India in the last few years. The selectors would have thought about the competition between Rahul Chahar and Yuzvendra Chahal. Chahal has never disappointed Virat on the flat wickets in Bengaluru and always given you wickets. But there has been a little dip in his performance in the last one-and-a-halfyears. Rahul Chahar if you see, has played an important role in winning back-to-back IPL titles for Mumbai Indians. "Probably that would have gone in Rahul Chahar's favour. The confidence levels of Chahar and Chahal is what the selectors would have seen and chosen Rahul. "Rahul Chahar and Yuzvendra Chahal is a debatable issue but I would have definitely thought about Shikhar Dhawan and Krunal Pandya's inclusion, considering the way they have done for their respective franchises in the IPL," Prasad said.