'Chahal is being ignored. There's no better, braver spinner than him': Harbhajan baffled at leggie's T20I absence

Team India concluded its final T20I series before the upcoming T20 World Cup with a 3-0 victory against Afghanistan earlier this month. The series marked the return of captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli after an absence of over 14 months in the format. Notably, regular T20I players Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav were absent due to injuries. Among the bowlers, Ravi Bishnoi, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar spearheaded the spin attack effectively, with Axar being the standout performer. In the first two matches, Axar registered figures of 2/23 and 2/17 before being rested for the final match in Bengaluru, which culminated in a thrilling Double Super Over finish.

Over the past year, one of India’s prime spinners, Yuzvendra Chahal, -- once a staple in ODIs and T20Is -- has witnessed a decline in his presence in the white-ball format. Chahal lost his place in the side before the ODI World Cup last year, and though he made a return to the ODI squad against South Africa in December, he remains absent from the shortest format of the game. And for former India spinner Harbhajan Singh, it is hard to decode why Chahal has been away from the T20I side. Considering Chahal as a vital component in the Indian T20 side, Harbhajan, in an interaction with Hindustan Times, emphasised that the leg-spinner should be the first name among spinners in the Indian T20I team, particularly as they gear up for the T20 World Cup.

Also read Jason Holder proposes football model to save Test cricket: 'Australia, India are way up but rest are way, way down'

“I would keep Yuzvendra Chahal ahead (for the first slot among spinners),” Harbhajan said when asked about his top-three spin picks for the T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies.

“He is being ignored; I don’t know why. I don’t think he knows as well. But even today, I don’t think there is a better leg-spinner in the country. And I don’t think there is a braver spinner than him. He has a very sharp mind. The second spinner for me would be Ravindra Jadeja. You need to have an off-spinner in Washington Sundar as well. Now, what selectors think, what the management thinks, is a different thing,” Harbhajan said during a chat on the sidelines of the DP World International League T20 (ILT20) in the UAE.

The former India off-spinner believes that spinners will gain significant assistance from pitches in the USA and the West Indies; thus, Team India needs to put a major emphasis on their spin attack.

“Pitches will be pretty similar, like India. Spinners will play a big role. I’ve been to the West Indies on many occasions, and I’ve seen there’s always something for the spinners. Hence, it is important to pick the right attack. You cannot look past the conditions because they will be similar to the subcontinent. You have to make the team keeping in mind the conditions. You need to have at least three spinners in your squad,” said Harbhajan.

Experience needed

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli did make a return after 14 months, but their comeback is set to bring a major reshuffle in the batting order. With Kohli a sure starter and the arrivals of Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya pending, Team India will certainly face a major dilemma over its best team combination for the T20 World Cup. There was significant opposition over the returns of India’s star batting duo of Rohit and Kohli to the T20I setup – owing to a relatively cemented batting order in their absence – but Harbhajan believes that it is important to have experience in the squad.

“I have a different perspective in this case. We need experience. When you are making a team for the World Cup, you need to have experience. Yes, your combination was affected a little. The players who played in the past year have been good, but in big tournaments like World Cups, you need to have experience in the team,” said Harbhajan.

‘Bazball won’t work’

Before the T20 World Cup, India’s last bit of international action will be in Tests as the side takes on England in a five-match series. This will be England’s first Test tour to India since Ben Stokes took over the captaincy in 2022, bringing an attacking style of play alongside Brendon McCullum – commonly called the ‘Bazball’.

However, Harbhajan believes England’s aggressive approach won’t work on Indian pitches, particularly against an Indian spin attack. “Bazball won’t work. The conditions are going to be pretty difficult for England. Pitches will turn from the first day, and if you have an accurate spinner, he will take wickets. On both sides, actually. Toss becomes pretty important on such wickets. I don’t think England have a chance unless there isn’t much to offer for spinners,” says the former offie.