‘I Don’t Think a Backup Keeper is Necessary’: Ex-Selector Offers Solution to India’s Middle-order Dilemma

Do India need a backup wicketkeeper for the ICC World Cup 2023?

Well, it’s needless to ask as every team participating in the mega event after two months will have a couple of stumpers in their squad. But the case could be different for India as the hosts currently deal with finding the right balance and are far from announcing their final 15.

The void created by the absence of KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer has left the selection committee with the herculean task of naming a strong team of 15 for the showpiece event. It is understood that Pant is nowhere on the scene as he will need more time to recover from the injuries suffered in the car crash last year.

As far as the rest two are concerned, they have just started playing practice matches and how will they fare when the selectors sit down together to name the players, it’s yet to be known.

Meanwhile, some former world cup winners have offered a solution to this riddle, considering a scenario where both Iyer and Rahul won’t be available.

Speaking on Star Sports show Selection Day, former coach Ravi Shastri opined if Ishan Kishan can play as Rohit Sharma’s opening partner, then the team can have Suraykumar Yadav in the middle-order with Tilak Varma, adding that handing the latter a debut won’t be a bad idea.

Agreeing with Shastri’s suggestion, former selector Sandeep Patil said, “100 per cent [if India should hand a debut to Tilak Varma?]. I will go with Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav. Who will be in the playing XI, can be decided after looking at the opposition.”

Patil was asked if Surya and Tilak feature in the middle order then how would a backup keeper get a chance? The 1983 World Cup winner said, “I don’t think a backup keeper is necessary because the tournament will be at home. And if something happens to Ishan Kishan, fingers crossed, then we can get Sanju Samson overnight to any place.”

Both members of the discussion, along with former chief selector MSK Prasad, agreed to have Tilak in the World Cup lineup. The youngster recently made a terrific T20I debut for India, ending the five-match series against West Indies as the second-highest scorer with 173 runs.