Former cricketer Harbhajan Singh believes Axar Patel is ready to fill Ravindra Jadeja's shoes for the all-rounder role for India. He also reflected on India's wicketkeeping options and opined that the selection of Sanju Samson ahead of Rishabh Pant could be a possibility for the Champions Trophy. After months of uncertainty, the Champions Trophy is almost a month away from returning after seven years. Speculations have arisen around the possible players who could feature in the list of players the BCCI decides to rely on.
Jadeja, an all-rounder who has been performing in all facets of the game for years, is now faced with a scenario where he could be dropped from the squad.
With the recent Axar Patel surge, there's a good chance only one of the two will be on the plane to Dubai. If such a scenario arises, Harbhajan wants Axar to be in Dubai with the Men in Blue ahead of the seasoned all-rounder.
“I chose Axar Patel over Ravindra Jadeja. I think Axar is ready to fill the role that Jadeja has been doing for so many years,” Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.
Another dilemma that India needs to address is the wicketkeeping options. Rishabh Pant was considered the top pick in the department before a life-threatening accident in 2022 kept him out of action until 2024.
During that period, India tried many players at the position but never got the satisfaction or confidence. Ever since Pant made his return, Sanju Samson has become a popular player in the white-ball format.
After Rohit Sharma pulled out of T20Is, Sanju grabbed the opportunity with both hands. While opening for India in the shortest format of cricket, he showed his class against Bangladesh on home turf with a century.
The veteran batsman went on to write his name in the history book by becoming the first batsman to score three centuries in T20Is in a calendar year.
With Pant on a long tour of Australia, Harbhajan believes it won't be a “big thing” if Samson is preferred for the Champions Trophy over the explosive southpaw.
“I think one should be chosen from Sanju Samson or Rishabh Pant. I think Sanju should be preferred because he has played in South Africa. Rishabh played well in Australia but it was a long tour so when he is rested , it's not a big thing,” Harbhajan added.
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