World Cup 2023: Harbhajan Singh's veiled dig at Rohit Sharma, Rahul Dravid for ignoring these two star players

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Harbhajan Singh has taken a veiled dig at the Indian team management consisting of captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid for dropping Yuzvendra Chahal and Arshdeep Singh from India's World Cup 2023 squad.

The former off-spinner has predicted that the omission of Chahal and Arshdeep would lead to many debates in the coming days. Highlighting their importance, Harbhajan Singh said that Chahal would have always been in the playing eleven if he was part of any other team in the world.

"Yuzvendra Chahal, a proven match-winner, someone who has taken more wickets than any other spinner. If he was playing for any other country, I would think he would always be in the playing XI. But even after proving so much, I feel he should have been in the team. If I were part of the management, I would definitely play him in the team, because we are all stakeholders of Indian cricket and we want the Indian Cricket Team to do well," Harbhajan said while speaking exclusively during a virtual press conference ahead of India's match against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2023 on Sunday.

He also talked on length about Arshdeep Singh, saying that a left-arm pacer have often given champion teams edge in the past. He reckoned that in-swinging deliveries of left-arm pacers in the early overs create high chances of picking early wickets.

“In my opinion, there are two people missing in this team. First, Yuzvendra Chahal, and second, Arshdeep Singh. Because a left-arm seamer, if he can bring the new ball inside, it makes it useful in the game. If he can get two wickets early in the game, I’m not saying that right-handers can’t do that, but a left-hand seamer can get an actual angle to get the wicket.

"You can see how Shaheen Shah Afridi or Mitchell Starc, they have a huge impact on the game. When Australia won the World Cup, Mitchell Starc had a huge impact on the games; he sent Brendan McCullum out on the first ball. Incoming ball, with that speed, coming into a right-hander is always challenging," Harbhajan Singh said.

Further, Harbhajan Singh pointed out that Chahal and Arshdeep missed out on a World Cup berth because the management opted to go with two similar left-arm spin-bowling all-rounders in Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. He said that Jadeja and Axar cannot play together but Jadeja and Chahal could have played together.

"So, I feel these two boys, they could have been very handy in the World Cup, and especially in conditions where they know what to do and how to take wickets. I believe these two guys are simply missed because we have selected two left-arm spinners who won’t be able to play together in the same match, but Jadeja and Chahal could play in the same match together.

"And if we have to face a lot of left-handers, then we need someone who can spin the ball outside as well. So, in my opinion, Yuzvendra Chahal and Arshdeep should have been in the team, and this is what will cause a lot of debate among everybody.” Harbhajan Singh concluded.