Manish Pandey
Former India Team Director Ravi Shastri wants to see Karnataka and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batsman Manish Pandey in India’s Champions Trophy squad which will be picked today in New Delhi.
Pandey has scored 345 runs in 12 matches for KKR and slammed a match-winning hundred against Australia at Sydney during the 2015-16 ODI series. “I would like to have Pandey in the team. He is a very good prospect, technically very sound and a very courageous player,” said Shastri.
The former India captain also backed the inclusion of Pandya brothers – Hardik and Krunal – who play for IPL-10 table-toppers Mumbai Indians. “If Ravichandran Ashwin is available then it’s fine. If not, Krunal Pandya should be included in the team.
“Let both the brothers play. We also have Ravindra Jadeja and since the tournament will be played in English conditions, Bhuvaneswar Kumar, Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Shami would be an ideal combination. There’s also Jasprit Bumrah, so there are plenty of options for skipper Virat Kohli,” said Shastri.
India, who take on Pakistan first up on June 4 at Edgbaston, have a clean slate against their arch-rivals in ICC tournaments – unbeaten since the 1991-92 World Cup.
“An India-Pakistan encounter is always special. India are way ahead of Pakistan not only on paper but in form too,” said Shastri who was Team Director when both teams clashed in the opening game of the 2014-15 World Cup at the Adelaide Oval.