Cricket News: Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur are must-haves for India's bowling attack
It's fair to say that, following a disappointing T20 World Cup campaign that saw India lose out in the semi-finals to eventual winner England, there is a need for rebuilding a team that isn't built for modern-day white ball cricket
However, a rebuild doesn't mean entirely ditching the current set of players. Instead, it can and should mean replacing a few older players or, better yet, bringing in new blood to freshen things up.
And two players who the Indian team needs to stick with for the long term as far as white ball cricket is concerned are Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur.
Deepak Chahar's qualities are well known at this point but still bear some degree of repeating. He is at his best when the ball is new and can generate swing.
Whether for India or his IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings, Deepak Chahar is best utilized in the game's early stages when the ball is still moving.
It wasn't uncommon to see MS Dhoni give Chahar four overs on the trot in a bid to get early inroads – and more often than not, it was a tactic that worked.
Shardul, on the other hand, is a different style of player. Primarily seen as a bowler who can bat, his improved ability while wielding the willow makes him more of a bowling all-rounder.
And it is here that Shardul Thakur can be best utilized as a player who can contribute both with the ball and the bat.
India desperately needs more pace-bowling all-rounders, as only Hardik Pandya plugs that particular hole.
And if there is one thing England have shown the world of cricket, it's that stacking your team with all-rounders might not be the worst idea in the world.
They have several players who can bat and bowl, adding to your batting and bowling depth.
It's worth noting that England barely bowled Moeen Ali through their victorious T20 World Cup campaign – they had several other options that were doing well.
India needs some similar depth in their playing XI but currently only plays two all-rounders in any playing XI they put out.
One will be Hardik Pandya, and the other is a spin-bowling all-rounder, depending on who is available at that given point in time. It did the job for India for quite a while, but it needs to change now.
Of course, it's worth noting that neither Deepak Chahar nor Shardul is a risk-free option. Deepak Chahar has struggled with injury-related issues in recent years. Otherwise, he would have already been a white-ball regular.
And Shardul Thakur's stock in T20Is has dipped due to him developing a reputation of being expensive in the death overs and generally through the innings.
However, the cons to bringing them in do not outweigh the pros – and India could do a lot worse than including both of these players in their future scheme of things.
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