5 Spin options available for India apart from Chahal and Sundar considering T20 World Cup 2021

The Indian T20I line-up is blessed to be blooming with a number of world-class options. Even the first-choice picks of Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar aside, the bench-strength, too, looks packed with a whole bunch of quality names like Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and Varun Chakravarthy.

The presence of such reputed names leads to a good selection headache for the management. But as it turns out, there are some impressive, fringe players outside of the main squad, who further add to this slow-bowling dilemma.

The past few seasons of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and domestic T20 tournaments have brought out some promising names in the shortest format of the game. Some of them have even represented the national team in the past, but while they’re out of favour now, they sure deserve a chance ahead of the Indian team’s build-up to the home T20 World Cup in 2021.

So, who are these players in question? Let’s find out, as we analyse five spinners who could be surprise picks for the 2021 T20 WC –

1. Ravichandran Ashwin

It’s a bit surprising to realize that India’s 3rd highest wicket-taker in T20Is made his last appearance in the format more than 3 years ago. But that’s how the reality presently stands. Back in the day, ‘Ash’ used to be a vital cog of the MS Dhoni-led Indian team. His ability to provide some miserly overs in the mid-stage of the innings was a big asset for the men in blue.

But since 2017, the Virat Kohli-endorsed management preferred playing more attacking wrist-spin options like Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal ahead of Ashwin and his fellow finger-spinner likes. Consequently, he had to relinquish his place in the team.

But based purely on recent form, the Tamil Nadu-born spinner makes a strong case for a comeback into the shortest format’s playing XI. The 2020 IPL season saw a revitalized Ash turn up for the Delhi Capitals. He bowled at more attacking lengths and had also evolved in his role as someone who could be relied upon to bowl at any stage of the innings.

Ashwin finished the season with an impressive tally of 13 wickets @ 7.66 runs per over (RPO). Add to those solid stats his impressive batting prowess, and the Indian team has a ready-made spin-bowling all-round option available.

2. Rahul Chahar

One of the many success stories from the Mumbai Indians’ title-winning 2020 IPL campaign, Rahul Chahar’s strong showing warrants him a place in the current Indian T20I setup.

On paper, MI have a weaker spin-bowling attack compared to the other franchises. So the onus of performance becomes even higher on young players like Chahar, who have to instantly assume an important role in the side.

But given his trajectory for Mumbai over the past two seasons, it’s fair to say that the Bharatpur-born leggie has done his job well. Across 28 matches, Chahar has accounted for as many victims at an impressive economy of 7.36. His average (26.63) and strike rate (21.40), too, are quite impressive for a bowler whose job is to pick wickets in the middle-overs.

There are some issues with Rahul’s game, like his ineffectiveness towards left-handed batters and the occasional tendency to concede too many runs. But should he be able to address them in time, the 21-year-old leggie stands in good stead of adding some more appearances to his single T20I cap.

3. Axar Patel

Like Ashwin, Axar was also one of those finger-spinners who was hard done by the Indian management’s approach to groom in wrist-spinners, albeit to a lesser extent.

Axar’s bowling USP lies in the air-tight lines and lengths that he is able to maintain. Bowling with such hawk-eyed precision makes him a strong run-restraining option, while also allowing him to be among the wickets.

Axar’s decline in the national setup was synonymous with his waning effectiveness for the Kings XI Punjab in the IPL. But ever since he moved over to the Delhi Capitals, the Gujarat all-rounder’s stocks have taken a big hike.

Across both the 2019 and 20 seasons, Axar accounted for a cumulative 19 wickets for the DC. Not out-and-out outstanding stats, but what is commendable is that most of those scalps came in the powerplay overs.

Axar’s accuracy has been vital to the Capitals’ scheme of things and has made him an invaluable run-checking asset. Case in point being his impressive economy of 6.77 at that stage of the game.

In addition to his miserly bowling, Axar also doubles up as a pinch-hitter lower down the order. Not to mention, his more than handy fielding skills, which’s seen him inflict some unbelievable dismissals. Clearly, a second run is due for the promising 26-year-old all-rounder.

4. Krunal Pandya

The fiery duo of the Pandya siblings is among some of the finest all-rounders in world cricket. Well, not entirely all-round, considering how sporadic Hardik’s bowling appearances have been in recent times.

But Hardik’s elder brother, Krunal, still continues to be a mercurial player, both batting and bowling-wise. Krunal’s ability to slot in as a 4-over bowler across any stage of the innings makes him a highly sought-after commodity in T20 cricket.

Not only does he provide a rare, left-arm-off-spin option, but he also doesn’t suffer against Southpaw batsmen; a common problem for bowlers of his kind.

A poor run of form over the last year-and-half saw him fall out of favor with the T20I team. His IPL form, however, continues to be quite impressive. The most recent edition saw him finish with 6-wickets from 12-games at an economy of 7.57.

Admittedly, it’s a bit of a stretch to play Krunal purely as a spin-bowling option. But at the least, his skillset attributes make him a like-for-like replacement for players like Ravindra Jadeja, which merits a case for his inclusion in the squad.

5. Shreyas Gopal

Rounding off the list is our only uncapped pick on the list, Shreyas Gopal. A proven customer for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, Gopal’s knack of picking wickets at crucial junctures of the game is what makes him a true match-winner.

The recently concluded edition of the IPL saw Gopal come to the fore as RR’s strike bowler at the powerplay. Although a tad bit expensive, as his economy of 8.54 would indicate, Gopal’s aggressive bowling approach kept many opposing batsmen stifled. He ended the season with 10-wickets to his name.

But really, his exploits in the domestic arena are where Gopal truly accords a case for his national call-up. His figures read 88 wickets from 75 T20s, at an average of 19.72. His economy of 7.45 is particularly eye-catching, factoring the short-boundaries at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium he plays most of his cricket in.

In fact, the latest Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy season saw him finish second on the wickets’ leaderboard, just one scalp behind Tamil Nadu’s R Sai Kishore in Karnataka’s title-winning campaign.

A major proponent of turning the ball both ways, Gopal could well slot in as a sleeper pick to partner the likes of Chahal, Washington, and Jadeja in the build-up to the World T20 on home conditions.