Ravi Shastri wants Manish Pandey, Krunal Pandya in India squad for Champions Trophy

Former Indian cricketer Ravi Shastri is renowned for being very vocal about his opinions on the cricket matters. He has been closely associated with the Indian team in different capacities over the years. The renowned commentator recently gave his opinions on the combination of players that should head England for the Indian side in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy.

As per the quotes in the Mid-Day, Ravi Shastri noted that Karnataka batsman Manish Pandey must be included in the squad for the tournament. He remarked that Pandey is a technically sound operator who can be very handy in any conditions for the national setup. Pandey has been in the mix of things for the Indian team for quite some time now. He even has an ODI century to his name.

“I would like to have Pandey in the team. He is a very good prospect, technically very sound and a very courageous player,” quoted Ravi Shastri

Speaking further about the combinations, Shastri opined that young Baroda all-rounder Krunal Pandya must be included in the side. Given the fact that Ravichandran Ashwin is not totally fit at the moment, it would be prudent to have someone like Krunal Pandya in the team. He wants the Indian skipper Virat Kohli to have plenty of options at his disposal in the tournament.

“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, Bhuvneshwar 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 the former cricketer.

Team India will start their title defense against arch rivals Pakistan on June 4. Talking about the match, Shastri tipped India to be the clear favorites for the game. “An India-Pakistan encounter is always special. India are way ahead of Pakistan not only on paper but in form too,” he quipped.