Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly on Wednesday (September 18) said that the best talents in the country deserve "consistent opportunities" rather than a few games to prove their worth.
Ganguly expressed his opinion in the wake of current captain Virat Kohli's comment that a player can ideally expect five matches to prove himself in the international arena.
Although the ongoing three-match T20I series against South Africa is considered as a part of preparation for the next year’s T20 World Cup in Australia, Ganguly advised Kohli and the team management to not think about marquee tournament shouldn't be hyped just yet.
"The most important thing for India is to not look at the World T20 next year," Ganguly wrote in his column for The Times of India. "Before the last (ODI) World Cup, there was too much noise about it and that sometimes is not good. What they (Team India) need to do is pick the best possible players and give them consistent opportunities, as there is some serious talent in the domestic circuit."
Ganguly believes it's the youngsters who will take the Indian team forward.
"Virat, Rohit (Sharma), Shikhar (Dhawan), Hardik (Pandya) and (Ravindra) Jadeja have made a mark already and the young firepower needs to come in to take this team to the next level," he added.
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The 47-year-old also opined that the available talent in the bowling and batting department needs to be developed properly.
"The bowling department has some bright prospects. Khaleel Ahmed, Deepak Chahar and Navdeep Saini look promising; and India need to look after them so that they develop the way (Jasprit) Bumrah has.
"These guys, with time and maturity, will see Bumrah, Bhuvi (Bhuvneswhar Kumar) and (Mohammed) Shami as their role models and this will be a healthy sign for Indian fast bowling. Spinners like Rahul Chahar, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep (Yadav) and (Yuzvendra) Chahal will also keep everyone on their toes," he wrote.
Ganguly, one of India’s most successful captains, feels the likes of KL Rahul will be pushed with the emergence of some other youngsters.
"The batting department also has some exciting faces. All they need is the freedom to express themselves. Shreyas Iyer finds a place in the T20 squad, a reward for his good show in the 50-overs games in West Indies.
"With Rohit and Shikhar at the top as the best possible opening pair, KL Rahul will be pushed. He has lost his place in Test cricket due to indifferent form and the likes of Shreyas and Manish Pandey will keep him on his toes if he wants to hold onto the No. 4 slot. Hardik makes a comeback and will look to consolidate his place as the premier all-rounder in every format," he stated.
