WI v IND 2019: Virat Kohli's coach Rajkumar Sharma hails selectors for picking a balanced Indian squad

India to begin their West Indies tour from August 3.

Squad Team India captain Virat Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma hailed the BCCI selectors after a great job in selecting a balanced squad for the upcoming tour to West Indies.

"The great job is done by selectors as they have selected a balanced squad for the tour. Many players are given chance in the team like Krunal Pandya, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed, Manish Pandey, and Shreyas Iyer," Sharma told ANI.

With former skipper and veteran player MS Dhoni not available, Pant was picked as the first choice keeper for selectors and has been named in all three squads, while Wriddhiman Saha will be the backup wicketkeeper in Tests.

Pant was part of World Cup squad too and amassed 166 runs in four matches. "Rishabh Pant has performed well from time-to-time. He has been criticized for his shot against New Zealand in the semi-final of the World Cup. This is the best chance for him to prove his abilities and skills. He is a brilliant player and if he improves his shot selection he can be a good finisher," Sharma said.

Sharma believes Pant has a platform to display and prove his abilities in limited-overs. "Pant is a strong contender for the wicket-keeper for the limited-overs. Whereas I personally believe that Wridhiman Saha is better wicketkeeper and will give a tough fight to Pant in Test team," Sharma said.

Sharma, who was recently appointed as the Malta cricket team coach, stated that the team has the potential.

"I have seen a lot of potential in the players and our focus is to qualify in the ICC Qualifiers. There is a need to nurture talent in Malta as not many people play cricket in the country," he concluded.

(With Inputs from ANI)

 
 

By Kartik Vyas - 22 Jul, 2019

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