While Team India are considered one of the favourites for the upcoming ODI World Cup at home, former head coach Ravi Shastri feels that the absence of multiple left-handers in the batting line-up is a missing link.

With Rishabh Pant still on the road to recovery following his car accident last December, India are short of southpaws in their ODI line-up.

Shastri compared the current batting order to the triumphant 2011 line-up with the likes of Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina featuring in it.

“No, that is going to be a challenge. You will have to see closer to the event. Form again becomes important. You need to strike the right balance. Do you think a left-hander will make a difference at the top? It does not have to be opening, but in the top three or four. You have to weigh all those options. Ideally, in the top six, I would like to see two left-handers,” Shastri told ICC.

“Whenever you have done well [left-handers contributed]. In 2011, you had [Gautam] Gambhir, Yuvraj [Singh] and [Suresh] Raina. Go back to 1974… [Alvin] Kallicharran, [Roy] Fredericks, [Clive] Lloyd…. The same in 1979. The 1983 team was the only one that did not have a left-hander, but that whole tournament was against all odds. In 1987, Australia had enough… they had [Allan] Border at the top, they had another two or three, down the order. In 1996 Sri Lanka proved it again, with [Sanath] Jayasuriya, [Arjuna] Ranatunga, [Asanka] Gurusinha. And then Australia, with the Gilchrists and the Haydens. England have it now. That mix and balance has to be created,” he added.

Shastri named some other left-handed options India have in their ranks, with Pant unlikely to be considered for the quadrennial event.  

“You have Ishan Kishan. In the wicketkeeping department, you have Sanju. But the left-handers, you have Jaiswal, Tilak Varma. There is enough left-handed talent that can replace any senior player at the moment,” he remarked.

India will open their 50-over World Cup campaign against Australia in Chennai on October 8.