Form and impact of players important for India to win World Cup: Gautam Gambhir

Former India batter Gautam Gambhir has emphasised on the fact that it’s the form and impact of a player that should be taken into consideration in order for India to win the ODI World Cup. The BCCI on Monday announced the 17-member squad for the 2023 Asia Cup, with the biggest takeaway being the return of KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer from their respective injuries. The selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, have also picked uncapped Tilak Varma to boost India’s middle-order. The Asia Cup would give a much clearer picture as to where India are headed ahead of the World Cup. Also read:  Selectors gamble on Tilak; Chahal misses out on in pace-heavy attack “One thing is clear; there is no front runner for a position when you are trying to win the World Cup. Form and impact are important. The players who are in form need to be picked, rather than those who are not. Let it be Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, or anybody. If Tilak Varma is in better form than someone, if Suryakumar Yadav is in better form than Shreyas Iyer or KL Rahul or Ishan Kishan, then you need to start that player,” Gambhir said while speaking on Star Sports. “Because the World Cup comes once in four years, you don’t go and see who is a front runner or not. Who is in the best form after the Asia Cup and the Australia series, just as Rohit Sharma had said, there is no guarantee for anybody’s position. It’s great to have Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul back from injury, but they will need to perform if they want to get in the starting lineup of the squad,” he added. Gambhir added that while Suryakumar Yadav may be struggling for consistency in ODIs, he remains impactful in the side. “I will only look at the form, not the name. Because if you want to win the World Cup, only form and impact from the players will help you win. A good thing the selectors have done is picked Suryakumar Yadav in the team. Because Suryakumar Yadav may not have the consistency, but he has the impact, and the team management should find the most efficient way to use him. “So, in my opinion, whether it’s KL Rahul or Shreyas Iyer or anybody, we will look at their form after the Asia Cup and which team plays in the Australia series. That series will determine who plays in the World Cup rather than deciding after the series is over that who will play in the World Cup. Because there should be a series before the World Cup where your main squad plays together,” added the 41-year-old. Gambhir termed the debate over the possibility of three left-handers in the playing XI as “useless”. Citing the example of Tilak Varma, Gambhir once more stressed on the fact that form should be the main factor while picking the side. “If he has been picked (Tilak Varma), then of course he should get some matches to play. And if he gets game time and performs better than other batsmen, then you should definitely take him in the squad. Because, as I’ve said earlier, form is important. This debate about who is a left-hander or a right-hander or whether we need three left-handers is a useless debate. “We look at quality, we do not look to see how many left-handers are in the squad. If the batsman is good regardless of whether he is a right-hander or a left-hander, we should see how he performs in every condition and against each bowler,” continued the former Delhi cricketer. “If Tilak Varma is in good form, then select him. If Shreyas Iyer or KL Rahul are in good form, then select them. It’s not a compulsion that you have to keep a left-hander in the squad or that you need to have three left-handers in the lineup. I don’t think we need to even start a debate like this. If we are focusing on left-handers, then what about Yashasvi Jaiswal and other left-handers? But you look at quality, don’t you, not quantity,” said the former opener. India begin their Asia Cup campaign against Pakistan in Pallekele on 2 September. The Men in Blue then face Nepal, the other team in Group A, at the same venue on 4 September.