“Don’t get fooled by overall averages, always look at individual matches,” Kris Srikkanth criticizes selection of Shardul Thakur in World Cup squad.

Following the official announcement by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) revealing the 15-member Indian squad for the forthcoming ODI World Cup, cricket enthusiasts and pundits have been actively evaluating the chosen players and those omitted from the lineup.

Shardul Thakur, who is expected to play a crucial role as a fast-bowling all-rounder alongside Hardik Pandya. Nevertheless, criticism emerged from Kris Srikkanth, the 1983 World Cup champion, who expressed his discontent with the BCCI selectors for picking the Mumbai-based cricketer. Srikkanth argued that Shardul Thakur seldom completes his allotted overs or contributes substantially with the bat. In his opinion, the 63-year-old suggested that India should have opted for a specialist bowler instead.

Kris Srikkanth said “Everyone is saying we need a batter at No. 8…who needs a batter at No. 8? Shardul Thakur is only scoring 10 there and he doesn’t even bowl for ten overs. In the match against Nepal, how many overs did he bowl? 4 only. See, don’t see performances against sides like West Indies or Zimbabwe. Yes if he performs well, then keep that in the back of your mind, but don’t give importance to that. Instead stress on performances against teams like Australia or New Zealand. That is why I say, don’t get fooled by overall averages, always look at individual matches.”