“There is no need to play the third spinner” – Saba Karim picks his first-choice spinners for IND vs NZ 1st T20I

Saba Karim has picked in-form spinner Kuldeep Yadav and all-rounder Washington Sundar as his specialist spinners for the first ODI against New Zealand in Ranchi on Friday, January 27.

The former India selector added that all-rounder Deepak Hooda should play the role of the third spinner for India.

The cricketer-turned-commentator feels India should play three specialist seamers as the track might benefit the pacers.

Speaking to India News, Karim said:

“You have three spinners (Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav) because Deepak Hooda can bowl, so there is no need to play the third spinner, but I don’t think spinners will benefit much in Ranchi (in winter)."

He added:

"There will be assistance for the pacers because there is moisture and the surface is hard.”

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“We can get a similar result in T20 cricket” – Saba Karim picks Team India as favorite for IND vs NZ T20Is

Karim has picked Team India as the favorite to win the T20I series against New Zealand after the hosts won 3-0 in the recently concluded ODI series.

He reckons the Men in Blue will be riding high on confidence to put on another decent showing against the Blackcaps.

He said:

“I think India played very well in ODIs. I believe that we’ll get to see something similar in T20 cricket. I don’t think New Zealand are an accomplished team to give the team a fight. Team India’s confidence is very high at the moment. We can get a similar result in T20 cricket.”

The former India cricketer, though, wants Devon Conway, Michael Bracewell, and skipper Mitchell Santner to put on competitive performances in T20Is.

Karim said:

“I am hoping for a competitive series because if you look at the New Zealand team, they have good players. Devon Conway, Michael Bracewell, and Mitchell Santner have experience playing in T20 leagues.”

Conway and Bracewell scored centuries in the third and first ODIs, respectively. Meanwhile, Santner amassed 118 runs and picked up two wickets in the three-match ODI series for the Kiwis.

India’s T20I squad against New Zealand: Hardik Pandya (Captain), Suryakumar Yadav (vice-captain), Ishan Kishan (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi, Prithvi Shaw, Mukesh Kumar.