"Shardul Thakur cannot be Hardik’s backup" - Gautam Gambhir feels Shivam Dube should have been included in India's 2023 Asia Cup squad 

Former India opening batter Gautam Gambhir feels that all-rounder Shivam Dube should have been part of the 2023 Asia Cup squad as a backup for Hardik Pandya.

Shivam Dube is currently part of the Indian squad currently in Ireland for a three-match T20I series. The all-rounder made a comeback after three years on the back of his exploits for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL). He scored 418 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 158.33 in the franchise's title-winning campaign.

As far as his ODI record is concerned, he has played only one match, which came against the West Indies in 2019. He holds a batting average of 38.41 and an economy of 5.37 across 52 List A matches.

Gautam Gambhir opined that the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee should have considered Shivam Dube in the 2023 Asia Cup squad because of his red-hot form at the moment.

"One name they (the select should have definitely considered is Shivam Dube because of the kind of form he is in. You need a backup for Hardik Pandya. Shardul Thakur can't be that. Shardul Thakur cannot be Hardik’s backup," he said on Star Sports.

Former India spinner and chairman of selectors Sunil Joshi, however, disagreed with Gambhir's opinion. Expressing reservation over Dube's lack of experience in ODI cricket, he said:

"No, I don't think so. We have seen Shivam Dube. He would've been scoring in T20s but this is entirely format and a different tournament. With due respect to Gautam, this is my view. Shivam Dube has struggled with the ball and also in the field."

Dube scored an unbeaten 22 in the second T20I against Ireland and has even chipped in with a couple of overs in the series so far.

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"I believe either Ravi Bishnoi or Yuzvendra Chahal should have been picked because of conditions" - Gautam Gambhir on Team India's 2023 Asia Cup squad

There has been diverse opinion from all sides regarding Team India's 2023 Asia Cup squad. From Tilak Varma and Prasidh Krishna's surprise selection to Yuzvendra Chahal's omission in subcontinent conditions caught several by surprise.

Gautam Gambhir opined that Team India's bowling attack is rather one-dimensioned because of the lack of an extra wrist spinner.

"It’s a decent squad, according to me a nice squad is picked, but somewhere a wrist spinner is needed. It’s a seam-heavy squad and I believe either Ravi Bishnoi or Yuzvendra Chahal should have been picked because of conditions, when you are playing in India it’s important to keep two wrist spinners in the squad," he opined.

Somewhere it’s a one-dimensional attack, two left-arm spinners, one wrist spinner and other pacers, it’s a seam-heavy attack (four-seamers). I think it’s a place where they could do better if they have selected one out of either leg-spinner. I believe you could give a break to Mohammad Shami and the form in which Prasidh Krishna is, you could pick a wrist spinner," Gambhir continued.

Team India will begin their 2023 Asia Cup campaign with a clash against arch-rivals Pakistan on September 2.