India's World Cup campaign has been nothing short of spectacular, with three consecutive wins, including a stunning victory over arch-rivals Pakistan. However, the absence of two key players – Mohammed Shami and Ravichandran Ashwin from the Playing 11 has caught the attention of cricket enthusiasts.
Indian bowling coach Paras Mhambrey addressed the situation, explaining that the decisions regarding the playing 11 have been made in the best interest of the team and to maintain the momentum gained in the tournament. He emphasised that there is currently no discussion of rotation in the team.
"Right now, there is no discussion of rotation from our point of view. We want to carry this momentum to the next game as well," PTI quoted Mhambrey as saying.
The pace duo of Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah have performed exceptionally well in the three matches. Siraj has taken three wickets in the tournament while Bumrah is the joint highest wicket taker with eight wickets in three matches. Additionally, left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav's impressive five wickets in the tournament has kept Ashwin on the sidelines.
Mhambrey acknowledged the difficulty of leaving out a quality fast bowler like Shami. He also mentioned that the team management has communicated clearly with the players about the reasons behind their exclusion.
"Sometimes you will miss out, someone like him is missing out, someone like Ash (Ravichandran Ashwin) will miss out, and I think that is the communication we had with him, and we were very clear," Mhambrey explained.
He also praised Ashwin for being a "team guy" and commended his understanding of the team's decisions. Despite being dropped from the playing 11 after the opening game against Australia, Ashwin has been a positive and supportive presence within the squad.
"He has been a great lad, he understands that, he is a great team guy. I have never seen him grumpy, I have never seen him complaining at any time in any of the last few years that he has been with us," the former India player said.
The bowling coach also mentioned the exclusion of Suryakumar Yadav from the team. He described Suryakumar as a "champion" and a "match-winner" who can adapt to various situations on the field. However, finding a place for him in the current lineup poses a challenge as the team is performing well regardless.
“It is a difficult decision, like Ashwin, like Shami. Surya is a quality player, (but) it is difficult to get someone like him,” Mhabrey said.
“You need to create an opportunity for him to play, but the question then (gets) asked is whom do you replace him with? We do not have a slot for him right now but we all know what he brings to the table. If an opportunity arises, he will get his game," he added.
India will next play against Bangladesh on October 19 in Pune.