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India made two changes to its playing XI for the second T20I against New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Saturday, October 24. One change was forced, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi replacing the injured Ishan Kishan. The other adjustment came in the bowling department, where Prince Yadav stepped in for Mayank Yadav.
Former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik expressed his views on the team's selection strategy, particularly regarding the continued omission of mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy.
Speaking to Cricbuzz, Karthik acknowledged the quality of the two new players but raised concerns about Chakravarthy's situation.
"I would have ideally liked Varun Chakravarthy, but the way the Indian team sets up by batting till No.8, he is going to find it hard unless they have a different set-up and the way they look at things are slightly changed. For the moment, I am impressed with these two changes, they are both talented young boys," Karthik said.
Why is Chakravarthy struggling to find a place in India's T20I XI?
Chakravarthy has been overlooked for consecutive matches in the New Zealand tour following his recent return from injury. Axar Patel has emerged as India's primary spin option across the first two T20Is. In the opening match, Axar finished with figures of 1/51 across four overs. However, he delivered a stronger performance in the second T20I, conceding just 28 runs during his four-over spell.
What does Karthik say about fielding standards in modern cricket?
Karthik acknowledged the challenges modern scheduling places on players but emphasised that lack of effort in fielding cannot be excused at international level. The former wicketkeeper recognised that some players possess natural fielding abilities while others must work harder to improve their skills.
"I would be very disappointed if I felt the players are not putting in the effort towards fielding. At international level, you cannot use that as an excuse at all. Some people are naturally gifted; they can obviously pick up things a bit better than others," Karthik said.
"You will rarely see in international cricket players who are not interested in fielding, because they know that there are many cameras and a lot of people watching. More importantly, you are playing for the country. With the way the scheduling is, working on fielding to get better can be a challenge, which I can understand," he added.
