'3 SPINNERS, 3 FAST BOWLERS' BUT NO YUZVENDRA CHAHAL IN INDIA T20 WORLD CUP XI FOR THIS FORMER BATTER

NEW DELHI: The joint highest wicket-taker this season - 13 - and the first bowler to breach the 200-wicket mark in the history of the Indian Premier League, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has once again been on-song but his non-inclusion in Team India squad for T20 World Cup, even in predicted XIs of former players, continues to remain a mystery.

Former India cricketer and middle-order batter Mohammed Kaif on Friday excluded the leggie in his predicted India XI despite having three spinners and three pacers in it.

For Kaif, India should go in with Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel as three spinners while in the pace department Jasprit Bumrah will be spearheading the attack and will have the support of Arshdeep Singh and all-rounder Hardik Pandya.

For Kaif the inclusion of Jadeja, Axar and Hardik -- the spin-bowling all-rounders -- will provide batting strength to the Indian team at the cricketing extravaganza.

For the other 4 members of the 15-man squad, Kaif had Sandeep Sharma, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh and KL Rahul.

With the T20 World Cup scheduled to take place in US and the Caribbean, Kaif also suggested that India should also have three reserve players and Chahal featured in that list alongside Avesh Khan and Sanju Samson.

Chahal has been in prolific touch in the IPL this season and is the joint-highest wicket-taker alongside Bumrah.

Chahal was also not part of the T20 World Cups squads in 2021 and 2022.