“Deepak Hooda not just a free flowing batsman, but also an intelligent bowler,” Ex India selector absolutely sure about Hooda’s selection in India’s T20 World Cup squad
Deepak Hooda didn't play in the first couple of games of the ongoing T20I series against West Indies, but he was picked in the XI for the third game
The former chairman of the selection committee of India, Kris Srikkanth, has said that he has got no doubts in his mind that Deepak Hooda will be able to find a place in the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup in Australia, which is just about a couple of months away.
Srikkanth was speaking on Fancode recently and he said that when he looks at a player from the selection point of view, it’s not just the stats that he considers, but he also considers the attitude and the temperament of the player.
According to Srikkanth, when he looks at Deepak Hooda, he finds that he is not just a gutsy batsman who can play free-flowing shots, but he is also someone who is a smart bowler and can find ways to make good contributions with the ball.
Deepak Hooda was picked in the Indian playing XI for the third T20I against West Indies in St Kitts, but he had replaced Ravindra Jadeja in the XI. Jadeja is not someone whom Hooda is supposed to be competing with because Jadeja is a bowling allrounder who bats in the lower middle order.
Deepak Hooda is competing with Shreyas Iyer for the backup role of no. 3
Hooda is more of a top-order batsman in T20 cricket and even in the IPL, he bats at no. 3 for his franchise Lucknow Supergiants. So, if anyone Hooda is competing with, for a slot in the Indian playing XI or even in the Indian squad, it’s Shreyas Iyer.
Deepak Hooda should be given a chance in place of shreyas Iyer #WIvIND
— Srikanth👨 (@Srikanth_MUFC) August 1, 2022
Although Shreyas Iyer had scored three back-to-back half-centuries in the T20I series against Sri Lanka earlier this year and had established himself as a strong understudy to Virat Kohli for the no. 3 slot, his form has been indifferent in the last 10 odd T20I games and it’s being debated now whether Hooda should replace Iyer as the backup option for no. 3 position.
Kris Srikkanth is strongly in favor of Hooda’s selection, as he thinks Hooda has got the ability to perform with both bat and ball in Australian conditions during the World Cup.
Only Yuvraj had more sixes and better strike rate than Deepak Hooda in the first 5 T20I innings for India.#WIvIND
— Ishika Pandey (@Ishika_Pandey45) August 3, 2022
