T20 WC: Skipper Rohit specifically sought four spinners in the 15-member squad (Ld)

Mumbai, May 2 (IANS) The reason the national selection committee has picked four spinners to represent India in the third successive ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is that skipper Rohit Sharma has specifically asked for a combination of four spinners and three pacers even though the team would be playing on pitches in the USA and Caribbean that are expected to help pacers more than spinners.For the 2021 edition of the T20 World Cup played in Oman and UAE, India picked Ravichandran Ashwin, Rahul Chahar, Varun Chakravarthy and Ravindra Jadeja in their 15-member squad. In the next edition held in Australia in 2022, India went in with Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Deepak Hooda and Axar Patel.For the 2024 edition, the Indian squad includes two left-hand orthodox spinners Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and a left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav. Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal is the fourth spinner in the squad. The 2024 edition of the T20 World Cup will be played from June 1 to 29.The selection of four spinners for an event to be held in the United States and Caribbean where the pitches are more suited for pace had left many experts baffled. The three pacers in the Indian squad are Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj with Hardik Pandya expected to be available as the fourth pacer.But on Thursday, Rohit Sharma said he had a specific technical reason and theory for seeking four spinners in the squad and said he would reveal his reasons closer to the tournament.”We discussed about a lot, whether to have an offspinner or not. But unfortunately, you know, Washi (Washington Sundra) hasn’t played a lot of